American wrestler Stewart Smith was brutally attacked by Raja Jackson, the son of former mixed martial arts UFC champion Quentin “Rampage” Jackson.
Smith, known as “Psycho Stu,” sustained multiple injuries during the incident that occurred at a wrestling event in Los Angeles.
The incident began after Smith poured a drink on Raja’s face, which enraged him. Smith was then informed that his action was not part of the agreed show, while some attendees tried to calm Raja down.
The two parties agreed that Raja would intervene in one of Smith’s matches to create interaction inside the ring, but what happened exceeded all expectations, according to the Spanish newspaper “Marca.”
Raja stormed the ring, knocked Smith to the ground, and delivered more than 20 punches to his face until he lost consciousness without any referee intervention, before other wrestlers stepped in to stop the assault.
Notably, one of Smith’s opponents later pinned him, and the referee counted the three-count as if the match was ongoing.
Smith was immediately taken to the hospital unconscious, where it was later revealed that he had fractures in his upper jaw, a torn upper lip, and had lost several teeth.
Despite these painful injuries, Smith left the hospital but will require a long recovery period at home, as he confirmed in a statement.
Smith’s family launched a fundraising campaign on the “GoFundMe” platform to cover medical expenses, having raised over $213,000 so far.
Among the prominent donors were wrestling stars Chris Jericho, Swerv Strickland, Nick Nemeth, and Irish wrestler Finn Balor.
Meanwhile, Rampage Jackson, the father of the attacker, issued a public apology on behalf of himself and his son to Smith, emphasizing his primary concern is Smith’s recovery.
He said, “As a father, I am deeply concerned about Mr. Smith’s health and safety. I am profoundly affected by what happened, but my first priority now is his speedy recovery.”
He added, “I also apologize on behalf of my son Raja and the KICK platform responsible for the live broadcast for what occurred.”
The Los Angeles police confirmed they have opened an investigation into the incident but have not announced any arrests so far.
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