“Yeah, I can get a crack at 197 (lbs) too. I don’t mind.” Carter Starocci told FloWrestling during the U.S. Olympic Trials in April. However, no one would’ve guessed how this almost throwaway statement would lead to what fans are calling one of the greatest beef in NCAA wrestling history. That’s because the former 197 lbs king AJ Ferrari isn’t ready to give up his crown just yet.

While the war of words between the two 23-year-old NCAA stars has gone nuclear in the past few days, things didn’t start this way. In fact, the exchange between the two wrestlers started with a show of respect from AJ Ferrari’s side. After Starocci expressed about possibly taking a crack at a higher weight class, FloWrestling’s Christian Pyles discussed how Starocci could face Ferrari!

The genesis of AJ Ferrari vs. Carter Starocci

Penn State’s wrestling star Carter Starocci has ruled over the 174 lbs division for the last four years. However, he is on the cusp of making history, as the 2020 pandemic gave the wrestler an entire year to become an unprecedented five-time NCAA champion. Meanwhile, the 197 lbs phenom AJ Ferrari, who captured the NCAA title in 2021, is making his much-awaited return to wrestling.

So when Christian Pyles expressed that Starocci could challenge the former Oklahoma State freshman, guest Chael Sonnen sounded elated. The former UFC middleweight immediately called and instructed Siri to dial Starocci’s number. Unfortunately, Sonnen didn’t get an answer because Starocci was at practice. However, the ‘Bad Guy’ wouldn’t leave the show without an answer, so he dialed AJ Ferrari’s number.

Fortunately, the 23-year-old picked up and heard what the former NCAA Division 1 wrestler Chael Sonnen had to say. In what might seem like a surprising response now, Ferrari had nothing but respect for his 174 lbs counterpart, Carter Starocci. “He’s a big kid, he’s tough. He’s one of the best wrestlers ever. I have a lot of respect for him. You know? At the end of the day, he’s a great opponent. I would love to wrestle him,” said the Texan.

However, Ferrari hammered home how much respect he had for the four-time NCAA champion. “I respect Carter Starocci a lot he’s one of the best ever. And it was, it would be an honor to wrestle him at 197 lbs… That would be an amazing dual setting. That would be awesome. Thousands of people. And nothing but respect for Starocci,” repeated Ferrari.

So it was a massive surprise when the Cadet World Championships changed his tune three months later. “Mr. Fast Twitch is preparing a comeback to take back his throne,” the former Oklahoma State wrestler wrote on Instagram on September 4. However, what caught people’s attention wasn’t the drills the 197 lbs wrestler was performing in the clip.

“There’s a lot of talk about some little punk kid Carter Starocci bumping up. A safe recommendation for Carter is to stay down at 174 or 184 pounds – don’t come up to 197 pounds – you can’t handle this horsepower,” wrote AJ Ferrari, directly calling out her fellow freestyle wrestler. Why did Ferrari switch from respecting his peers to putting him down? The now-Cal State Bakersfield athlete didn’t elaborate. However, Starocci wasn’t going to let it slide!

Starocci’s explosive statement ignites the stakes

The Nittany Lions Wrestling Club member Carter Starocci’s response was swift and brutal. If AJ Ferrari had wanted to warn the four-time NCAA champion to not stay in his lane, Starocci wasn’t listening. In fact, the Penn State star was about to take things to a personal level. On September 10, the 23-year-old took to Instagram to post a series of images and a lengthy response.

Starocci uploaded stills of himself from Paris, as well as his training sessions, which also included photographs of him honing his striking. “Been focused on training, recovery, and business recently, but here we are again….” said the U23 World Championship bronze medalist. He wasted no time taking direct shots at AJ Ferrari.

Starocci called the 197 lbs wrestler a “has been” and spoke about adding him to his “collection” of defeated opponents like a trophy. However, this was only the beginning, as Carter Starocci went beyond disrespecting his opponent’s skills. The Erie, Pennsylvania native called AJ Ferrari “broke, desperate,” among other things, and even made an edited image, which he later deleted.

The deleted image contained a ‘certificate’ from “University of Nobody Wants You” possibly taking a jibe at AJ Ferrari leaving Oklahoma. The image also contained a list of far more egregious insults that had nothing to do with Mr. Fast Twitch’s wrestling ability. And thus continued the ever-escalating war of words.

A possible matchup and rivalry beyond the wrestling ring?

Yesterday, September 11, AJ Ferrari once again took to Instagram. He aimed to respond to the disrespect Starocci had dissed out and also to address the “Winner takes all” challenge. “Winner takes the entire match purse. On top of that, we each put up 300k,” the NLWC star wrote, challenging Ferrari to a 190 lbs catch-weight super fight.

“Carter, I haven’t touched 190lbs since high school,” said the former NCAA champion. AJ Ferrari understood that doing down to 190 lbs would put him at a significant disadvantage. The 23-year-old would lose strength and stamina, while the Starocci would gain both weight and strength. Hence, the California State athlete didn’t agree to the unrealistic terms.

Instead, the AJ Ferrari turned the statement on its head. “At least you finally admitted it – you can’t handle this Italian 🇮🇹 horsepower at 197 pounds in wrestling,” wrote the former champion. However, there is a world where a 190 lbs AJ Ferrari goes up against a 190 lbs Carter Starocci. Knowing Starocci’s desire to move to MMA after college wrestling, Ferrari issued a different challenge.

“I’ll fight you in MMA, down at 190lbs (so you don’t cry and have built-in excuses) any day of the week – anytime – anywhere,” wrote the Dallas, Texas native. It seems that what started as a respectful acknowledgment of one another’s skills has now transformed into a rivalry that may transcend the sport. However, it’s safe to assume that it was Carter Starocci who crossed the line first. Yet, after the whole rundown, who do you think took the wrestling beef to the next level? Write your thoughts in the comments below!