WWE ID Affiliation Pulled After Raja Jackson's Violent Assault Of Syko Stu (WWE News)

WWE has severed ties with KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy.

by Andrew Pollard
WWE ID
WWE

Following Raja Jackson’s horrific assault on Syko Stu at a KnokX Pro event over the weekend, WWE has unsurprisingly ended any affiliation with the school/promotion.

Previously, the KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy - as established and run by WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi and Reno 'Black Pearl' Anoa'i - was part of the WWE ID program, but WWE has completely severed all ties in the aftermath of Saturday’s shocking events. The WWE ID program was launched last year, with certain wrestling schools becoming affiliated with WWE, allowing for better training, better mentorship, and access to WWE facilities, providing budding pro wrestlers with similar opportunities to those that college athletes are given through the WWE NIL program.

For those who may have missed it, KnokX Pro’s Saturday show saw Raja Jackson - the son of legendary MMA fighter Quentin ‘Rampage’ Jackson - enter the ring, hit independent wrestler Syko Stu with a slam that left him unconscious, and then proceeded to deliver over 20 punches to the head of the unconscious Stu.

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As first reported by PWInsider and f4wonline, WWE has ended its association with KnokX Pro, and all references to KnokX Pro have been quietly removed from WWE ID materials. Additionally, per TMZ, this assault is being investigated by the LAPD.

In an update on Syko Stu - a US veteran whose real name is Stuart Smith - as detailed by now-former KnokX Pro colleague Doug Drago on the Scaling Up Podcast, the attack from Raja Jackson caused Stu to suffer broken bones in his face, the loss of several teeth, and he at one point was choking on his own teeth and blood. Drago said that Syko Stu also received CPR. As a result of this incident and how it was handled by the promotion, Drago - who helped get Jackson off Stu - confirmed he will no longer be working for KnokX Pro, stating, “What’s the point? They would watch me die.”

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Sycho Stu’s brother, Andrew Smith, took to Facebook on Sunday to say that Stu was stable but in critical care, with another update on Monday adding how Stu was conscious and had some recollection of the horrific events of Saturday. For those able to help, a GoFundMe has also been set up for Syko Stu, with donations already having already reached over $50,000, including a $2,500 donation from Chris Jericho.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.