Syko Stu’s Mentee Calls “Out of Character” Raja Jackson Incident First Red Flag Before Brutal Assault

It’s been nearly two weeks since the shocking incident involving Raja Jackson, son of former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, and Army veteran wrestler Stuart Smith, aka ‘Syko Stu.’ The altercation stemmed from a backstage mishap, where Stu cracked a beer can over Raja’s head – mistaking him for a worker – before quickly apologizing. The apology wasn’t enough, though. 

That same evening, during a wrestling event in Sun Valley, California, Raja attacked Stu in the ring, slamming him to the canvas and unleashing more than 20 punches on the unresponsive aged pro-wrestler. The brutal assault was broadcast live on Kick, leaving fans horrified. Stu was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, while Raja Jackson is now under investigation by the LAPD. Meanwhile, fellow wrestler Elias Lopez, known as ‘Doomsday,’ recently appeared on Submission Radio and offered new insight into the beer can incident that set the stage for the attack.

Elias Lopez highlights ‘Red Flag’ about the beer can incident

Mentored by Syko Stu himself, Lopez felt the entire ordeal was out of character for him. “To me, that was kind of the first red flag of like something’s weird about this whole thing because I’ve never once seen Stu randomly crack a beer can over somebody’s head there,” Lopez said during the interview. He explained that if Stu knew someone who worked at the venue, he might jokingly “chop one of the boys,” but only because he was familiar with them.

“With that whole situation, I was already kind of confused,” Lopez added. “And to be honest, I can’t tell you the full like reason. I don’t know if somebody told him to do that. I’m not one to sit there and speculate about everything. As far as Stu hitting him, though, that felt completely out of character.” Even so, Lopez admitted he was shocked to see Stu use a beer can on anyone, since he had never done it before.

“Stu, he plays such [a] rough and tumble character in the ring, but really he’s just like the sweetest guy you could meet. Like, he’s genuinely such a kind soul,” he told the host of the show. Out of character or not, Stu’s family has since provided an update on his health following his hospitalization.

Syko Stu has been released from the hospital after the Raja Jackson beating

Stuart Smith has been released from the hospital and has shared the extent of his injuries. In a joint Facebook post with his wife, Contessa Patterson, he revealed that he is now at home, but the road to recovery is difficult. “He sustained a serious head injury and was unconscious upon arrival at the ER,” the post read. 

“His injuries include trauma to both the upper and lower jaws, a laceration to his upper lip, and a fracture to the maxilla bone, which unfortunately resulted in the loss of several teeth,” the post explained. Despite the seriousness of his injuries, Smith is said to be “in good spirits” as he begins his rehabilitation. 

Patterson expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support, noting, “We are deeply grateful for all the love and support we’ve received during this time.” A fundraiser for Stu has raised $221,034 at the time of writing, nearly reaching its goal of $240K. 

That being said, nobody saw the incident coming. Syko Stu stepped out of character to crack the beer can on Raja’s head, and the 25-year-old took things way too far, which may have ruined his life. At least, Stu is out of the hospital and on the path to recovery. What do you make of Lopez’s statement?