Raja Jackson struck a plea deal with prosecutors Wednesday after he was arrested in August 2025 and charged with felony battery and misdemeanor battery in a case that drew widespread attention from a violent wrestling-ring assault captured on video. Jackson, 26, pleaded no contest to one felony count of battery with serious bodily injury and admitted two special allegations, including personal infliction of great bodily injury and engaging in violent conduct.
A sentencing date of June 22 has been set, and the District Attorney’s Office said Jackson’s anticipated punishment is 90 days actual county jail, restitution of $81,703.38 and two years of formal probation. He initially pleaded not guilty before agreeing to the deal instead of returning to court for a preliminary hearing setting.
The case stems from an assault on pro wrestler Syko Stu, whose real name is Stuart Smith, at a Knockx show outside Los Angeles where Jackson had been slated to appear. Before the in-ring attack, Smith hit Jackson with a beer can in a separate incident and later apologized; video showed the two shaking hands. Jackson was then seen on a live stream saying he would get his revenge “for real” after jumping into the ring for the planned showdown.
What followed was not a scripted wrestling spot. Jackson picked Smith up into the air and slammed him to the ground, then unleashed more than 20 punches in a beating that was captured on video. Smith was admitted to a local hospital and spent several days in intensive care. He later said he suffered trauma to both the upper and lower jaws, a laceration to his upper lip and a fracture to the maxilla bone, and he lost several teeth.
The plea deal ends the criminal case for now, but it does not soften the central fact of it: what started as a wrestling event turned into a real assault with lasting injuries. The New York Post first reported details of the agreement.