Did Rampage Jackson's son Raja kill a pro wrestler? Viral rumor debunked

Raja Jackson, the 25-year-old son of former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, was involved in a controversial incident at a Knokx Pro Wrestling event in California on Saturday (August 23) that quickly went viral across social media. In the videos, Raja stepped into the ring and clashed with independent wrestler Stuart Smith, whose in-ring persona is “Syko Stu.”

The clips showed Raja hoisting Smith into the air and slamming him to the mat. After that, he began landing punches as Smith seemed unresponsive. This disturbing moment caused instant worry among people watching the live stream on Kick, the platform that broadcast the event. Several wrestlers intervened by jumping into the ring to pull Raja away from Smith.

Reports said the interaction was planned to be a staged part of the event. Wrestling outlets pointed out that Raja’s involvement was expected, but the level of force in his follow-up blows was not planned. After the incident, Smith went to the hospital. Early reports called his condition serious.

Late Saturday, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson put out a statement about what happened. He said Smith was awake and stable again. The former UFC champion called the situation “a work that went wrong,” which is how wrestling describes a planned scene that turns real. He shared that his son wasn’t cleared to do such activities, adding that Raja had gotten a concussion during MMA training.

Jackson’s father shared his regret about Raja getting involved, explaining that his son competes in MMA and isn’t a skilled pro wrestler. He said Raja “shouldn’t have been part of something like this.”

He also made a public apology to Smith, the promotion, and the streaming service. In his apology, he stated, “I don’t support what my son did,” and mentioned that he was worried about Raja’s safety as well as Smith getting better.

Raja Jackson’s in-ring confrontation leaves wrestler hospitalized

Raja, who started his mixed martial arts journey as an amateur with a perfect 4-0 record, went pro in 2023. He dropped his professional debut at United Fight League 3 after losing by unanimous decision. Reports suggest his appearance at the wrestling event came after an earlier interaction with Smith during the day leading up to the confrontation in the ring. Rampage Jackson wrote on X:

"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."

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…

— Rampage Jackson (@Rampage4real) August 24, 2025

Wrestling historian Dave Meltzer called the situation concerning and highlighted how severe the strikes were. Sean Ross Sapp from Fightful mentioned that while some level of physical exchange was expected, neither the result nor the injuries Smith suffered were part of the plan.

Smith’s condition is now said to be stable, but no new details about his recovery have come out yet. The event keeps spreading across the internet and has sparked talks on safety, accountability, and the dangers involved in merging combat sports athletes with planned wrestling settings.