Raja Jackson, the son of MMA legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday and entered a plea of not guilty to two charges stemming from his now-infamous in-ring assault on independent wrestler Syko Stu (real name Stuart Smith).
Jackson is facing one count of felony battery causing serious bodily injury and one count of misdemeanor battery for the incident, which occurred during a KnokX Pro Wrestling event on August 23. The violent encounter, which began as a planned spot, escalated into a legitimate and brutal attack that was captured on video and quickly went viral, drawing widespread condemnation across the wrestling and MMA communities.
According to The Los Angeles Times, prosecutors are also seeking a sentencing enhancement for Jackson for allegedly inflicting “great bodily injury” on Smith, who lost several teeth and suffered a deep lip laceration after being body slammed and punched in the head and face more than 20 times.
If convicted on the felony charge, Jackson could face up to seven years in prison, with an additional six months possible for the misdemeanor offense. His next court appearance is scheduled for November.
Reports indicate that the violent altercation followed a backstage confrontation in which Smith struck Jackson in the head with a beer can — apparently under the belief that it was part of a storyline. However, Jackson’s ensuing attack in the ring was very real, prompting an immediate and serious response from both law enforcement and the wrestling industry.
The fallout was swift. Jackson was banned from streaming platform Kick, where he had been active as a content creator, and WWE terminated KnokX Pro’s ID affiliation, distancing itself from the California-based promotion and training school.
In the aftermath, the wrestling community rallied around Syko Stu, who was hospitalized following the attack. A GoFundMe set up to cover his medical expenses has raised over $220,000, with major donations coming from stars such as Chris Jericho, Finn Bálor, and Nic Nemeth.
While Smith was released from the hospital at the end of August, he reportedly faces a long road to recovery — both physically and emotionally — after one of the most disturbing real-life incidents in recent wrestling history.
