MR. TITO: Call to End AMATEUR HOUR in Pro Wrestling (WWE, AEW, & Indies) & With Fans
Many of my long-time readers have been asking me about what I thought of Raja Jackson, former MMA fighter and son of MMA legend Rampage Jackson, attacking Syko Stu at a recent KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy event. Apparently, there was a backstage angle with a empty beer can smashed over Raja’s head and he took it seriously. Then, during Stu’s match, Raja was supposed to enter the ring, in an angle, to get revenge on Stu for the beer can… Except, Raja threw like 20+ legitimate punches on Stu while he was down after the spinebuster move that Raja did to him that was “planned”.
Look, my thoughts are this… Stu got badly hurt and he was in the hospital for days recovering from head injuries sustained from the beatdown. So far, Raja has NOT been arrested for any kind of assault, though that could still occur as Stu comes to his senses.
What Raja did was atrocious and at age 25, he should know better as a grown adult to assault someone like that along with knowing that pro wrestling is a work versus a legitimate fight. As a former MMA fighter with a 3-0 amateur record and 1-1 pro record, he should know the difference between which profession throws a punch and which one simulates it. I think that it’s up to Stu and his family to file assault charges and let it go from there…
BUT, the real issue was that KnokX Pro set-up everyone to FAIL in this situation… There’s a reason why WWE ceased their WWE ID affiliation with KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy, even despite Rikishi being associated with it (father of the Usos and Solo).
For one, Raja Jackson is NOT and I repeat NOT a trained worker. Therefore, he should be kept away from the ring if he’s unable to perform worked slams or worked punches.
Secondly, a “trained” wrestler hit Raja over the head with a beer can. Again, you’re hitting someone who isn’t trained or fully smart to the business. If you watch the tape, Raja is legitimately pissed off about a can going upside his head.
Third, it took FOREVER for anyone to break up Raja from attacking Stu. What the hell? Can’t the referee and other wrestlers present notice when one of their fellow co-workers is getting physically assaulted?
What this is an example of is AMATEUR HOUR at a local independent wrestling promotion.
Look, I’ve been to many live independent events… Many handle things well, but others are emulating the ECW or hardcore style that began during the late 1990s and have even incorporated Best of Backyard Wrestling stuff into their shows, such as stuff involving fluorescent lightbulb and other glass fixtures. Tables, ladders, chairs, thumbtacks, barbed wire, etc. I’ve seen guys and gals bleeding like stuck pigs in front of 20-30 people. In addition, I’ve spoke with wrestlers who have various neck or back issues from performing high-risk moves on the weekend in front of smaller crowds.
The issue is that the professional wrestling environment is NOT safe, as wrestlers themselves are doing dangerous things OR they are allowing UNTRAINED or NON-WRESTLERS to participate.
Let’s take another recent example of AMATEUR HOUR… Travis Scott sucker punches Cody Rhodes at WWE Elimination Chamber 2025. We were literally millimeters away from LOSING Wrestlemania 41’s main event of Cody vs. John Cena because an UNTRAINED and NON-WRESTLER Travis Scott got to lay his hands on a professionally trained wrestler. And then that UNTRAINED and NON-WRESTLER Travis Scott got to appear at Wrestlemania 41 as a reward for doing something stupid at Elimination Chamber.
Hell, I thought Jelly Roll shouldn’t have been involved with SummerSlam… He’s a non-wrestler and trained just for a little bit to look reasonable. Yet, he takes a massive table spot in the middle of the match that should have killed him and then he’s walking around like nothing happened to him later on in the match. Complete AMATEUR HOUR, WWE, and it’s making your pros look like they didn’t spend years grinding and grinding to get where they are.
At least with Bad Bunny and Logan Paul, they tried to train with WWE developmental before hand to so that they could (a) protect themselves and (b) safely perform moves on other wrestlers.
But there is a perception issues, too… Full-time wrestlers get treated with such disrespect when a non-wrestler or part-time wrestler appears. I used to holler repeatedly about Shane McMahon, as he was a regular looking guy who wrestled only a few times per year, if that, and he forced the full-time workers to sell for him. Hell, Undertaker and AJ Styles had to wrestle him at Wrestlemania of all freakin’ places! It is a SHAME that full-time wrestlers had to sell for his non-sense, especially the moves that were straight out of the backyard.
