A viral clip from a small California wrestling show on Saturday, August 23, 2025 appears to show Raja Jackson—the son of MMA legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson—entering the ring, lifting independent wrestler Syko Stu (real name: reportedly Stuart Smith), slamming him, and then throwing a flurry of hard, unprotected punches.
The moment was not part of the planned script, according to multiple reports, and the aftermath sent Stu to the hospital. Prominent outlets and commentators describe the attack as an apparent shoot (real) assault during a worked (scripted) segment.
Raja’s father, Rampage, has publicly addressed the situation and says he’s been told Stu is awake. Investigations and medical updates are still developing.
What the video shows—and why it shocked fans
If you’ve watched much pro wrestling, you know the dance: strikes are pulled, slams are controlled, and safety is sacred. In the viral clip, that line appears to be crossed.
After Raja is involved in ringside chaos earlier in the show, he gets back into the ring later, hoists Syko Stu, spikes him to the mat, and unloads with a string of punches that do not look worked.
Fans at first cheer, then you can hear the mood flip—like a record scratch—once it becomes clear this isn’t just business as usual. Commentators and fans online quickly labeled it “disturbing.”
Raja Jackson - Rampage Jacksons son almost kills a pro wrestler live on Kick. The wrestler is still out cold and could possibly die. pic.twitter.com/fxFmu3Exb8
— DahtSick💫 (@DahtSick) August 24, 2025
Several reports say the spot was planned up to a point, but that the punches went rogue and caused real damage.
That nuance matters: it suggests there was an agreed-upon sequence, but something went terribly wrong in execution. Wrestling insiders and journalists echoed that framing as they pieced together the timeline from first-hand clips and on-site accounts.
Where and when this happened
The incident occurred at an independent wrestling show in California on August 23, 2025, and was streamed live on Kick, which is why footage spread so fast across social media.
In the hours that followed, the clip ricocheted from X to Reddit to news sites around the world. Some platforms reportedly took moderation actions related to the stream as outrage grew.
Syko Stu Condition Now
Early reports say Syko Stu was hospitalized with serious injuries. Sensational rumors flew—some claimed he was “flatlined”—but reliable outlets have been more careful, simply noting that he required immediate medical care after the incident.
Rampage Jackson posted that he’d been “confirmed” the wrestler was awake, while also acknowledging how bad things looked on video.
Given the speed of the news cycle, details may evolve, but that’s the most grounded snapshot right now.
Who is Syko Stu?
Syko Stu—reported to be Stuart Smith, a U.S. Army veteran—has worked the indie circuit and trained/appeared with Knokx Pro Wrestling–connected talent.
Coverage describes him as a respected hand who leans on wrestling as part of his post-service routine, community, and mental-health fitness.
Like many indie wrestlers, he’s not a household name, but he’s known in regional locker rooms and among die-hard fans. That’s part of why the clip hit so hard: people recognized him and were horrified.
What Raja and Rampage are saying
Publicly, Rampage Jackson—a former UFC light heavyweight champion—addressed the situation on X.
He pushed back on misinformation, said he’d been told Stu is awake, and added context: Raja had suffered a recent concussion during MMA sparring, which could have affected judgment, though that’s explanation, not excuse. Separately, reports say the sequence in the ring was supposed to be a work that went wrong, a framing Rampage’s note aligns with.
As for Raja Jackson, coverage and posts gathered by outlets suggest he spoke in the aftermath and made calls discussing what just happened.
At the time of writing, there’s no formal legal statement from Raja’s camp published in major outlets beyond this “planned spot gone wrong” narrative. If that changes, it will matter for any further accountability.
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