Lowveld slap fighter Jaco ‘Grootwit’ Marneweck returned from the Power Slap 11 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the knowledge that he has what it takes to reach the summit of this sport.

Grootwit was in Riyadh from January 25 to February 2, as an alternate super heavyweight for Power Slap 11. Would any of the super heavyweights who were on the card not have been able to compete, he would have replaced that striker in the bout.

Despite early announcements in January indicating his participation, Grootwit recently revealed that he was actually an alternate for the event. This news came as a surprise to his fans back home, who had been eagerly anticipating his appearance on the big screen on Thursday January 30.

He was also there, courtesy of Power Slap, to experience a championship event and learn from it and the other slap fighters. “Riyadh is an amazing place and I was truly treated like a celebrity. Meeting the other slap fighters was a dream come true; I have looked up to some of those athletes for a long time,” said Grootwit.

“Honestly, I thought they were going to be bigger. This just showed me that I am big enough for the international stage. When they saw me, I could clearly see that they knew here comes trouble, and our other South African competitor, Danie ‘Pitbull’ van Heerden, made sure to let them know that South Africa is here to take over. I learnt so much, despite the fact that I did not get a chance to slap anyone. It is definitely the biggest stage in the world. Power Slap 11 was incredible – the atmosphere, the vibe, the lighting – everything was extreme and over the top.”

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All the slap fighters were accommodated at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh – RDC Hotel and Convention Centre and, despite the seriousness of the bouts, they mingled and shared some time together. This gave Grootwit the chance to learn from the more experienced strikers. “I realised that I have to be on top of my game to be able to perform on this stage. I got taught a lot of techniques, including to harness the most power to knock my opponent out.”

On fight night, January 30, Vasilii ‘Dumpling’ Kamotskii defeated titleholder Layne ‘Da Crazy Hawaiian’ Viernes by unanimous decision to win the super heavyweight belt. Grootwit witnessed the bout and believes he can get a title shot. “With a lot of hard work and sweat, I want to achieve at least five knockout wins. Then I should be a contender for that super heavyweight title,” he said. “It’s
not going to be easy – loads of hours in the gym, and lots of proper technique and power training. As soon as I get the go-ahead from Power Slap about when, where and who I will be slapping, I will disclose all the information.”

At 172kg and 1.87m, Grootwit needs plenty of fuel. “My diet is purely to feed my muscles. Breakfast is six eggs with red meat, and a protein shake. Lunch is huge – pap and stew, pap and chicken, pap and mogodu, or pap and chicken runaways. Dinner – pasta and loads of protein. I also try to drink four to six litres of water per day.”

Like many a combat sportsman, Grootwit is not afraid to open his mouth and tell it like he sees it. “I am strong enough for the world stage. I am the next big thing in international slap fighting.”