Raja Jackson, the son of MMA legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, appeared in a Los Angeles court on Thursday and entered a plea of not guilty to the two charges he is facing for his legitimate in-ring attack on independent wrestler Syko Stu. Jackson is facing one count of felony battery causing serious bodily injury and one count of misdemeanor battery.
The charges stem from the August 23 incident at a KnokX Pro Wrestling event, where a planned spot turned into a real and violent assault that was captured on video and drew worldwide condemnation. The Los Angeles Times has reported that prosecutors are also seeking a sentencing enhancement for Jackson allegedly causing “great bodily injury” to Stu, whose real name is Stuart Smith. “Smith, known as Syko Stu in the ring, lost several teeth and suffered a laceration to his lip during the attack, which saw Jackson body slam the wrestler and then punch him in the head and face more than 20 times,” the LA Times wrote.
If convicted on the felony count alone, Jackson could face up to seven years in prison, with an additional six months possible for the misdemeanor charge. Jackson’s next court appearance is scheduled for November. The in-ring assault was reportedly preceded by a backstage confrontation where Stu, an Army veteran, struck Jackson in the head with a beer can.
It is believed that Stu was under the impression that this was a part of the show, or a “work.” The subsequent attack in the ring, however, was anything but. The incident had immediate and significant consequences beyond the legal ramifications for Jackson. He was banned from the streaming platform Kick, where he had been a streamer, and the KnokX Pro promotion, which also operates as a training school, had its WWE ID affiliation terminated by WWE in the wake of the attack.
The wrestling community has shown an outpouring of support for Syko Stu in the aftermath of the assault. A GoFundMe campaign that was set up to help with his medical expenses has raised over $220,000, with top wrestling stars like Chris Jericho, Finn Balor, and Nic Nemeth being among the top donors. While Stu was released from the hospital at the end of August, he still faces a long road to a full recovery.
