Raja Jackson, the son of former UFC champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, is at the center of a firestorm following a violent incident at a pro wrestling event in Los Angeles. Video footage, widely circulated on social media, shows Jackson’s son appearing to assault wrestler Stuart Smith, also known as “Syko Stu,” leaving him unconscious.
The incident took place on Saturday at a KnokX Pro Wrestling event and was live-streamed on the platform Kick. According to reports and a statement from KnokX Pro, the attack was a “work that went wrong.” The planned wrestling spot, where Jackson was to perform a predetermined move, escalated dramatically when he reportedly slammed Smith to the mat and then delivered more than two dozen unanswered punches to the head of the seemingly motionless wrestler. Other wrestlers eventually intervened to pull Jackson away.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson addressed the incident on social media, stating that while the event was scripted, his son’s actions were the result of “bad judgment.” The elder Jackson explained that Raja, an MMA fighter and not a professional wrestler, had been unexpectedly hit in the head by Smith moments before the match. He claimed Raja was told he could get “payback” in the ring, which led to the unscripted violence. Rampage also noted that his son had recently suffered a concussion from sparring and had no business participating in the event.
KnokX Pro Entertainment and Academy released a statement condemning the “selfish, irresponsible act of violence.” They apologized to fans and confirmed that Stuart Smith was hospitalized but is now “awake and stable.” The streaming platform Kick has since banned Raja Jackson’s account.