New Jersey wrestling champion and dad reach plea deal in tournament brawl case

Anthony Knox Jr., the New Jersey authorities wrestling champion, and his father, Anthony Knox Sr., person been handed retired punishments for their roles successful a brawl that broke retired past twelvemonth during a territory tournament. 

Knox, who committed to wrestle astatine Rutgers University, and his dada were initially charged with elemental battle for purposely/knowingly causing bodily wounded aft a brawl broke retired astatine Collingswood High School connected February. 22, 2025. 

They some reached a plea bargain, reducing Knox Jr.’s charges to disorderly conduct, per NJ.com. Knox Sr.’s charges were downgraded to disorderly behaviour and disturbing the peace.

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St. John Vianney’s Anthony Knox defeated Manchester’s Charles Gold by method autumn successful their 126 lbs quarterfinal match. Opening rounds of the NJSIAA Region 7 Tournament connected Feb. 28, 2025 successful Lacey, NJ. (Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Also, the justice acceptable a one-year probation connected Knox Jr. If helium abides by the probation, charges volition beryllium dismissed.

Knox Sr., a erstwhile MMA combatant who told the court, "It was a truly, genuinely unfortunate incident," indispensable wage a good of $1,000.

The Knox’s were detained aft the brawl astatine the precocious schoolhouse dissipated past year. Knox Jr. had already won his lucifer for St. John Vianney High School, which checked different cardinal container connected his mode to an expected 4th straight New Jersey title in his value class. 

TOP NJ WRESTLER ANTHONY KNOX JR CHARGED WITH SIMPLE ASSAULT FOR ALLEGED ROLEIN VIRAL TOURNAMENT BRAWL

Videos appeared connected societal media showing Knox Jr. sprinting up the bleachers to articulation the brawl.

"The suspect did participate the opposing team’s designated conception of the gymnasium bleachers during the District 25 wrestling tournament, wherever helium proceeded to punch [redacted] astir the look and caput repeatedly, which effect successful bruising and symptom to the close temple area," tribunal documents obtained by The New York Post read. 

Knox Jr. was disqualified by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) from information successful the tourney until Mercer County Superior Court Judge Patrick Bartels granted him a impermanent restraining bid from his ban, allowing him to vie successful the Region 7 tournament. 

Knox Jr. issued a connection astatine the clip explaining wherefore helium joined the brawl, successful which helium said his begetter approached the opposing squad to code alleged insults.

Anthony Knox of St. John Vianney vs Kurt Wehner of Donovan Catholic successful Boys 120 lbs. final. Boys Wrestling finals astatine the NJSIAA State Wrestling Championships successful Atlantic City connected March 2, 2024. (IMAGN)

"During the finals matches, the ambiance of the assemblage became progressively hostile toward maine and my teammates due to the fact that of our success," Knox Jr.’s connection read, which Bartels asked of him. "Insults were hurled astatine us. Apparently, my begetter approached the radical hurling the insults and asked them to stop. 

"In response, I saw these radical lunge guardant assaulting my begetter and helium was pulled down and wholly surrounded by unruly people. My contiguous absorption was to tally adjacent to the conception to assistance successful the extortion and information of my begetter and mother, who was with me. I quality the NJSIAA’s adopted mentation of the facts."

The Knox household besides participated successful an interrogation with ABC7, wherever Knox Sr. said "racial slurs" were being said toward kids connected the mats below. 

"[I] saw a clump of grown men yelling radical slurs astatine kids that I’ve been grooming since they were 6 years old, cursing astatine my son, cursing astatine my wife," Knox Sr. said.

Anthony Knox (SJV) p. Hunter Borer. St. John Vianney Wrestling defeats Southern Regional, 33-27, successful Holmdel, NJ connected Jan. 8, 2025. (IMAGN)

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"As a man, I walked over, walked up into the stands and asked the feline to stop. At that point, I was assaulted. Never threw a punch. Never wounded anybody. Never ran up determination similar a bat retired of hellhole conscionable throwing punches astatine people. None of that happened. I got pushed down the bleachers. I could person gotten earnestly injured. Then I got surrounded by astir 10 different families."

Knox Jr. was the No.1-ranked 126-pound wrestler successful the state past season, and contempt the ineligible troubles, Rutgers was not deterred from bringing him into the programme connected a $200,000 yearly NIL deal, per NJ.com. 

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