However, there is more to the AMATEUR HOUR stuff than letting celebrities, part-timers, non-wrestlers, and untrained people inside your ring.
At WWE SummerSlam 2025, many, many Slim Jim sponsored tables were brought out during the event. And then you had a Ladder Match, a cage match, several “street fight” or non-disqualification matches, etc. Complete AMATEUR HOUR for the WWE’s arguably 2nd biggest event of the year (must be if it received 2 nights this year?).
And that’s my problem with All Elite Wrestling… Lots of tables, lots of high spots, lots of thumbtacks, and lots of barbed wire. Tons of blood, as it was a running joke that Jon Moxley bled each and every week. But you get desensitized to something sensational if it’s used often and/or every week.
Maybe State Athletic Commissions need to regulate Pro Wrestling and consider it as a “sport” rather than just a form of “entertainment”. That way wrestlers can get the SAFE working environment that they deserve.
But wrestling promotions aren’t the only ones enduring AMATEUR HOURS…
I’m looking at you fans… Excuse me, MARKS.
Thanks to you, WWE has to perform an expense to buy security to protect their stars from traveling. Why? Because you marks need to have each of your toys or replica title belts signed when someone is travelling through the airport or trying to get into a rental car or rideshare. Good lord, can’t you spend money and attend a legitimate autograph signing where you can get time with your favorite wrestlers and better pictures than your cheap selfies?
Years ago, I defended Sasha Banks wanting distance away from her fans when taking photos with her. I totally understood, as she had a history of being harassed by fans. But nooooo, she was attacked for being “too elite” for fans. No, she’s pushing back on CREEPS who take wrestling too seriously, have fantasies about her, or want every toy or belt signed.
Rhea Ripley was simply trying to get to her rideshare lately and 20-30 fans swarmed her and almost pinned her against her own car. Why? Because they wanted selfies, toys signed, posters signed, or other demands.
Folks, I’m here to tell you this… You are NOT entitled to anything as a wrestling fan. Just because you buy a ticket to an event, buy merchandise, or spend hours per week watching WWE’s show, that does NOT grant you the right to demand to spend any time with a performer or get whatever you want from them. WWE sets up designated times and places for such a thing, as wrestlers traveling is considered their own personal time.
Put yourself in their shoes… Would you like to be hounded for photos and autographs anywhere you go?
Wrestlers report getting followed into rest rooms, while several other female wrestlers have had stalkers jailed for following them to their own homes. Hell, Sonya Deville had a stalker invade her own home with real malicious intent!
Wrestling fans need to understand BOUNDARIES, while they also need to understand that not everything they own needs to be autographed. And, while I personally like the replica belts, you need not carry those around with you at EVERY wrestling event. Come on, that’s a bit much…
But pressuring wrestlers to sign this, take a photo of that, etc. is getting ridiculous. And it seems to be HEAVY towards female wrestlers because with many male wrestlers, the fans know they’d get their arses kicked if they tried any of that stalking or pressuring crap with them. Go ahead and try what you tried with Rhea Ripley to the Undertaker and see what happens.
This kind of CRAP makes me dislike being a wrestling fan and then having to write about it. It’s 2025 and it seems that we haven’t evolved as wrestling promotions or as wrestling fans. The output of many promotions just looks cheap and violent for the sake of being violent, while the utter garbage on social media is embarrassing both by fans and even some wrestlers.
Like I said, maybe it’s time for State Athletic Commissions to regulate wrestling events again and consider it as a sport for the safety of the wrestlers and fans involved. Every promotion should carry the proper amount of liability insurance, too. This violent crap of high-risk and flying through tables from ladders or other stupid nonsense has to end. Promotions need to rely on TRAINED wrestlers, too, and there should be a certification for that.
It’s time to evolve for the 21st century, as it seems that the wrestling business hasn’t evolved from the bad habits that were forming during the late 20th century. It’s like we need “revolution” and “evolution” at the same time.
*Mic Drop*
We out, we out, right…
Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