Saturday’s KnokX wrestling show from Sun Valley, California, featured one of the summer’s scariest viral moments. Its reaction is going viral in the wrestling world.
UFC legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s son, Raja, flatlined and hospitalized indy wrestler Syo Stu with 22 punches as a “receipt” for an unplanned spot where the latter slammed a beer can on the former’s head.
Raja getting revenge in the ring was planned by the show’s promoters, Syko Stu, and Raja himself, but no one anticipated that Jackson would take it to such a violent degree.
Rob Van Dam took to Twitter in the immediate aftermath and claimed he had Raja’s back. He later commented on it on his YouTube show.
“If you thought that me saying that was somehow hypocritical because my text said that ‘I back Raja,’ then you are one of the basic thinkers that can’t understand how those can both be true in the same universe,” RVD said. “I’m not picking a side [with that post]. If I did, I’m not even saying that it would be Raja… I’m not saying that this guy Stu deserved what happened to him by saying that ‘I got Raja’s back.’”
Sports Illustrated’s Jon Alba reported that there is significant backlash from several wrestlers over the comments.
“The texts I've gotten today so far from wrestlers in regards to the Rob Van Dam comments on the Raja Jackson incident...woof,” Alba wrote.
RVD and Mark Henry are the two biggest names in wrestling to share support for Raja. Chris Jericho, Rusev, Ariya Daivari, and Atlanta Hawk Kristaps Porzingis have all donated to and/or shown support for Syko Stu.
Syko Stu is conscious and still recovering in the hospital from the attack, according to his family.