Raja Jackson Rampage: Who Told the MMA Fighter to Get His 'Payback' on Syko Stu in the Ring?

The violent scenes at a Knokx Pro Wrestling event in Los Angeles on 23 August 2025 shocked fans worldwide.

Raja Jackson, son of UFC legend Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, stormed the ring and unleashed a brutal assault on independent wrestler Syko Stu (Stuart Smith), leaving him unconscious in front of a stunned live audience and thousands watching on Kick.

Smith, a US Army veteran and respected figure on the independent wrestling circuit, was later confirmed to be in stable condition.

But as the dust settles, serious questions remain unanswered about how this incident was allowed to escalate and what it means for the future of live-streamed wrestling.

Who Told Raja Jackson He Could Get 'Payback'?

Central to the controversy is the claim that Raja had been struck in the head with a beer can backstage before the match and was then told he could get his 'payback' in the ring.

Quinton Jackson himself wrote on X: '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 a part of the show.'

But who gave that instruction? Was it a promoter, a fellow wrestler, or simply overheard as locker-room banter? Knokx Pro has not clarified. Until that question is answered, responsibility for allowing real violence to enter a scripted environment remains murky.

Why Was a Fighter With a Concussion in the Ring?

Rampage later revealed that Raja had recently suffered a concussion. That raises troubling concerns over whether he should have been performing at all.

In combat sports and professional wrestling alike, concussion protocols are supposed to safeguard both athletes and opponents.

If Raja was not cleared medically, why was he even present at ringside? The lack of oversight points to potential gaps in how smaller promotions enforce health and safety standards.

Where Does Performance End and Real Violence Begin?

Footage shows Raja entering the ring mid-segment, body-slamming Syko Stu and then raining down punches long after Stu was incapacitated.

While wrestling thrives on blurring the line between scripted spectacle and raw aggression, the incident reignited debate over whether audiences — and performers — can always tell the difference.

Wrestling journalist Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful has since confirmed that the body slam was scripted but the barrage of punches was not. That distinction matters. If performers are being encouraged to improvise, where is the line between entertainment and assault?

Who Bears Responsibility — Raja, Knokx Pro, or Kick?

Knokx Pro Wrestling condemned the incident in a statement reported by Yahoo News describing it as 'a selfish, irresponsible act of violence' unprecedented in its 17-year history.

Yet the promotion has not explained how someone untrained in professional wrestling — and allegedly concussed — was placed in such a position.

Meanwhile, Kick quickly banned Raja Jackson from its platform, but critics say that is not enough. The streaming giant has benefitted from combat content that often pushes boundaries.

Should platforms be more accountable for what happens on their streams, especially when violence crosses from staged to real?

What Happens Next?

The Los Angeles Police Department is treating the case as an assault, though Raja has not been arrested. His father insists it was a 'work gone wrong' and has apologised to both Smith and the Kick platform.

Boxer Ryan Garcia said on X that it was the worth thing he had watched in a minute, echoing wider condemnation across the fight community.

But as investigations continue, the spotlight is shifting from Raja himself to the broader issues: safety protocols in smaller promotions, the risks of blurred storytelling in wrestling, and the responsibility of streaming platforms that broadcast it all live.

For now, the biggest unanswered question lingers: will this be treated as an isolated incident of bad judgement, or will it force lasting change in how wrestling promotions protect their performers and their audiences?