Why Is AJ Ferrari Still Not Wrestling as a Hawkeye Despite Acceptance in University of Iowa?

The AJ Ferrari fiasco has been going on for a very long time. What started with AJ looking for a collegiate team to wrestle with has turned into a very complicated matter. While Ferrari wanted to join the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Soldier Salute incident created a lot of problems for him. The result? AJ is neither wrestling for Iowa, nor any other university.

Ever since AJ Ferrari flipped twin birdies at his opponent and the spectators, several things have transpired. However, it was recently revealed that the 197-pounder has been accepted into the University of Iowa. But, if that is the case, why isn’t he training under Tom Brands and wrestling with a black and gold singlet?

A student, but not a student-athlete

AJ Ferrari recently appeared for an online interview on the Clash of Combat Podcast. The 2021 NCAA champion spoke about what is really happening and what occurred before and after the Soldier Salute Tournament. Ferrari revealed that his college hunt was over since he had been accepted by the University of Iowa.

AJ Ferrari also mentioned that he has been accepted academically, and nothing about his contention as a Hawkeye wrestler has been discussed. However, he started his training with Iowa Athletics under the guidance of coach Tom Brands. Ferrari stated, “I had that official visit it went amazing. Coach Brands and me and all the other coaches hit it off great, and so as you guys saw, I wrestle in the tournament.”

According to AJ Ferrari, he had spoken with the coaches of Iowa. He had the green signal to resume his collegiate wrestling career, which was hanging in the air for a long time. However, after his bout with his future teammate Zach Glazier at the Soldier Salute, AJ lost his cool and engaged in a disrespectful gesture, resulting in a more ambiguous collegiate career hiatus. But what triggered him so much that he lost his cool?

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Why did AJ Ferrari lose his cool during Soldier Salute?

For Ferrari, things went downhill when the tournament kicked in. Pulling off the curtains from the nooks and crannies, the wrestler explained, “As the tournament went on, I just received a lot of hate, like a ton of hate than I’ve ever felt before.” During the match, Ferrari and Glazier were tied 1-1 in the third period, with Ferrari owning 1:01 of riding time. Glazier received a penalty point on a second stall call that forced overtime when Ferrari earned a riding time point. Ferrari scored what appeared to be a winning takedown with two seconds left in sudden victory-1.

However, as per Ferrari, amidst the match, Glazier came to him and said, “You’re a piece of cr*p,” and used some “explicit language.” Hence, in his defense, Ferrari “took five steps backwards” to retaliate and ended up showing the gesture that became the reason for his disqualification.

However, the 197-pounder has apologized for his behavior as well but remains in the dark about his future. While his acceptance into the University of Iowa is a good sign, will he get to wrestle as a Hawkeye as well?

Read More: AJ Ferrari Stuns Wrestling Community As He Trains in the Iowa Hawkeyes Gym After Big Soldiers Salute Controversy