A fitness influencer, recognized for his distinctive face tattoos and alleged steroid use, has admitted to assault charges after an altercation in a Florida gym that left another man with serious injuries.
Wesley Watson, 42, pled guilty to aggravated battery in a Miami-Dade County courtroom on Thursday. The charges stem from an incident that resulted in Hakeem Ibrahim sustaining both a facial fracture and a concussion, as reported by the Miami Herald.
Watson, who boasts approximately 510,000 subscribers on YouTube, is well-known in the fitness community for his motivational content. Prior to gaining online fame, he served nine years in a California prison for a robbery conviction.
The altercation occurred on December 29, 2024, at the Elev8tion Fitness gym located on the 1600 block of North Miami Avenue, according to the media outlet.
During his workout session, Watson was confronted by Ibrahim, who had traveled from New Jersey to Florida specifically to address a dispute with Watson.
Ibrahim set up his phone to record the spat and pushed Watson, according to police.
Watson then removed his weight belt and proceeded to hit Ibrahim until an employee stepped in to break up the altercation.
Prosecutors are seeking to keep Watson in prison for 21 months, followed by seven years of probation, according to NBC Miami.
Fitness influencer Wesley Watson, 42, pleaded guilty on a Thursday to a fight in a Miami gym that left another man with a face fracture and a concussion
The altercation happened at the Elev8tion Fitness gym in the 1600 block of North Miami Avenue in December 2024
However, Watson’s legal team is still negotiating with prosecutors in an attempt to lessen his prison time.
One of Watson’s attorneys, Eric Clayman, said that discussions about his eventual sentence had taken a psychologist’s testimony into account.
The psychologist claimed Watson abused anabolic steroids, according the outlet.
Watson also had untreated mental health concerns, the psychologist added.
As part of the plea deal, Watson will have to record a video about the harm of substance abuse, as well as the importance of mental health treatment.
Clayman said Watson was looking forward to filming the video since he wanted to ‘use his platform to help others.’
Watson’s YouTube channel has remained active in recent weeks, though the videos have only featured still images and voice messages from the fitness influencer.
Watson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17. He is currently being held at the Metrowest Detention Center in Miami
The spat that resulted in Watson’s plea happened in December 2024, but Ibrahim did not tell Miami police about a month later about his specific role.
He claimed that he had sought out Watson to find out why he ‘went around fighting people,’ according to the outlet.
Ibrahim alleged that Watson had hit and kicked him in the face several times, resulting in his myriad injuries.
Watson’s attorney, Clayman, noted how Ibrahim ‘sought somebody out because of his presence online.’
‘It then turned into something else,’ Clayman said, per the outlet. ‘I don’t think there was any dispute at the beginning of this that Wes was able to use force.’
However, the attorney argued that the ‘tricky part in this case’ was determining when said force needed to be ‘stopped.’
‘When you get in a fight, you kind of lose your way,’ Clayman said.
He claimed that Watson had experienced ‘adrenaline’ and that ‘things happen.’
Watson, who is in custody at the Metrowest Detention Center in Miami, is set to be sentenced on July 17.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Clayman and McPharlin for further comment.