Rampage Jackson's son, Raja, brutally bludgeons a pro-wrestler on Kick livestream

"Is he going to get banned for it?"

"Good lord, this may be the worst thing I've ever seen in a ring. I can't fathom what I saw." — Dave Meltzer

Dave’s not wrong.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s son, Raja, severely battered a man on Saturday night in a professional wrestling ring in Los Angeles. The ring belongs to Knokx Pro Wrestling Academy, a WWE ID-affiliated school in the Los Angeles area.

And this entire spectacle was all livestreamed on the platform Kick.

Recent media headlines regarding behavior exhibited on various Kick livestreams have generated significant international media attention for depravity and human debasement. The Daily Mail in the UK has this whopper of a headline:

Inside the 'toxic' livestreaming platform where 'tortured' influencer died - and creators compete for clicks with unsavory acts

Now French prosecutors are probing how the former soldier [Jean Pormanove] could have been subjected to such a gruelling campaign of sleep deprivation, savage beatings and even forced ingestion of toxic substances in the days before he was found lifeless in bed - with nobody intervening.

The gruesome details can be read in this CNN report. Media outlets and world governments are starting to pay attention to abusive snuff-level videos begging for cash.

You can now add Raja Jackson slamming a wrestler into unconsciousness and punching him over a dozen times on the ground to the Kick livestreaming archives.

This bizarre set of events on Raja’s livestream started at the 10-minute mark in the dressing area behind the wrestling school. Various wrestlers were hamming it up in character. Raja was then approached by an independent wrestler named “Syko Stu.” Stu hit Raja over the head with what appeared to be an empty container.

“He’s not a worker, bro!” warned the other wrestlers.

Raja responded with a combination of responses that ranged from “I will fuck him up, bro” to “I don’t play that shit”.

Leadership stepped in and tried to diffuse the situation.

“We’re trying to solve something right now. We don’t want no heat. He knows he fucked up. He’s trying to apologize. We just don’t want no problems.”

“I appreciate that.”

At that point, an olive branch is offered — on camera. Raja Jackson is offered a chance to go in the ring and do a run-in on “Syko Stu.”

"I'm going to have you run in and fuck that motherfucker up in a match. Ready for that? Talk to the President."

"If you can do that for me, I'll be cool."

"Let's do it. Hell yeah."

Syko Stu agrees to this stipulation. He apologizes repeatedly to Raja Jackson and shakes his hand.

"Hey, it's going to all work out, Uce."

Everything goes to hell

Raja Jackson is mostly on his phone while positioned at ringside for the wrestling event inside the school. He’s busy responding to comments from those on his livestream, getting agitated by various people insulting him. It really heats up around the 1-hour, 15-minute mark.

“That was a real ass can."

“I ain’t going to hurt him too bad.”

“Straight up, for real, I’m not playing no games, bro. I’m not playing no fucking game.”

At the 1 hour, 42 minute mark of the livestream, Raja Jackson jumps into the wrestling ring to get his receipt on Syko Stu.

Raja delivers a modified spinebuster (Alabama Slam), which appears to knock Stu out. Then the MMA-trained fighter rains down a series of punches. Stu is now bleeding and out cold on the mat.

The fans look confused and shell-shocked. Was this a part of the show? Was this real? What was going on?

Raja Jackson is escorted out of the building.

Looking down at his phone, Raja Jackson has a message for those commenting on his livestream.

"I'm tired of motherfuckers playing with me, bruh. Real shit. I'm tired of everybody fucking clowning me and shit, thinking I'm always playing and shit, calling me bitch and shit. I'm no fucking bitch, bro. At the end of the day, I'm going to stand up for my fucking self because I'm tired of everybody fucking playing with me, bro. Real shit!

You ain't going to do shit to me, bro! You can't fuck with me!"

With Raja Jackson exploding outside the venue and one of the wrestlers following him from behind, the referee involved in the incident is frantically trying to revive Syko Stu.

Raja Jackson (and his filmer) get in their car and sound off about what just transpired in the wrestling ring.

