More than $130,000 has been raised for wrestler Syko Stu after Raja Jackson violently knocked him out during a match, with popular YouTuber Mr. Beast making a top donation of $10,000.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, Raja, whose father is UFC legend and former mixed martial artist Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, is being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department for the alleged assault.
“On August 23rd he [Syko Stu] was involved in an unscripted assault that has left him in the hospital with intense recovery needed to regain good health,” the fundraiser states. “Stuart Smith is a U.S. Army veteran who used wrestling as an outlet to deal with his PTSD, this incident has not only caused major physical harm, but will also disrupt his career inside the ring and outside of it.”
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The fundraiser also states that the donated funds will be channeled toward Syko Stu’s uncovered medical expenses, recovery support, and loss of income. The fundraiser has received nearly 4,000 donations, and the donors include fellow AEW stars Chris Jericho and Swerve Strickland, TMZ reported.
The Saturday incident occurred at a KnokX Pro Academy wrestling event in Los Angeles. Footage of the incident shows Raja repeatedly punching his opponent, Syko Stu, and in the face, leaving him unconscious before other wrestlers enter the ring and restrain him.
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Prior to the match, Syko Stu was seen striking Raja’s head with a beer can, CBS Sports reported. Syko Stu then repeatedly rendered an apology to Raja as he thought the latter was a worker. Jackson and Syko Stu’s subsequent matchup was supposed to be scripted, but he allegedly pummeled his opponent.
Syko Stu, whose real name is Stuart Smith, was hospitalized in the aftermath of the attack. Douglas Malo, who was among the wrestlers who tried to restrain Raja during the violent attack, told USA TODAY that Syko Stu was conscious and able to speak as of Sunday, though he suffered facial fractures and lost “a lot of teeth.”
On Monday, Syko Stu’s brother, Andrew Smith, took to Facebook to provide an update on the wrestler’s condition, saying that he was “resting since he sustained severe injures to his head.”
“He is currently conscious and able to talk but will have a difficult recovery ahead,” he added. Andrew, in a previous post, also said that his brother “does have some recollection of events from the day of the attack.”
Meanwhile, Raja’s father, Quinton, said that he has been receiving death threats over his son’s actions, TMZ reported.
“There’s a lot of racist people giving me death threats and stuff like that,” Quinton told Joy Of Everything, adding that he has also been called a “bad father” among other things.
“It’s uncalled for,” he said.
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