Professional wrestler Stuart Smith — also known as “Syko Stu” — is in critical condition after repeated, vicious punches by Raja Jackson during a Knokx Pro Wrestling match that went wrong, leading to a police investigation. Jackson, the son of former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, body-slammed Smith to the mat before punching him several times in the head while the wrestler was motionless on the canvas.
Kick, a streaming platform, broadcast the incident live and showed several other wrestlers coming to Smith’s aid and needing to restrain Jackson from inflicting further injury.
Andrew Smith, the brother of Stuart Smith, updated his sibling’s condition in a Sunday Facebook post.
“Thank you everyone for your prayers, concerns, and kind words for my brother Stu. Please continue to keep him I your prayers,” Andrew Smith wrote, with two photo attachments. “He’s currently stable but in critical care. At this time we’re focused on his recovery and appreciate all the support. Also we currently do not have a GoFundMe set up, any links posted are not affiliated with us.”
Douglas Malo, one of the wrestlers who stepped in to halt the alleged assault, told USA Today that Smith was awake and talking, but had broken bones in his face and lost “a lot of teeth.”
After the incident, Rampage Jackson said promotion organizers told his son to punch Smith. KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy has denied this claim and released a statement clearing up the information.
Prior to the match, footage of Smith smashing a beer can over Raja Jackson’s head was meant to be the precursor to the planned and scripted bout Saturday evening.
“First and foremost our thoughts and prayers are with our brother Mr. Stuart Smith (Syko Stu) as he remains a priority and we are monitoring his well being,” a representative of KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy wrote. “What was supposed to be a planned and agreed upon wrestling spot turned into a selfish, irresponsible act of violence against Mr. Smith.”
“This egregious act is reprehensible and never should have occurred. In the 17 years of operation of KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy, there has never been anything as heinous take place such as this and we apologize to our patrons and fans.”
After leaving the ring and venue, Raja Jackson was seen on stream angrily walking down the street with blood on his shirt, allegedly speaking with a promotor over the phone.
Smith started with KnokX Pro Wrestling in 2009 after retiring from military service.
“I needed something to focus on, I needed something to adjust back into civilian life,” Smith said previously in a marketing video from KnokX Pro Wrestling. “A lot of veterans, it’s hard for them to re-adjust into civilian life coming from the life of the military. I’m an American solider that suffers from PTSD. Being in front of a crowd, it doesn’t give me as much anxiety and aggression as I thought it would.”
