AJ Mana Offers Further Comments On Raja Jackson-Syko Stu Incident

Raja Jackson, the son of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, legitimately knocked out independent wrestler Syko Stu at KnokX Experience on August 23rd in a planned spot that went too far.

Prior to the incident, Stu confronted Raja outside the venue and smashed a beer can over his head. Stu seemingly thought they were working and was shocked that Raja didn’t sell the beer can shot. Stu later apologized to Raja and they shook hands.

Another video showed AJ Mana telling Raja to give Stu a “receipt” and “tag his shit,” and that if anyone had a problem with it, he would run out to the ring.

Mana appeared on Something to Wrestling with JBL, and offered more details on his side of the story.

“When it comes to my shoot day job — there is no conviction here. On my behalf, there is no crime that I actually committed. It was more so me bringing bad attention. They said, ‘We saw this thing on TMZ about you being an accessory to an attempted murder. We can’t have that traffic come our way. You’re not technically fired, but we’re not really asking you to come back to work until this dissipates,'” he said.

Later in the interview, AJ told a story of TMZ showing up to a gym he worked at.

“TMZ shows up to the gym where I had a fitness program for adults and a collegiate wrestling program for the kids. TMZ shows up and offers $500 to anyone that would talk shit about AJ Mana. Who the fuck does this, and why? To continue to perpetuate bullshit, propaganda, and speculation?”

Mana apologized for the language he used on the F Y’all podcast, but said he’s gotten a lot of death threats and racist comments.

“My wrestling career could potentially be over. I may or may not wrestle again because of this. I’m not even concerned about that. What I am concerned about is my name being dragged through the mud. Stu is a friend of mine. He’s not only a friend of mine, he’s one of our cowboys at the double six ranch. I’ve been up and down the road with Stu. I’ve been at horse auctions with Stu. This goes a lot deeper than this personification that you see from him and I on screen. To this individual, I hate to even mention his name because I don’t want to make him famous, but Doug goes on a social platform, which reaches global attention, and states that I set up Stu because I have heat with Stu. If people actually watch what took place that evening, you will see from Raja pulling up to the venue, to me getting him authorization to come into the locker room — this wasn’t a pop up deal and it damn sure wasn’t pre-planned. It’s impossible to even fathom the possibility that I set up Stu. That’s not how this went down. To Doug, I don’t appreciate what you did there. I understand what you were doing. You went into business for yourself. You thought that by burying me, that would help put you over. It did, momentarily, until people are able to see that not only are you the shits and don’t know how to work, you are fresh in this business and you don’t understand this business. Doug Malo, I do commend you on the fact that you did take action when it was necessary. For that, I give you your flowers, but for all the other crap, you really need to smarten up because you don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

Mana is referencing Doug Malo, who is the man that pulled Raja off of Stu. Malo previously blamed AJ for his “receipt” comments.

When asked about his comment to Raja, AJ replied, “I asked Raja, ‘Do you remember what a receipt is?’ Once he affirmed that he remembered what a receipt was, because I had explained this to him before, and he should at the very least know how to pull your punch. How do I know that Raja knows how to pull a punch? I come from the MMA world. Raja was part of my fight team. I’ve sparred with Raja several times. I know that he knows how to pull a punch. That was the insinuation there. One punch. It’s a little get back for what transpired. Was it my call to make Raja part of the a storyline? No. I don’t have that power. I’m not a promoter. I’m not an owner. I was talent. I’m seeing the camera in my face, I have no clue this is being livestreamed. We did a pre-tape at a gym prior to that. Rampage was like, ‘I see you doing your thing. You could be getting a following if you hop on this livestream Kick. That’ll help you get your following. You and Raja collaborate. It’ll help build y’all up.’ Raja came up with the idea, ‘Why don’t I show up to one of these wrestling events and livestream your match. All of the followers I get will see you.’ I’m thinking, ‘This is awesome.’

“Me bringing Raja into the locker room was not to be part of a storyline. It was to introduce him to the owner of KnokX Pro. That’s the only reason he was back there. I didn’t know this thing was being livestreamed. I’m thinking, ‘This is being recorded, 90% is going to be edited out anyway,’ what led up to me telling Raja to get his receipt would be edited out when you’re working to build the story. That’s all I was doing. I was pushing his story because it was agreed upon by both parties that you’ll get your redemption in the match. I brought Raja in, this happened to him, I guess I’m on Raja’s side in this, and Stu, whoever he brings into the story, that’s how we’ll work this thing. ‘Remember what a receipt is?’ ‘Yeah’ It’s one punch. It shouldn’t hurt anybody. Raja took it upon himself to go far beyond what he was told. Someone got severely hurt that night. A lot of lives were impacted that night I don’t think people understand the severity of this thing. You are accusing me of being an accessory to an attempted murder. Do you not realize how serious of an accusation that is? Do you not realize how that impacts my life? Not as AJ Mana the character, Andre Joel Hudson, the man. Doug Malo, you want to be famous burying someone and pinning some crap on them ain’t the way to do it.”

Mana referenced David Otunga’s video where he broke down the attack from a Harvard law perspective.

