Raja Jackson is facing a whole lot of heat after delivering a viral beatdown to an unsuspecting pro wrestler.
A livestreamed KnokX Pro Wrestling event in Los Angeles over the weekend sparked a police investigation after Jackson, the son of former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, slid into the ring and delivered a series of punches to the face of a wrestler during what was supposed to be a staged incident.
The video, which quickly went viral on social media, shows Jackson entering the ring during a match featuring Stuart Smith, better known by his stage name, Syko Stu. Jackson proceeded to lift Stu straight up off the mat and violently slam him to the canvas, knocking him unconscious. Jackson then proceeded to unleash 23 full-force punches.
Chael Sonnen, who knows a thing or two about meshing the worlds of pro wrestling and mixed martial arts together, recently offered his take on the horrifying altercation between Jackson and Smith.
“There were a couple of guys there, a referee, another wrestler, perhaps the boys stepped in,” Sonnen said via his YouTube channel. “We’ll never know because at this point it appears that Raja marked out for his own gimmick and really begins laying some shots in, but those shots are done out of anger. And if you want to understand what happened here, you’re going to have no ability to get into the eye or mind of the DA or a potential juror.
“You’re going to have no ability to do that if you don’t understand emotion versus action. Right? The action is supposed to look like he’s punching him. The action is supposed to look like he turns him in a 180 and slams him down on the back of his head.
“So then, where you cross that already blurred line, right, which professional wrestling is already the blurred line. Where you cross that is where Jackson actually gets angry. The rest of it, from a physicality and an appearance standpoint, is what you’re supposed to do. And sometimes some shots get through.
Raja Jackson’s attack stemmed from backstage altercation earlier in the evening
Later, it was revealed that the attack stemmed from a backstage incident where Smith smashed a beer can on the side of Jackson’s head, believing the fighter was another pro wrestler.
After being informed that Jackson was not a worker, Smith promptly apologized, and the two shook hands.
“We then, as an audience, get armed with what led us to this point, and there’s another video that has surfaced where Syko Stu is in the back,” Sonnen continued. “They’re literally outside. It’s a nice day. The wrestlers are out there. They’re carrying on and whatnot, working out their spots. Raja Jackson is back there. It appears as though this is where Syko Stu meets him. And Syko Stu takes a full can of beer and busts it open on the side of Raja’s head…
“One of the other wrestlers is informing Stu, ‘Hey, this kid Raja—he’s not a worker.’ Meaning, he is not a professional wrestler. He is not part of the show. He is not one of us. He’s a dude that’s back here, and you just broke a bottle over his head.”
LAPD confirmed to TMZ that officers responded to the event and took a police report. The case is now under active investigation, though police have not commented on whether any charges will be filed.
