Fitness influencer accused of attacking man during gym workout changes his plea

Crime admin July 2, 2026 0 Comments

Fitness influencer accused of attacking man during gym workout changes his plea

A fitness influencer pleaded guilty Thursday to a charge stemming from a fight at a Miami gym that left a man with a face fracture, a concussion and black eyes.

Wesley “Wes” Watson, 42, changed his plea and admitted to aggravated battery, a felony, after striking a deal with prosecutors. In exchange, the state dropped another felony battery charge.

Watson, who has amassed a following for his motivational and fitness videos after serving a 9-year prison sentence on a robbery conviction in California, was accused of striking Hakeem Ibrahim on Dec. 29, 2024 during a confrontation at Elev8tion Fitness, located at 1625 N. Miami Ave.

As a result of the agreement, prosecutors are seeking to keep Watson behind bars for a little under 2 years, followed by seven years of probation. Watson will also have to stay away from the victim — and record a video about the harm of substance abuse and the importance of mental health treatment.

But in an unusual move, Watson’s attorneys are still negotiating with prosecutors to try getting him less prison time. Watson will be formally sentenced on July 17. If Watson refuses to accept the sentence listed in the deal, his fate will be left up to Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge William Altfield, meaning Watson could face up to 15 years in prison.

Outside the courtroom, attorney Eric Clayman told reporters that Watson is remorseful and didn’t want to hurt Ibrahim. Clayman said his client was on edge because he and his family had been getting death threats online.

“When you get in a fight, you kind of lose your way,” Clayman said. “You get angry, there’s an adrenaline [rush], things happen. It doesn’t mean you’re an evil person. It doesn’t mean you want to harm anyone.”

Clayman also said negotiations about Watson’s sentence have been informed by the testimony of a psychologist, who discussed how Watson abused anabolic steroids and had untreated mental health concerns. Watson, the attorney added, looks forward to filming the video required in the plea deal because he “wants to use his platform to help others.”

On Dec. 29, 2024, Watson was working out when Ibrahim approached him, according to police. Watson told investigators that Ibrahim wanted to fight; Ibrahim admitted that he traveled from New Jersey to confront Watson. Ibrahim was not charged in connection to the incident.

Before an argument ensued, Ibrahim, who set up his phone to record the interaction with Watson, pushed Watson, police say. Watson then removed his weight belt, and he and several other men hit and kicked Ibrahim until an employee intervened.

Almost a month later, on Jan. 24, 2025, Ibrahim provided a statement to Miami police. He said he sought out Watson to find out why he “went around fighting people.” He told police Watson struck and kicked him in the face multiple times, leading to him suffering a face fracture, a concussion and two black eyes.

“You have an alleged victim who sought somebody out because of his presence online…,” Clayman said. “It then turned into something else. I don’t think there was any dispute at the beginning of this that Wes was able to use force. The tricky part in this case is when does that force need to be… stopped. Perhaps, at this point, he went a bit too far.”

Ibrahim also sued Watson in March 2025; the lawsuit remains active, according to Miami-Dade court records. In the suit, Ibrahim alleges that he was lured to the gym under the pretense of a challenge and was ambushed by Watson, a co-owner of the gym and two other men. Watson, in a court filing, argued that Ibrahim “consented” to the encounter.

READ MORE: Miami YouTuber claims viral gym beatdown was ‘consensual,’ court filings show

However, in the criminal case, Watson claimed he acted in self-defense. In June, the judge rejected Watson’s bid to dismiss the charges under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law.

Watson remains in Metrowest Detention Center. His bond was revoked in March due to a slew of charges linked to a domestic violence incident in Broward. That case remains open, and Watson has pleaded not guilty.