A livestreamed wrestling event in Los Angeles over the weekend has sparked a police investigation after Raja Jackson, the son of former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, was seen unleashing a series of punches to the face of a wrestler during what was supposed to be a staged event.
The video, which went viral, shows the younger Jackson jumping into the ring Saturday night in the middle of a wrestling match involving Stuart Smith, also known as Syko Stu. Jackson picks up Smith and slams him down, with the back of Smith’s head slamming into the mat. Jackson then immediately begins to deliver 23 punches to his face as the crowd looks on.
Within seconds, two other wrestlers climb into the ring and pull Jackson off Smith, but he manages to push one off as he tries to get back to Smith. The crowd can be heard screaming as the two men grapple in the ring. Four costumed wrestlers eventually hold Jackson to one of the corners in the ring.
Video of the incident, which was held at KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy in Sun Valley, was originally livestreamed on Kick but quickly spread on social media and YouTube. The video showed Jackson being escorted out of the gym after the incident.
Viewers online questioned whether the incident was criminal or part of the show that had gone too far.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that officers were called to the gym about 9 p.m. Saturday after receiving a report of an attempted murder.
The suspect had left the location by the time officers arrived, and the victim was taken to a hospital in stable condition, a police spokesperson said Monday.
Officers completed a felony battery report, and detectives have been assigned to the case, officials said. No arrests had been made as of Monday morning.
Jackson’s father, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, wrote shortly after the incident on X that his son “was told that he could get his ‘payback’ in the ring” after Smith hit Jackson before the event.
Video circulating online over the weekend showed a confrontation between Jackson and Smith that preceded their clash in the ring.
Smith, who is hanging out in a parking lot with other wrestlers before the show, appears to hit Jackson on the side of the head with a drink can. Smith and Jackson then face each other as others record the interaction on their phones.
“I thought it was part of the show,” Quinton Jackson wrote on X. “It was bad judgement, and a work that went wrong. Raja is a MMA fighter not a pro wrestler and had no business involved in an event like this. I don’t condone my son’s actions AT ALL!”
Video of the event shows Raja Jackson talking to the wrestlers, including Smith, after the drink can incident. One of the wrestlers, talking to Smith as Jackson stands next to him, mentions that Jackson would run out into the ring during Smith’s match.
“We’re always working,” the unidentified wrestler is heard saying in excerpts of the video circulating online. “So we’ll set it up where I’ll have him come out during your match so we could f— seal the whole thing. We’ll make something out of it.”
Moments later, another wrestler wearing a cowboy hat talking to Jackson mentions Jackson running into the ring.
“When you run out on his s—, you give him his receipts,” he says. “You remember what a receipt is?”
On Sunday morning, however, officials for the show said in a statement the incident had not been scripted, and what was supposed to be a staged event had turned into a real attack.
“What was supposed to be a planned and agreed upon wrestling spot, turned into a selfish, irresponsible act of violence against [Stuart] Smith,” KnokX Pro Entertainment & Academy said in a statement. “This egregious act is reprehensible and never should have occurred. In the 17 years of operation of KnokXPro Wrestling Academy, there has never been anything as heinous take place such as this and we apologize to our patrons and fans.”
Even if part of the confrontation was staged, legal experts said, the extent of the attack on the wrestler could mean legal ramifications for Jackson.
“No one is going to consent to broken bones, broken teeth,” said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and now president of West Coast Trial Lawyers. “Jackson’s actions cross the line from choreographed or simulated violence to real violence.”
Consent can be a defense to allegations of assault in the case of sports, Rahmani said. In boxing, wrestling or football, for example, athletes consent to being punched or tackled as part of the sport.
But this appeared to exceed any kind of consent, Rahmani said.
The previous incident involving the drink can would not make much of a self-defense claim, he added.
Attorney Eric Faddis agreed that, even if the two men had come to an agreement on a physical altercation, Jackson’s attack exceeded any possible parameters.
“The alleged assailant should have known this isn’t part of the match,” said Faddis, a Denver-based criminal defense attorney with Varner Faddis Elite Legal. “This can’t be consented to.”
Quinton Jackson said his son had recently suffered a concussion from a sparring session and should not have been involved in physical activity.
“I’m very upset that any of this happened, but my main concern now is that Mr. Smith will make a speedy recovery,” he wrote. “I apologize on his behalf and KICK for the situation.”
KnokX Pro Entertainment & Academy said it was monitoring Smith but did not release any information regarding his condition or the injuries he suffered.
One of the wrestlers at the event, Douglas Malo, told USA Today that Smith was was able to speak on Sunday, had lost several teeth and had suffered several broken bones in his face.
On Monday, Andrew Smith wrote on Facebook that his brother was conscious and did have “some recollection of events from the day of the attack.”
Video published by TMZ, which appeared to be from Raja Jackson’s Kick channel, showed Jackson on the street apparently after the incident.
“I’m tired of motherf— playing with me, bru,” he is heard saying in the video. “At the end of the day, Imma stand up for my f— self, because I’m tired of everybody f— playing with me!”
Jackson’s Kick channel appeared to be unavailable on the site Monday.
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