Raja Jackson, the son of Final Preventing Championship star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, was jailed Thursday for an August 2025 brawl that authorities stated crossed the road from scripted professional wrestling struggle to real-life assault, officers stated.
Jackson agreed to plead no contest to battery in Might for the beating {of professional} wrestler Stuart Smith at a KnokX Professional Wrestling Academy occasion in Solar Valley. Smith, who wrestled below the deal with “Syko Stu,” stated he suffered a severe head harm and a facial fracture after Jackson slammed him to the bottom and punched him roughly 20 instances.
Beneath the phrases of the deal, Jackson should serve 90 days in jail, spend two years on formal probation and pay $81,000 in restitution to Smith. He was taken into custody Thursday and can full his agreed-upon jail sentence, then will seemingly be launched on the subsequent listening to in late September, stated his lawyer, Michael Freedman.
Jackson, a educated martial artist, was a visitor of one other performer on the KnokX present and was reside streaming his go to when Smith slammed a beer can over Jackson’s head backstage. Video of the incident confirmed Smith apologizing to Jackson shortly afterward, saying he was appearing in character and believed the 25-year-old was a “employee,” which means he was concerned within the wrestling present.
Skilled wrestling violence is often scripted, with each events agreeing to hit one another with punches, kicks, throws and typically weapons to inform a violent story within the ring or on digicam. Wrestlers are supposed to remain in character within the presence of followers, an idea often known as “kayfabe.”
Later within the present, Jackson bumped into the ring throughout Smith’s match. Whereas that type of dramatic interference is typical throughout a staged wrestling struggle, Smith appeared to lose consciousness as quickly as Jackson physique slammed him. He didn’t appear to maneuver or defend himself as Jackson battered him with punch after punch.
“What occurred affected me deeply and I don’t reduce the seriousness of it,” Smith stated in court docket on Thursday. “The accidents I suffered led to an extended and troublesome restoration that I’m nonetheless making an attempt to get well from, together with remedy for a extreme traumatic mind harm, a shattered maxilla and a bone graft process.”
Different wrestlers who witnessed the incident final yr beforehand advised The Occasions they believed Smith was in character. It was unclear if Jackson understood that. Freedman declined to remark exterior the courthouse Thursday.
“The problem of what facets of the altercation have been scripted versus actual was mentioned and brought under consideration, but it surely didn’t negate the seriousness of the hurt inflicted or the defendant’s private duty for inflicting it,” the Los Angeles County district lawyer’s workplace stated in an announcement earlier this yr.
Jackson didn’t converse throughout Thursday’s listening to.
Smith stated he’s suffered reminiscence loss and lowered cognitive operate on account of the assault and has been unable to work for practically a yr. However finally, Smith stated he forgave Jackson.
“I don’t stand right here with hatred for a need for revenge. I maintain no grudges towards Mr. Jackson,” Smith stated in court docket. “Folks could make horrible selections in troublesome moments.”
