Raja Jackson, son of ex-MMA star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, is facing charges of felony battery that caused serious injury and misdemeanor battery following a violent beatdown caught on camera at a California indie wrestling event earlier this year.
The charges are expected to be filed this week, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office told the Los Angeles Times.
25-year-old Jackson delivered a disturbing attack to indie wrestler Syko Stu at a KnokX Pro Wrestling event in August. Entering the ring during Stu’s match, Jackson slammed the professional wrestler to the mat and then delivered over a dozen unprotected punches to the head, causing him to lose several teeth and leaving him hospitalized for a brief period of time.
The entire sequence was broadcast on Kick, a live-streaming website where Jackson frequently hosted shows.
The attack stemmed from an altercation between Stu, real name Stuart Smith, and Jackson earlier in the evening. Backstage prior to the event’s start, Stu smashed a beer can over Jackson’s head, then asked if he was going to “sell” the attack.
Jackson, who trains for combat sports and had no prior professional wrestling experience, didn’t take kindly to the attack. Stu was informed that Jackson wasn’t a “worker” by another wrestler backstage.
In an attempt to settle the issue between Jackson and Stu, it was determined that their brief encounter would be transformed into a wrestling storyline. Jackson was told he would be allowed to make a run-in during Stu’s match later that evening. On the livestream, a staffer for the event was seen near Jackson, eventually giving him the cue for when he could intervene in the match.
However, once it came time for Jackson to hit the ring, his attack was far more vicious than anyone could’ve expected.
Footage of the brutal attack circulated online, as the Kick livestream offered a graphic front-row view of the scene. In response to the incident, over $220,000 was raised to help with Stu’s recovery via GoFundMe.
Jackson was arrested last month and later released on a $50,000 bail.
Jackson’s father, “Rampage,” said in a statement that he didn’t condone his son’s actions, but said Raja “had no business involved in an event like this.”
