Following widespread criticism, Rob Van Dam has clarified his controversial comments regarding the recent in-ring attack by MMA fighter Raja Jackson on indie wrestler Syko Stu. On an episode of his 1 Of A Kind podcast, Van Dam began by expressing concern for the injured wrestler before explaining the intent behind his initial statement.
“I wanna start out by saying best wishes to f*ing Syko Stu Smith,” Van Dam said. “Hopefully he will regain his health and do it quickly. That’s a shame and he definitely didn’t deserve what happened to him.”
The clarification was prompted by a post Van Dam made on X on August 24, which stated, “So far, I got Raja’s back.” The comment came a day after Jackson legitimately assaulted Syko Stu at a KnokX Pro Wrestling event, leaving the wrestler hospitalized with broken facial bones.
During his podcast, Van Dam addressed those who called him hypocritical for both supporting Jackson and wishing Smith well. “I’m not picking a side, if I did, I’m not even saying it would be Raja’s!” he stated. RVD explained that his support was about understanding the context of the situation, not condoning the violence.
“Everyone is saying that he needs to be put to death and I’m saying if Raja’s position needs somebody to explain what happened, then I got his back as far as that goes,” Van Dam elaborated. “I see exactly what happened; doesn’t necessarily make him out to be the babyface.”
Van Dam then offered a unique perspective, suggesting Jackson was manipulated and used as a “tool” by another individual, AJ Mana, who allegedly encouraged him to deliver a “receipt” to Smith in the ring.
According to RVD, Jackson’s lack of wrestling experience was a critical factor in the escalation. He argued that Jackson, as a non-wrestler, entered a “blind rage” and “shouldn’t have been part of this at all.” While acknowledging Jackson has “anger issues” and “took it too far,” Van Dam ultimately framed the incident as a “miscommunication,” calling Jackson the “weakest link” in the situation for not thinking for himself.