Raja Jackson — son of mixed martial arts legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson — pleaded no contest Wednesday for his role in the bloody beating of a professional wrestler last year that blurred the lines between real and scripted fighting.
Jackson, 25, is expected to spend 90 days in jail on a misdemeanor charge of assault after throwing Stuart Smith to the ground and hitting him about 20 times, according to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The professional wrestler, who performs under the name Psycho Stu, suffered injuries, including a broken jaw and several broken teeth.
According to the spokesperson, Jackson will also be placed on two years’ probation and must pay approximately $81,000 in restitution to the victim. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for late June at the San Fernando Courthouse.
Jackson’s attorney declined to comment. Smith did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
A spokesman for the district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a question about whether confusion over Jackson’s understanding of the scripted nature of the incident played a role in the plea deal. Jackson was originally charged with a felony and several sentencing enhancements that could have landed him in state prison.
The event took place on August 23, 2025, at a Knox Pro Wrestling Academy event in Sun Valley. Jackson was a guest at the event and livestreamed his visit to the Kick stage when he was approached by Smith backstage.
Smith threw a beer can over Jackson’s head. Video of the incident shows the two men standing face to face in a confrontation, but Smith later apologized to Jackson, pointing to the livestreaming camera, and explained that he thought Jackson was “a worker”, or someone involved in staged matches.
Violence in professional wrestling is usually scripted, meaning that both parties agree to use punches, kicks, throws, and even sometimes striking each other with weapons in order to tell a violent story in the ring. Wrestlers are expected to remain in character in the presence of fans and in front of the cameras, a concept known as “kayfabe”.
Other wrestlers who witnessed the incident last year told The Times they believed Smith was in character. It was not clear whether Jackson understood this.
Later in the show, while Smith was in the ring working on his scheduled match, Jackson ran out backstage. A portion of Jackson’s stream captured another wrestler, Andre Joel Hudson, telling Jackson what to do when he faces Smith.
“Give him his receipts,” Hudson, who invited Jackson to the show, says in the video. “Do you remember what a receipt is?”
In wrestling parlance, “recuse” refers to retaliation for a perceived minor or unnecessary use of physical force during a match. But Jackson said on his livestream that he was not following any predetermined plan.
Before entering the ring, Jackson could be heard saying “This won’t be scripted”, lifting Smith over his shoulders and throwing him to the mat.
Smith appeared to lose consciousness almost immediately. According to the video, Jackson then pounced on the broken wrestler and punched him more than 20 times in the head and face.
Times staff writer Sal Hernandez contributed to this report.
