Quinton Jackson, known as “Rampage,” is facing a wave of death threats and racist abuse after his son Raja Jackson violently attacked wrestler Stuart Smith, known as Syko Stu, at a KnokX Pro Wrestling event in Sun Valley, Los Angeles, on August 23, 2025. The assault, shown live on Kick, left Smith unconscious with blood streaming from his face. Wrestlers condemned Raja’s actions and accused KnokX of discouraging police cooperation. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating, while Quinton, speaking through a live video and X posts, expressed regret, apologized for his son’s actions, and faces accusations of being a “bad father.” The wrestling community is pushing for accountability as the fallout grows.
The incident started backstage when Smith, mistaking Raja for a wrestler, hit him with a beer can as part of a storyline. After Smith apologized, KnokX trainer Reno Anoa’i suggested including Raja in Smith’s match. Wrestler Andre Joel Hudson, Raja’s friend, encouraged him to deliver a “receipt,” or scripted retaliation, per the livestream. During Smith’s match, Raja entered the ring, lifted Smith overhead, slammed him to the mat, and landed over 20 punches to his head. Smith lay unresponsive, blood streaming from his face. Wrestlers rushed to stop Raja, who was escorted out. The referee’s decision to count a three-pin while Smith was unconscious drew sharp criticism from fans and performers.
Wrestlers who witnessed the attack spoke out on the Scaling Up Podcast, expressing outrage. They described the assault as life-threatening, with one saying it could have been fatal if not stopped. They criticized Raja for attacking an unconscious opponent and punching someone trying to break up the fight, calling his actions shameful. They also blamed Hudson for encouraging Raja, suggesting personal motives played a role. Additionally, they accused KnokX management of urging performers not to cooperate with police, labeling it dishonest and harmful to Smith’s recovery.
Quinton’s Response to the Backlash
Quinton addressed the incident on X, calling it a “work that went wrong.”
In a live video, Quinton shared his pain.
“It’s hard it’s hard for me to to talk about it, but I’m just keeping it 100,” Jackson said. “I feel bad about what happened to Syko Stu. I don’t condone what my son did at all. Very, very unfortunate. If I was there, things wouldn’t have went that way. I wasn’t there.”
He spoke about his role as a father.
“I’m a father, so I gotta have my son’s back,” he continued. “But I’m going to let justice play out, take its course. Ain’t much I can do on that side but but be a father. Y’all know I can’t talk about this s—t. I can’t talk about any details and stuff like that. I can’t really go into nothing. I hope y’all can respect that … It’s really not my place to say anything, and we gotta let this s—t play its course.”
Quinton expressed sympathy for Smith’s family.
“This s—t put me in a bad mood, you know what I’m saying? I feel bad about Syko Stu and his family. His family had to see that s—t and all that stuff that went on. I just wish I could’ve been there, but I couldn’t. I was dropping my other kid off at at college, helping her move in to the dorm and stuff like that.”
He criticized online exploitation.
“Now s—t’s all over the internet, so I see a lot of people editing stupid s—t for clickbaits and stuff like that and to make money and —t,” Jackson complained. “That’s not fair. A lot of racist people showing their true colors and stuff, but all this —t, you can’t stop none of this —t. I’m not taking up for my son or anything like that. I’m just telling you guys facts.”
Quinton reflected on fatherhood.
“I’m doing what any father would do. It’s being a father in hard moments like this. Sometimes you’re proud of your kids and sometimes you not proud of your kids, but at the end of the day you still a father. Hopefully one day I can meet Syko Stu and shake his hand and have a man to man with him and stuff like that. But who knows? I’m just gonna try to, like, get back to being myself.”
He addressed misinformation.
“I don’t got the right words to say,” he concluded. “And I know whatever I say, the haters gonna twist try to twist my words and say whatever they wanna say. But I wasn’t there. I was learning what went on at the same rate as everybody else. Then I got down to the bottom of it and I learned there’s a lot of misinformation out there. So guys, don’t believe every edit and stuff that you see.”
He expressed hope for reconciliation.
“Y’all need to know that I don’t condone Raja’s conduct. And I hope Syko Stu can forgive me, myself, as a dad, not understanding everything. And let’s see what happens from here. I’m not talking about that s—t no more. I’m done with that. I’m moving on.” via
🚨 Rampage Jackson just went live to address the situation involving his son Raja:
“I don’t condone what my son did. I’m going to let justice play out… I just wish I could’ve been there. Hopefully one day I can meet Syko Stu and shake his hand. I hope he can forgive me, as a… pic.twitter.com/epvObpqf9y
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) August 27, 2025
Rampage Jackson says people are sending him death threats after the altercation with Raja and Syko Stu pic.twitter.com/nLQOL6p89a
— Delinquent MMA (@DelinquentMMA) August 26, 2025
On August 25, 2025, TMZ spoke to Quinton at Los Angeles International Airport. He shared the toll of the backlash.
“You know, I wish I could say something,” Jackson said. “All I can say is a lot of racist people giving me death threats and stuff like that, like I’m a puppet master, calling me a bad father. It’s uncalled for. Anything I say gets twisted anyway.”
Smith was hospitalized with broken facial bones and missing teeth but was awake and stable by August 24, per his brother Andrew Smith’s Facebook post. The LAPD filed a felony battery report that night and is reviewing the livestream and witness statements. No arrests have been made as of August 26, 2025, per TMZ. A GoFundMe for Smith’s medical expenses has raised over $63,000, with donations from YouTuber MrBeast ($10,000), AEW stars Chris Jericho, and Swerve Strickland.