"Bitches, bruh! One of them fucking bit me, bruh!"

The adrenaline is overflowing for Raja Jackson. He is extremely stressed out.

Then the filmer chimes in.

“It was all an act, it was just a play, don’t worry. It was wrestling. Calm down. We don’t want to get mad. It’s just wrestling. It’s all an act. It was just an act. It was just fucking wrestling. That’s all. Calm down.”

Syko Stu’s injuries

USA Today had more on the incident, including Stu’s injuries:

Douglas Malo, a wrestler who was involved in the ensuing mele to stop Jackson's alleged attack, told USA TODAY in an interview that Smith was awake and talking on Aug. 24 but had broken bones in his face and lost "a lot of teeth." Malo added that Smith could be released from the hospital on Aug. 24.

"He was choking on his own blood and teeth," Malo said. "Somebody reminded me there's kids there and then I was like 'oh my God.'"
…
As he is taken from the backstage area into the crowd, Jackson is told by a wrestler, identified by Malo as Andre Joel Hudson, to "give him his receipt. " A receipt is a wrestling term for an equal response to a previous transgression.

"As long as I get my lick back, I'm straight," Jackson says on the live stream.

Malo described Hudson as a friend of Jackson's and a "hot head."

"You're gassing this volatile person that you know has angers issues up ... Then you basically convince him to go out there and ruin his life and another man's life all so you can feel like you're some big somebody," Malo said.
…
Malo told USA TODAY that a child he invited to the show was traumatized by the incident.

"That kid's sitting there like, 'Are you okay? Was that real? What's happening? Why didn't anybody help him?'" Malo said. "You could see the fear on his face."

Malo called for Jackson and Hudson to be prosecuted for the incident. "This is just absurd on its face," he said.

Rampage Jackson reacts

Right after news of the in-ring attack spread online, Rampage Jackson is caught on camera asking the following:

“Is he going to get banned for it?”

Then came a public statement from Rampage Jackson’s Twitter account:

"I want to clear up the misinformation about my son Raja. I've been confirmed that the wrestler (Stewart Smith aka Syko Stu) is awake and stable. Raja was unexpectedly hit in the side of the head by him moments before Smith's match, Raja was told that he could get his "payback" in the ring i thought it was apart of the show. It was bad judgement, and a work that went wrong. Raja is a MMA fighter not a pro wrestler and had no business involved in an event like this. I don't condone my son's actions AT ALL! He suffered a concussion from sparring only days ago and had no business doing anything remotely close to physical contact. As a father, im deeply concerned with his health AND the well being of Mr. Smith. That being said I'm very upset that any of this happened,but my main concern now is that Mr. Smith will make a speedy recovery.I apologize on his behalf and to KICK for the situation."

This statement raises numerous questions.

• Was it written by Rampage Jackson, or did someone else contribute to it?

• Is raising an issue with an alleged concussion an attempt to mitigate intent as a factor for a criminal defense?

• Why is Rampage Jackson worried about KICK and apologizing to them?

CNN has reported that Raja Jackson’s Kick profile has been removed.

Rampage saved bail money, not college fund for Raja

A clip has surfaced of Rampage Jackson saying he had saved college money for his Japanese children but not for Raja and Raja’s brother:

Raja and his oldest (brother), (their) whole life I knew them two wasn’t going to college. My two Japanese kids, I knew they was going to college. I saved up college tuition for the two Japanese kids and bail money for Raja and his brother. so, don’t fuck with him. If he goes to jail, I’ll just bail him out.

LAPD launches investigation

TMZ reported:

“The LAPD tells TMZ ... cops were called to the wrestling event Saturday night and took a police report ... and now the incident is being investigated.

A source close to the event tells TMZ they can "guarantee" Raja will never again be allowed at KnokX Pro wrestling match following what the organizers condemned as a "selfish, irresponsible act of violence."

Douglas Malo, a wrestler for KnokX Pro Entertainment and Academy, was there in the mix as he attempted to drag Raja away from Syko during the ferocious beating.

