The recent incident involving Raja Jackson, the son of former UFC champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, attacking independent wrestler Syko Stu has sent shockwaves through the wrestling world. Now, two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has weighed in, stating that while a “receipt” is part of wrestling, Jackson’s actions went far beyond that and were completely out of line.
The viral video of the attack has sparked a widespread debate about safety, professionalism, and the “unwritten rules” of the wrestling business. In an interview with The Escapist Magazine, Flair was asked for his thoughts on the incident. He acknowledged the old-school wrestling tradition of a “receipt”—a stiff shot to let an opponent know they’ve been out of line—but was clear that Jackson’s attack on an unconscious opponent was not that.
“He put him in a coma didn’t he? I’m very close to Rampage and I tried calling him, but obviously he wasn’t taking calls. Can you understand in a way, sometimes you can lose your temper in the moment and snap like that, then regret it afterwards? Yeah, but not to that extent. A receipt here or there keeps everybody straight. But not to that extent.”
Flair also reacted to the news that other wrestlers, such as Mark Henry and Rob Van Dam, had offered takes that were perceived by some as defending Jackson’s actions. While he questioned how anyone could defend what happened, he also cautioned that passing judgment from afar is difficult.
“How could they try to defend his actions? I’m not defending the actions by any means, but you never know the extent of what happened, unless you’re actually there. So it’s easy to make an observation from afar. But if you were not really there, we’re probably missing several key components to what happened.”
The legal and professional fallout from the attack is ongoing. You can read the full interview with Ric Flair at The Escapist Magazine.
