High school wrestler Anthony Knox charged with simple assault after brawling with rival fans alongside dad
High-school wrestling champion Anthony Knox Jr. has been charged with simple assault and purposely/knowingly causing bodily injury for his alleged role in a wild fight at a New Jersey tournament last month.
Knox, a three-time state champion in New Jersey and senior at St. John Vianney High School, was captured leaving the bench area and sprinting into the bleachers after his father, Anthony Knox Sr., had gone over to confront fans from an opposing team.
Shocking footage on social media shows the moment a huge brawl broke out in the stands, with a number of spectators involved in the melee as the February 22 tournament descended into chaos.
After he and his dad were eventually led away from the school and into police cars in handcuffs, Knox was disqualified from last weekend’s regional championships before being reinstated by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Bartels, who issued a temporary restraining order from his ban.
However, almost two weeks on from the incident, the wrestling prospect has now been hit with charges of simple assault and causing bodily injury, according to the New York Post.
‘The defendant did enter the opposing team’s designated section of the gymnasium bleachers during the District 25 wrestling tournament, where he proceeded to punch [redacted] about the face and head repeatedly, which result in bruising and pain to the right temple area,’ the complaint reads.
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
Knox claimed he ran into the crowd to protect his mother and father on the day, after describing the atmosphere in the crowd as ‘hostile’ before the brawl broke out.
‘During the finals matches, the atmosphere of the crowd became increasingly hostile toward me and my teammates because of our success. Insults were hurled at us,’ he said in a statement which was requested by Bartels.
‘Apparently, my father approached the people hurling the insults and asked them to stop.
‘In response, I saw these people lunge forward assaulting my father and he was pulled down and completely surrounded by unruly people.
‘My immediate reaction was to run close to the section to aid in the protection and safety of my father and mother, who was with me. I dispute the NJSIAA’s adopted version of the facts.’
Knox’s father also alleged in an interview with ABC7 that he confronted fans in the bleachers for hurling racist abuse at boys taking part in the tournament.
‘I saw a bunch of grown men yelling racial slurs at kids that I’ve been training since they were 6 years old, cursing at my son, cursing at my wife,’ said Knox Sr, a former MMA fighter.
‘As a man, I walked over, walked up into the stands, and asked the guy to stop. At that point, I was assaulted. Never threw a punch. Never hurt anybody. Never ran up there like a bat out of hell, just throwing punches at people. None of that happened.
‘I got pushed down the bleachers. I could have gotten seriously injured. Then I got surrounded by about 10 other families.’
The NJ State Interscholastic Athletic Association initially suspended Knox Jr. for leaving the bench.
After his ban was lifted, he went on to win the championship in his weight class at the NJSIAA Region 7 tournament and is set to compete for his fourth state title at the weekend.
