A New Jersey state wrestling champion and his father have been sentenced for their roles in a February brawl captured in viral video.
The pair were originally charged with simple assault for purposely/knowingly causing bodily injury after Anthony Knox Jr. left his team’s bench to follow his father into the crowd at St. John Vianney High School, where a melee quickly ensued.
As reported by NJ.com Wednesday, Knox Jr. pled down to disorderly conduct and was given a year probation, while the elder Knox pled down to disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace in exchange for a $1,000 fine.
‘It was a truly, truly unfortunate incident,’ Knox Sr., a former amateur MMA fighter, told Collingswood municipal court Wednesday.
‘Some of the stuff that was said just enraged me in a way I haven’t been enraged before. I need to do a better job of controlling my emotions, no matter what. No matter what was said – didn’t make it right. I do apologize.’
High-school wrestling champion Anthony Knox Jr. (center) has been charged with simple assault over a wild brawl involving his dad Anthony Knox Sr. (right)
Knox was seen sprinting into the bleachers when the fight broke out at a tournament in NJ
Previously, Knox Sr. told CBS New York he confronted the other fans because they were ‘cursing at my son, cursing at my wife.’
A Collingswood police officer who filed the report against Knox Jr. said he saw the wrestler swing and punch a minor repeatedly during the brawl.
Claimed Knox Sr ‘attempted to kick and stomp’ another spectator laying on the floor ‘numerous times,’ according to NJ.com.
Knox Jr. can have the charges dismissed if he abides by the conditions of his probation, which is signifiant, because the four-time New Jersey state wrestling champion is set to attend Rutgers on a wrestling scholarship.
What’s more, NJ.com reports Knox Jr. signed an NIL (name, image, likeness) deal with Rutgers that will pay around $200,000 annually.
Knox Jr. was ranked the No. 1 high school wrestler in the national at the 126-pound weight limit last season.
Rutgers wrestling coach Scott Goodale recent told NJ.com he did his ‘due diligence’ in recruiting Knox, who originally committed to Cornell.
