AJ Ferrari’s comeback to the wrestling mat sparked a storm of excitement and, predictably, plenty of trash talk. However, his most anticipated showdown with Stanford’s Nick Stemmet brought the banter to new heights, capturing fans’ attention well before the match. Stemmet boldly challenged Ferrari on social media, poking fun at his previous controversies. 

Stemmet even suggested Ferrari abandon emojis and rename his Instagram handle if he lost. Such a verbal confrontation over the keyboards made fans’ anticipation go sky-high. As the season opener drew closer, wrestling fans were bracing for a fierce showdown. And the final showdown didn’t disappoint.

AJ Ferrari pins down trolls with a slam-dunk comeback after Stanford win

Last Friday night, AJ Ferrari did more than silence his critics. Ferrari extended his win streak to 22 straight matches with a decisive 5-0 victory over Nick Stemmet. Ferrari is not only ranked No. 1 by InterMat but also continues to remain in the top 5 across multiple polls. However, such a victory wasn’t just about rankings or stats for Ferrari. Rather, it was more of a strong statement directed toward his critics and trolls, proving that no amount of online chatter could shake his focus or deter his drive.

In a recent Instagram post from the official page of Cal State Bakersfield Wrestling, AJ Ferrari was congratulated for his magical victory. The caption of the post read, “No. 1 AJ Ferrari extended his winning streak to 22 straight matches, dating back to 2021, with a 5-0 decision over #18 Nick Stemmet! No. 21 Cal State Bakersfield went toe-to-toe with No. 12 Stanford on Friday night. Despite victories from Ferrari and Bakersfield native Jake Andrews, the ‘Runners came up short against the Cardinal.” In the same post, a wrestling enthusiast commented, “Damn, I thought he majored him before.” Reading such a take on the recent fight, Ferrari did not take much time to revert back. From his official Instagram account, @mrfastwitch Ferrari wrote, “This time I skunked him 🖐️to Nada 🤫.” His reply, emphasizing his 5-0 shutout over Stemmet, highlighted his pride in not just winning but leaving no room for his opponent to score.

The 23-year-old’s journey back to the mat has been far from easy. A true freshman champion at Oklahoma State in 2021, Ferrari’s momentum was interrupted by a season-ending car accident in 2022. However, he’s now finally back with a bang. And his win streak is picking up right where he left off. Ferrari’s return, highlighted by Friday’s 5-0 victory over Stemmet and a 22-6 tech fall against Utah Valley’s Kael Bennie, indeed underscores his commitment to staying at the top. 

Fans had anticipated some fireworks between Ferrari and Stemmet, but no one could have guessed how fierce the clash would get before the match even began. Stemmet’s pre-fight jabs were provocative, aiming to rattle Ferrari. Yet the shots only seemed to fuel his competitive fire. Cal State Bakersfield’s team didn’t prevail in their match against No. 12 Stanford. 

However, Ferrari’s individual performance proved to act as the silver lining. He showcased his unmatched wrestling prowess while his teammate, heavyweight wrestler Jake Andrews, posted an impressive 2-0 record, defeating opponents from Utah Valley and Stanford. For Ferrari, this win goes beyond the mats and rankings. While Ferrari handled the debates and discussions with his impeccable physical prowess, his brother Anthony Ferrari made sure to take a stand against naysayers and rivals and stood strong by his brother.

Ferrari’s brother takes stand to bash Nick Stemmet in a keyboard battle

Before the Stemmet vs. Ferrari fight, Nick took to his Instagram handle and fired shots at the Cal State wrestler. Going back to legal trouble that Ferrari faced back in 2022, Nick termed Ferrari “the corniest and hor*iest 197-pound wrestler of all time.” He even demanded that Ferrari change the name of his Instagram handle to ‘mrslowtwitch’ from ‘mrfasttwitch’ following his loss to Stemmet, which unfortunately did not come to fruition. Amid these claims of Stemmet and a wave of discussion in the comment, AJ’s brother Anthony made some bold comments.

Taking a stand for AJ Ferrari, his younger brother Anthony Ferrari reminded Nick of his last loss to AJ. Referring to his brother’s 16-3 win, Anthony wrote, “Didn’t he major you last time… was one takedown away from the tech?” Stemmet confidently replied to the comment and mentioned that he “wasn’t trying” to secure a win. The spat between the two continued and only increased the stakes even higher for the highly anticipated wrestling match. However, Ferrari did answer to all the trash talk with his victorious stride.