AJ Ferrari
American wrestler (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AJ Ferrari (born July 24, 2001) is an American freestyle wrestler and folkstyle wrestler who has competed internationally at 92 kilograms and collegiately at 197 pounds and heavyweight.[2][3] He was previously signed by the WWE under its NIL (Next in Line) program. In freestyle, he claimed a bronze medal at the 2018 Cadet World Championships and was the 2020 U.S. junior national champion.[4][5]
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Ferrari in January 2025, competing for CSU-Bakersfield | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Albert James Ferrari | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Mr. Fast Twitch[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | July 24, 2001 Dallas, Texas, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 197 lb (Folkstyle) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wrestling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | Freestyle Folkstyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Oklahoma State University (2020–2021) Cal State Bakersfield (2024–2025) University of Nebraska (2025) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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In folkstyle, Ferrari was the top-ranked high school wrestler at the time of his commitment to Oklahoma State University, where he was an NCAA Division I national champion and Big 12 Conference champion in 2021.[6][7] In 2024, he committed to Cal State Bakersfield, where he was a Pac-12 champion and All-American, placing third at the NCAA Division I championships, before transferring to Nebraska.[8]
Amateur wrestling career
High school
Born and raised in Texas, Ferrari first attended Allen High School, where he became a two-time Texas state champion and claimed a Walsh Jesuit Ironman title, as well as a Cadet Fargo National Championship in freestyle wrestling.[9][10][11][12] In 2018, Ferrari claimed a Cadet World Championship bronze medal before he and his family moved to New Jersey, where he attended Blair Academy as the top-ranked 195-pounder in the country.[13][14]
While at Blair, he claimed a Beast of the East title by beating the second-ranked wrestler in the nation Jacob Cardenas (helping to the team title)[15] and another Ironman title (also helping to the team title).[16] He then transferred to Bergen Catholic High School,[17] where he was also dominant but not eligible to compete in the post-season, like in Blair.[17] After that, he moved back to Allen, Texas,[18] where his senior year was derailed by an ankle injury.[19] In 2020, Ferrari claimed the U.S. junior national championship in freestyle.[3]
College
In October 2019, Ferrari, the top recruit in the country, committed to Oklahoma State,[20] over Rutgers, Penn State, Nebraska, and Ohio State.[21]
2020–2021
During regular season, Ferrari compiled a 12–1 record, with his only loss to Noah Adams from West Virginia.[22] Entering the postseason, Ferrari ran through the bracket to claim his first Big 12 Conference title, the first true freshman to be named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament since 2005.[6] At the NCAAs, Ferrari, the fourth seed, won three matches to make the semifinals, notably defeating All-American Jacob Warner from Iowa and highly ranked Tanner Sloan before facing Olympian and Big Ten champion Myles Amine.[23] Ferrari soundly defeated the three-time All-American to advance to the final.[24] In the finale, he defeated Nino Bonaccorsi from Pittsburgh, becoming an NCAA champion as a true freshman, the third in Cowboys history.[25]
In April, Ferrari bumped up 17 pounds to make his senior freestyle debut at age 19, at the rescheduled US Olympic Team Trials in April 1–3 as the sixth seed at 97 kilograms, attempting to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[26][27] In the first round, he was defeated by 2018 NCAA champion Michael Macchiavello, and lost controversially to 2019 graduate Ben Honis in the consolation bracket.[28]
2021–2022
With an undefeated 10–0 record midway through the season,[citation needed] Ferrari and Oklahoma State cross country runner Isai Rodriguez were involved in a serious car accident where Ferrari's car was completely destroyed.[29] Ferrari was airlifted to OU Health in Oklahoma City for treatment for internal bleeding and fluid on his lungs.[30]Ferrari withdrew from the rest of the season because his injuries required surgery.[31]
Mixed martial arts career
Ferrari is preparing for a transition to mixed martial arts and has been training in various striking martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu alongside Rodolfo Vieira and Jorge Masvidal from American Top Team.[32]
Personal life
Ferrari is from Allen, Texas, and started wrestling after the family's move to Dallas.[33] Ferrari's family is Italian American.[34]
Criminal charges
On July 5, 2022, a woman filed for an emergency protective order against Ferrari, alleging he sexually assaulted her three days earlier in her home.[35] On July 14, Oklahoma State confirmed Ferrari had left its wrestling team.[36] An hour later, the Stillwater Police Department announced Ferrari was under investigation for sexual assault.[37] On August 3, 2022, Ferrari was charged with felony sexual battery in Payne County District Court. The case was dismissed on October 6, 2023, in Payne County District Court.[38][39]
