The NCAA college wrestling season has kicked off for quite a while, and many young wrestlers are making their mark in the sport. It has also seen the return of one of the biggest talents in the sport, AJ Ferrari, who has made a comeback after skipping a few seasons. His return was grand, and he was also able to put up a great opening performance, achieving a 5-0 victory over Stanford wrestler Nick Stemmet.

However, Ferrari skipping the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas created ripples in the community. The critics got a chance to hate on the wrestler, but recently, he has been scheduled to compete against Michigan State in the upcoming match of Cal State Bakersfield.

Ferrari is back on the mat

First of all, why did AJ Ferrari not compete at the event in Las Vegas? As per sources, he suffered an injury for which he had to sit down to recover and focus on the future. However, just not attending the Cliff Keen Invitational was enough to make many in the community question his future in the sport. Surely, he doesn’t carry the charm he had during the 2021 season when he secured his NCAA title with the Cowboys, but he hasn’t forgotten the potential he has in him.

But why did it trigger a controversy? The Cliff Keen Invitational is widely regarded as one of the most challenging events during the college wrestling season. Therefore, it provides an excellent opportunity to observe emerging wrestlers in the sport who can withstand significant pressure. It’s not that he didn’t want to attend the event, but his injury prevented him from doing so. However, as seen on Kingpin Combat Management Group’s official Instagram, the wrestler will be returning to the mat when his team faces Michigan State.

The opponent of Cal State is currently on a roll, having won 2-0 in dual meets this season, including victories over American (20-12) and Ohio (22-19). However, for Ferrari’s team, their record stands at 0-2, a result of losses to Utah Valley (25-15) and Stanford (29-12). So, it will be a perfect opportunity for the wrestler to showcase his potential and get a most important win for his team.

As always, Ferrari will be taking up the 197 spot and might face Michigan State’s Remy Cotton, who’s also one of the opponents to watch out for. Returning from injury, the 23-year-old’s comeback won’t be easy, but as evidenced by one of his training videos on social media, he hasn’t backed down from a fight.

AJ Ferrari is not stopping for critics

Whatever an athlete does, they are bound to encounter some form of hate from the community. AJ Ferrari has also been a constant topic of discussion due to his return to the NCAA. After missing out on the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas, which caused rumors to spread like wildfire, the 23-year-old knew he had to do something to silence his critics for a while.

Taking to Instagram, the Cat State wrestler uploaded a video where he claimed to achieve his new gym PR in deadlift. He was able to easily lift 605 lbs, and that too for five mega reps. This was no easy feat, but the way he was roaring with aggression demonstrated how the criticism had impacted him. He was determined not to allow anyone to ridicule his career, and these criticisms served as a source of motivation to surpass his current limits. Apart from the gym PR, the community will now be awaiting his performance against Michigan State, as it would provide many intriguing details on the future of the one-time NCAA champion.