Rampage Jackson addresses son Raja’s ‘work gone wrong’ as LAPD probes violent wrestling incident

A wrestling spot turned into a hospital run in Los Angeles, and the fallout is now bigger than one indie show. During a KnokX Pro Entertainment & Academy event on Saturday night, Raja Jackson — son of former UFC champion Rampage Jackson — stormed the ring and pummeled wrestler Stuart Smith, known as “Syko Stu,” long after Smith appeared to go limp. The attack, streamed live on Kick, forced fellow wrestlers to pull Raja away and sent Smith to the ER with facial fractures and several teeth knocked out. The Los Angeles Police Department took statements at the venue and opened a criminal investigation.

What happened Saturday night

The crowd at KnokX Pro expected a routine segment. Instead, they watched chaos. Video of the bout shows Raja hoisting Smith and slamming him to the mat, then dropping into a barrage of punches — more than two dozen — even as Smith stopped defending himself. Ringside wrestlers and staff rushed in to break it up. By then, the damage was done. Smith, 44, lay motionless before medics stabilized him and got him out of the ring.

Backstage and hospital chatter painted a grim early picture: broken bones in Smith’s face and dental trauma. He was conscious and speaking, according to wrestler Douglas Malo, one of the first to intervene, but he needed immediate treatment. Hospital sources indicated he could be released as early as Sunday, pending scans and swelling, though recovery from this kind of injury is often measured in weeks and months, not days.

Police arrived within minutes of the show ending. The LAPD confirmed officers responded, took a report, and opened an investigation. That doesn’t guarantee charges, but it’s a serious step. When a segment crosses from choreographed aggression to real violence, and it’s caught on a clean broadcast, investigators have plenty to examine: intent, consent, and whether the force used went way beyond what anyone agreed to.

Raja’s father responded quickly. In a series of posts, Rampage said his son got hit in the head unexpectedly before Smith’s scheduled match and was told he could get “payback” in the ring as part of a planned bit. In his words, this was supposed to be a “work” — wrestling shorthand for a scripted moment — that went wrong. He called it bad judgment and said the situation spun out well past what anyone intended.

KnokX Pro didn’t mince words either. The promotion called the attack a “selfish, irresponsible act of violence” and apologized to fans, stressing this was the first incident of its kind in their 17 years. Their message: whatever the plan was, this wasn’t it.

To people outside wrestling, the idea that a “work” could flip into a real fight sounds strange. Inside the business, the line between performance and reality — the “work” versus a “shoot” — is famously thin. But there are guardrails. Wrestlers discuss the beats of a match. They trust one another to protect their bodies while making it look intense. Non-wrestlers who appear in segments are usually coached on what to do, what not to do, and when to stop. The moment trust breaks, the danger isn’t theoretical.

Witnesses said Smith wasn’t defending himself as the punches kept coming. That’s not just a blown cue. It’s a health emergency. A referee or veteran typically steps in fast when something feels off — throwing up an X sign, stopping the match, or physically separating people. In this case, it took a handful of wrestlers to tackle Raja and end it.

Fallout: LAPD probe, promotion response, and the blurred line

Now the legal part begins. Investigators will look at what was planned, who knew what, and whether any consent was given for Raja to deliver strikes at full force. They’ll also examine video angles, medical reports, and witness statements. California law doesn’t treat on-stage consent as a blank check, especially when there’s serious injury. If prosecutors see intent or extreme recklessness, charges can follow — anything from misdemeanor battery to felony assault, depending on the evidence.

KnokX Pro’s statement is both moral and practical. By condemning the incident, the promotion is drawing a bright line and trying to limit the blowback. Independent wrestling outfits live on trust — with fans, with talent, and with their insurers. A single night like this can rattle all three. Expect the company to revisit who’s allowed to step into the ring, what training or rehearsals are required, and how referees and agents are instructed to shut down a segment immediately when it goes sideways.

That last part matters. On indie shows, the person in charge of a match’s direction — sometimes called an agent or producer — sets boundaries, communicates the plan, and keeps everyone honest. The ref is more than a body in stripes; they’re the safety valve. If communication breaks down, those roles become the difference between a dramatic moment and a 911 call.

The broadcast made the moment impossible to ignore. Because the show aired live on Kick, the clip spread fast across social feeds. In seconds, a local indie angle was global. Streaming has been a gift to small promotions — more eyeballs, more buzz — but it also adds pressure. There’s no edit button. When something goes wrong, the whole thing lives online in high definition, frame by frame. That raises questions for platforms, too: how to handle violent incidents that weren’t part of the plan, and how quickly to age-gate or remove footage.

Inside the wrestling community, the reaction was blunt. Performers trade on trust. You can stiff a strike a bit — it happens — but you stop when a partner goes limp or stops responding. That’s day-one training. Veterans will tell you: there’s nothing “tough” about continuing to hit someone who isn’t protecting themselves. It’s dangerous, and it breaks the code that lets wrestlers walk out under their own power.

Smith’s injuries will likely shape the timeline for any legal move. Facial fractures can require plates and screws. Dental repairs stack up: emergency extractions, implants, long-term reconstruction. Even if he’s discharged quickly, follow-up care could stretch for months. For an independent wrestler, that can mean lost bookings and medical bills — the unglamorous side of a business built on passion and pain tolerance.

On the Jackson side, ramped-up scrutiny is inevitable. Rampage’s framing — a miscommunication leading to a “work gone wrong” — may explain motive, but it won’t erase the images. Investigators and, if it gets that far, a court will care less about backstage plans and more about what the camera shows and the hospital documents say. Intent matters; so does the moment someone stops moving and the punches keep coming.

Promotions across the country will be watching this closely. Many already have quiet rules about nonwrestlers getting physical spots: limit the moves, rehearse, and keep veterans close. Some require waivers and pre-segment briefings. Others ban it entirely unless the person has training. Expect stricter policies in the short term, especially when cameras are rolling.

There’s also the fan piece. Crowds love a surprise, especially when MMA names show up at wrestling shows. Done right, it’s a pop. Done wrong, it’s a PR crisis. MMA striking and pro wrestling’s “working” don’t mix without practice. A pulled punch reads on camera differently than a real one, and spacing — the inches that keep people safe — is a learned skill. That’s why even seasoned fighters train before stepping into a wrestling ring.

As for what comes next, the calendar is simple: police interviews, medical updates, and decisions. If charges are filed, that process will set the pace. Civil action isn’t off the table either; injuries like this often bring lawsuits. KnokX Pro will likely outline new safety steps and could bar Raja from future events. Fans will want a health update on Smith. Wrestlers will want to know the locker room remains a controlled space, not a gamble.

Key questions now on the table:

• What did each person agree to before the segment started, and who communicated those plans?
• Did anyone instruct Raja to throw real strikes, and if so, under what limits?
• How quickly did referees and staff recognize Smith was in trouble, and what did they do?
• What medical coverage and post-injury support does Smith have through the promotion or independently?
• How will the live broadcast and archived video shape the legal case and public response?

One more reality check: the “work versus shoot” debate is as old as modern wrestling. Most of the time, it’s just talk. Saturday wasn’t. The cameras caught a performer taking unprotected shots while he lay still on the mat. That image will drive the investigation, the public reaction, and the policy changes that tend to come only after something breaks.

The story remains active. LAPD detectives are sorting through evidence. KnokX Pro is doing damage control while checking on a hurt worker. Rampage Jackson is trying to explain what led his son to cross a line in front of a live audience. And a community that prides itself on protecting its own is left asking how a “planned” moment turned into a sequence that nobody can defend.