He tells TMZ he ran into the ring to try and get Raja off Syko, but he tells us Raja tried to fight him too ... going after him with a double leg attack. He notes ... "This is so shocking because they were supposed to do a small spot and before you know it, he's raining down punches."

Douglas says the whole situation was bad, "tragic" and "barbaric," and noted kids and families were in the stands watching -- including his own mother.

Ryan Garcia reacts with a relatively reasonable take

Boxer Ryan Garcia responded with a take that sounds reasonable but drew considerable backlash.

Ryan Garcia: “Needs to be a serious conversation about streaming culture it’s getting out of hand on what people are willing to do while on stream. This is probably the worst thing I’ve watched in a minute, what was bro thinking like seriously???? I would not make this a race thing I’m just stating this was wrong, I don’t care how try to spin it. Streaming culture is getting out of hand. It makes people make irrational decisions bc they know people are watching.”

The MMA Guru calls for a prison sentence

The MMA Guru leapt on the story with exactly the take you’d expect that’s gotten nearly a quarter of a million views in a few hours:

MMA Guru: MMA legend Rampage Jackson has a son called Raja Jackson. And what I'm about to show you, in my opinion, is blatantly attempted murder. And I believe that Rajar Jackson should go to jail for a very long time. I'm not talking about months. I'm not talking about a couple of years. I'm talking 30 to 40 years at least for what I consider to be blatant attempted murder from Raja Jackson.

…
You are a dumb animal that does not belong in society. You have forfeited that right because you have proven yourself as an unevolved human. Go sit in a cage for 30 to 40 years where you fucking belong, you dumb animal. End of discussion. That is attempted murder.

…
Raja Jackson is at a pro wrestling event. I don't know if it's pro or amateur, but they're doing like the knockoff WWE stuff.

…
(Syko Stu) gets in his face and he's like, "You don't know me." Like that. He goes to pick up this can of drink where my mouse is right now. This is an empty can of drink. Empty. It is a gimmick fake can of nothing. Absolutely nothing. It has no weight to it. It has no nothing. It is a wrestling prop.

(Syko Stu) smashed a fake can of drink full of vapor and air on Raja's head. It's a wrestling gimmick. It's like getting hit with a fake glass bottle. Sure, it's mildly inconvenient and Raja did not know this was going to happen.

So fair, he could get angry about this. In my opinion, there are many who would have punched this guy back. Need to make that clear. If Raja Jackson would have immediately hit this guy in the face and knocked him out, I would have said self-defense.

He don't know that's a prop. He's not involved in (pro wrestling). You can't just assume that he is. That's self-defense. Need to make that clear.

If he would have swung back at this guy here after having no idea that he was going g going to do this pro wrestling bit on him, absolutely justified response in my opinion.

In fact, if he would have got into the cage and just slammed the guy and knocked him out and then went, "Oh, shit I knocked him out."

He probably would have went viral anyway. People would have said, "Oh, he slammed him. He didn't mean to KO him." He's just like his dad. He probably would have went viral. The 20 or 30 follow-up shots are where I completely disagree with this situation.

…
Syko Stu thought Raja was a wrestler and that they were setting up a story line.

He said, "I didn't know. I thought you were a worker." And then he says something about the camera crew. “You got the camera and you know”, he apologized. They shook hands. They deescalated the situation to nothing.

“I get it. I get it,” Raja Jackson.

“We're gonna work it out where he gonna come out on your mat. We're gonna work it out to where he's gonna come out on your mat.”
…
So, they planned for Raja to get involved in the in the wrestling match where probably they wanted him to like clothesline this guy. Build the story. Do it for the stream. Do it for the numbers. Go out there, clothesline the guy in the cage, throw a couple punches. Who cares if it hits him or not? Just don't kill him. Don't actually try and kill this guy.
…
Then he leaps into the cage in the middle of the wrestling match. Okay, apparently he was told to join in. They're going to have him come on in a moment and get, you know, and get back at Stu for this. They're going to build this into something obviously. Jumps into the cage. Okay.

