The footage was released after Watson pleaded guilty to aggravated battery.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Newly released surveillance and body camera video show the moments around a December 2024 gym beating involving fitness influencer Wes Watson, who has pleaded guilty in the case.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office released the footage Wednesday, days after Watson, 42, admitted to aggravated battery in court. The video gives a clearer public view of evidence in the case, which began after a confrontation at Elevation Fitness on North Miami Avenue and is now moving toward sentencing.
Surveillance video from inside the gym showed Watson striking the other man with a weightlifting belt. Investigators said the fight began after the man approached Watson during a workout. A report said the man had set up his phone to record the interaction before he pushed Watson, who then removed the belt and used it during the fight.
The video appeared to show other men hitting and kicking the man while he was on the ground. Investigators said Watson continued punching and kicking him until a gym employee intervened. The man suffered a fractured face, a concussion and two black eyes. His attorneys said the injuries also included damage to his teeth and jaw.
Body camera video showed Watson talking with officers after the beating. Watson told police he had been attacked and was angry that he was being treated as if he were in trouble. Defense attorney Eric Clayman later told the court the circumstances were unusual because the man allegedly sought Watson out because of his social media presence.
Watson has built a large online following with fitness, discipline and prison-to-success content. The Miami-Dade case drew wider attention because the fight happened in a public gym and because the video became part of the criminal case. Prosecutors agreed to recommend 21 months in prison, credit for time served, seven years of probation and mental health treatment.
The case is not over. Watson is due back in Miami-Dade court July 27 for sentencing, while unrelated criminal cases in Broward County remain pending.
Author note: Last updated July 9, 2026.