AJ Mana has addressed his involvement in the controversial Knokx Pro Wrestling incident that saw Raja Jackson, son of UFC legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, legitimately assault Syko Stu during a live event.
As PWMania.com previously reported, tensions flared at Saturday’s Knokx Pro show following an earlier confrontation between Jackson and Stu. While the two men reportedly shook hands after Stu offered an apology, the situation escalated when Jackson entered the ring during what was intended to be a scripted segment. Instead, Jackson delivered a series of real punches, leaving Stu hospitalized.
Mana’s name became tied to the controversy after footage from Jackson’s Kick stream surfaced, appearing to show Mana telling Jackson to give Stu a “receipt.” On Monday night, Mana appeared on the “F Y’all” podcast to explain his side of the story, further expanding on a Facebook post where he insisted he was simply “in character” and that his comments were part of the performance.
During the interview, Mana denied orchestrating the attack and said he has no personal issues with Syko Stu. He accused Knokx Pro of scapegoating him and attempting to spin the incident into a storyline to protect the company from liability. Mana also claimed that a member of the promotion’s production team instructed Jackson to throw the punches that sparked the altercation.
According to Mana, Jackson’s attendance at the event was originally intended to boost Knokx Pro’s visibility through his Kick platform, not to get physically involved. Mana revealed that the fallout has been severe — he has now parted ways with Knokx Pro, lost his day job, and admitted that the situation has killed his passion for professional wrestling.
The LAPD is currently investigating the incident.
In addition, Knokx Pro has reportedly lost its WWE ID accreditation as a direct result of the controversy.
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