While Stu is wrestling someone else, the guy gets back up against the cage. Raja's behind him in the cage now, as you can see. Picks him up, dunks him, dunks him unconscious in his head.

If Raja Jackson gets back up right now, you could put this down to he doesn't know what he's doing. This is why you don't have amateurs in a wrestling ring doing stunts like this.

If he backs up right now after seeing this guy unconscious and says, "Oh, fuck." He probably would have gone viral. Edits would be made about him and his dad next to each other doing the same slam. He doesn't stop there.
…

I now see that this sneak response from him is attempted murder. I believe that dumb animal with no impulse control. I'm being called anti-black for saying that. That's where we're at now. They're getting me on racism. An absolute dumb animal with no impulse control attempted to kill someone over nothing. Me calling them that makes me anti-black and racist on Twitter.

I don't even want to get into that whole fucking rabbit hole because there's so many people defending him. It's disgusting. It's disgusting. It genuinely is. And this needs to be called out. and he needs 30 to 40 years. People like this need to they cannot he's a viral streamer to children. They cannot see this and see Raja Jackson not in a cage for the next few decades afterwards. You need to set a standard in society and lock up this dumb unevolved animal.
…
You are not a child. You're in your twenties. That needs to be said as well. I'm 26. I know Dana White calls guys kid when they're 40. We need to stop this. 20 year olds are not children on their stream. He's a 25 year-old man. I had a granddad at war at 16. We need to stop accepting 25 year-olds as he's just a kid. This is a grown adult.

…
You're at a pro wrestling event. He smashed a fake gimmick can on your head thinking that you were a worker here to do the stream with him because you've got a camera crew with you.

If I Show Speed would have done this. I Show Speed wouldn't have done this. If I Show Speed went to a pro wrestling event with his camera crew and the wrestlers were there, it's on. They're doing gimmicks. They're setting it up. He's going to jump in the cage. He's getting speared by Randy Orton, I think it was, really badly. Shout out to I Show Speed for being a human being.

…
I'm 26 turning 27. Raja's 25. Just after my generation was the streaming, was the Tik Tok. These people, these new generation of humans underneath us in society right now in terms of age. The younger generation are fucking retards. They are unevolved animals. And there are more and more of them every year in our society.

Jesse on Fire praises Rampage’s response

Another major MMA YouTuber, Jesse Merl, aka Jesse on Fire, commented on Rampage’s statement:

Jesse on Fire: That is a fucking great statement, first of all, and there is a 0% chance that Rampage fucking wrote that unless he fucking plugged it into ChatGPT because this is like a professional PR level response. This screams professional PR. This is like this is as good of a response as you could possibly give if you're Rampage.

Kid Nate’s commentary

Raja is culpable for his own actions, but NO ONE there was looking out for the kid or for the wrestler.

Raja shouldn't have been backstage at a pro wrestling event if he doesn't understand the kayfabe ethos. Someone should have told him it's all playacting.

The assholes who set him up to go in the ring should have been ready to step in and protect both men. Old school wrasslers would never let someone get hurt like that.

His own crew should have jumped in to stop him as soon as he powerbombed Syko Stu unconscious.

His crew should never have let him flee the scene.

And who was looking out for Syko Stu? The ref and all the other wrestlers should have known Raja was a dangerous shoot-fighter and an unknown element.

Raja's streaming audience egged him on into a fury and then immediately turned on him. The crowd baying for blood is just as culpable as the actual assailant.

The racism on display in the reactions to this incident is as bad or worse than the incident itself.

The ghouls on Kick who egged Raja on until he was in a fury and then immediately turned into the snitch posse are as culpable as anyone. Streaming "culture" is cannibal culture.

The MMA Draw will have updates as the story develops.

Zach Arnold is the lead opinion writer for The MMA Draw Newsletter on Substack. You can e-mail him at fightopinion - at - protonmail dot com.

Nate Wilcox founded Bloody Elbow in 2007 and sold it in 2024.