Asked if he’s spoken to Stu, AJ replied, “I have not. This is what hurts the most. The night all that went down, I don’t think anyone realizes that the first one to call Raja was myself. When he replies, ‘My bad, Andre.’ I’m Andre. I’m like, ‘What the fuck were you thinking? Who told you to do this shit? Who the hell said double leg and punch? Who told you to do this?’ To my understanding, a takedown wasn’t even supposed to be a thing in this. It was supposed to be one punch. That’s literally it. A punch. The only reason I called him is because the promoter said, ‘Get his ass back here.’ I called him. ‘My bad. I’ll call you later.’ Click. I go to the hospital. I call over to our ranch boss, ‘Everybody get down here.’ ‘How bad is it?’ ‘It’s fucking bad. It’s flatlined. It’s bad. Get here.’ Within two hours they were there. I was there at the hospital while everyone is blaming me because of some video that Doug decided to clip out of a stream and put in a group chat to say, ‘I’m done.’ Everyone is like, ‘Explain this, AJ.’ I was working a story. That’s literally what I was doing. Working a storyline. A work that went totally off the rails. Now you’re going to take that and bury me to put yourself over? I had it strongly suggested to me that it’s best I don’t be (at the hospital). I did. Doug is not only not a friend to Stu, in that entire week that Stu was in the hospital, do you think he ever showed up and paid a visit? No. He got his clout. That’s what he got.”

Asked if he’s spoken to anyone in Stu’s family, AJ replied, “I’ve reached out. Haven’t gotten an answer. From Stu’s perspective, i understand. I’m sure everyone is reaching out to try and get ahold of him. I did speak with our ranch boss and he said, ‘When this thing blows over, maybe you and Stu should have a sit down and talk about this.’ I said, ‘If he’s willing to hear me out and not believe the shit that is being put out there,’ I’m there.”

In the livestream, Mana told Raja that if anyone had a problem with Raja getting his receipt, he would run out there. After the incident, Mana was not seen. Asked where he was, Mana replied, “Doug, do you really think that if I had any clue, any inclination that this shit was going to take place that I wouldn’t be there? I was outside. I don’t even know how this thing with Raja was being structured. After telling Raja to get his receipt, I’m thinking, tell me if I’m wrong, Doug, we all huddle up, especially if it’s on the fly like that. Huddle up, ‘What are we going to do? Alright.’ Then get out there and do it. None of that happened. None of this was actually planned properly. Allegedly, somebody whispered in his ear and told him what to do. How the hell am I going to know what’s going on inside the building when I’m outside in the locker room in the parking lot. I just had a match. I had my match right before Stu’s match. I can’t walk back into the venue after a match. You should know that. I still believe in kayfabe. I didn’t know this thing was being live streamed. I thought we were going to edit it later. Hello, kayfabe. I had no clue this shit was happening. Where was I? Outside. How did I find out about it? One of the boys brought their cellphone and showed it to me outside. That’s when I went in there and saw him in the middle of the ring. I had no fucking clue this was happening.”

Mana stated that it’s bullshit that he didn’t get along wth Stu.

“I haven’t been in touch with KnokX Pro since I was kicked off the feed and that video was posted in the feed with me telling Raja to get to his receipt and folks were playing stupid. ‘Explain this.’ What is there to explain? Everyone was there and we’re all on the same page. You want to make me the scapegoat and the fall guy? I haven’t been in touch with them and don’t care to because silence, to me, is affirmation. If I’m supposed to be one of your boys, and the world is burying one of your boys, and you’re silent, knowing full well you gave the greenlight and I have no power in this regard, but you’re silent, that’s cowardly to me.

“As far as my career, this might be the end of the road for me. That’s fine because it’s not about me. The important thing is, Stu is okay and his family is okay. It’s a long road to recovery. We have to ensure that we all come together as community to help the actual issue here and learn from this experience so those that come after us do not make this mistake again.

“Looking back, had I known Raja would go off the rails, I would have kept my fucking mouth shut had I known this would have happened. I have no way to foresee the outcome of telling Raja to get a receipt. I have no way to foresee that Raja was live on stream saying, ‘They want me to throw fake punches, but fuck that.’ It’s all out there. Watch the video in its entirity. Stop watching ten minute clips. It’s over an hour long. Watch the whole thing.”

Asked what he thinks will happen with Raja, Mana replied, “I have expressed that Raja and Stu are friends of mine. I’m caught in the middle of some bullshit. Had I committed a crime, who is going to stick up for me and vouch for me and cover for me? I am in no way, shape, or form validating, downplaying, or excusing what Raja did. My phone has been blowing up of people trying to convince me to say shit. I’m not playing ball. A friend of mine got severely injured, maybe fatal. That’s why we have laws. My justice be served. Let the justice system do their job. What I think should happen to Raja is what I think everyone thinks should happen to Raja. He should answer and pay for what he did. How severe that may be, that’s up to the law.”

Asked how Raja knew what a receipt was, Mana replied, “Raja has always known a few things when it comes to the industry because he has always supported me since day one. Since I first debut in wrestling, Raja learned quickly that this is a work. Raja understands terminology such as ‘work,’ ‘sell,’ and ‘receipt, because I’ve explained those things to him. Some would suggest that I should not expose the business like that, but I’ve had conversations with Raja in the past, ‘Maybe you should get into pro wrestling.’ There are a lot MMA fighters who are smart to the business. That’s where that extends from whenever I asked, ‘Do you remember a receipt?’ because we didn’t discuss what a receipt was in that video. I have previously expressed to Raja what a receipt was.”

Mana said he loves pro wrestling and doesn’t want to stop, but it is what it is. He also said he has not talked with Raja since the incident and their quick conversation after it happened.

Fans can read Quinton Jackson’s comments on the incident here.

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