AJ Mana has walked back his previous claim that he was fired from his day job in the aftermath of the Raja Jackson attack on Syko Stu. Speaking on the Something to Wrestle podcast, Mana clarified that while he is not currently working, his employer did not terminate him, citing the negative attention surrounding the incident as the reason for his absence.
His new account directly contrasts with an emotional statement he made after the attack went viral, in which he claimed his professional life was ruined.
Mana explained the situation with his non-wrestling employer was more nuanced than a termination. “So, you’re not technically fired, but we’re not really asking you to come back to work until this dissipates,” Mana stated, quoting his employer’s reasoning. “They say, ‘We saw this thing on TMZ about you being an accessory to an attempted murder, and we just can’t have that traffic come our way.’”
The entire controversy stems from the August 23rd KnokX Pro Wrestling event where Raja Jackson, son of former UFC fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, executed a violent, unscripted assault on Stuart “Syko Stu” Smith in the ring. The shoot attack left Smith with severe injuries, including trauma to his jaws, a fractured maxilla bone, and the loss of several teeth.
In his initial public reaction, Mana lashed out at critics. “For those that are offended at the fact that I just told the truth, f** you, because now my f****** life is ruined over your lies. So f*** you… I got a call from my f****** job, ‘We saw the TMZ video. You’re an accessory to an attempted murder. We gotta let you go.’ I can’t wrestle anymore.”
During the podcast, Mana apologized for his language in that statement, attributing his outburst to the intense backlash he received. “I’ve gotten a lot of dath threats. I’ve gotten a lot of the n-word on my social platforms, calling me an n-word myself and calling me an n-lover,”* he said, clarifying his own mixed-race heritage.
The motivation for the attack itself reportedly originated from a backstage incident where Smith allegedly hit Jackson with a beer can. While Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has condemned his son’s actions in the ring, he has also stated that this initial altercation was the catalyst.
As of September 3, the Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the attack as a felony battery. While no arrests have been made, reports indicate Syko Stu’s side has hired lawyers, with a civil lawsuit expected to follow.