Despite the public outcry for severe charges following Raja Jackson’s brutal attack on Syko Stu at a KnokX Pro event, a conviction for attempted murder appears highly unlikely. That’s the legal analysis from former WWE star and Harvard-trained lawyer David Otunga, who broke down the situation on Podcast Heat Wrestling.
Otunga explained that securing an attempted murder conviction is notoriously difficult because prosecutors must prove “specific intent to kill.” He argued that Raja’s own statements, where he mentioned wanting to “F him up” but never mentioned killing, would make it challenging to prove his goal was homicide.
Instead, Otunga believes Jackson is facing serious felony charges like battery and assault with intent to cause serious bodily harm. He specifically highlighted a California felony called “mayhem,” which alone could carry an eight-year prison sentence, noting that prosecutors could even stack the charges for a more severe outcome.
“As for attempted murder, I’ll tell you, attempted murder is a lot harder to prove than people think,” Otunga stated. “Could he be charged with it? Yes, but it will be difficult to get a conviction and prosecutors would be rolling the dice. First, there has to be a specific intent—this is a legal term—specific intent to kill and end someone’s life. That means when Raja got into the ring, he had to specifically intend to kill Syko Stu. That’s difficult to prove even by his statements. He talks about punching him, saying, ‘I’m not gonna F him up too bad but I’m gonna F him up.’ Nowhere does he say anything about killing.”
This legal perspective comes as Raja’s father, Rampage Jackson, confirmed his son is awaiting an arrest warrant while also denying the attempted murder claims. While the attack on Syko Stu was violent, Otunga’s analysis suggests the legal battle will focus on proving assault and mayhem, not a specific intent to kill.