The NCAA college wrestling season came in hot, with many young wrestlers proving their mettle on the mat. Yet, one particular wrestler had been away from the limelight. Who are we talking about? AJ Ferrari, of course! The 23-year-old spent three years off the mat, waiting for a moment to settle the score when it mattered. He made a triumphant comeback against Stanford’s Nick Stemmet. How did he do after his time away, you ask? 

The Roadrunner achieved a 5-0 victory over Stemmet and bagged the No. 1 ranking. The wrestler might have been off the mat for a while, but this proved he has what it takes. In fact, with this victory, the 23-year-old continued to enjoy the 22-match streak he established in 2021. On the other hand, he momentarily had to skip out on a competition last week. But that didn’t stop him from dominating the mat again recently. What really went down?

AJ Ferrari crushes his competition effortlessly

On December 15, Icardo Center prepared for a rousing battle between Cal State Bakersfield and Michigan State. This was the first CSUB home duel for AJ Ferrari, and it’s almost like he never left. The former national champion locked horns with No. 27 Remy Cotton and defeated him 14-4! BaschAMania’s Justin Basch shared a snippet of his dominant form on the mat, captioned, “AJ Ferrari back on the mat in Cali today.” How did the 23-year-old feel about his victory? 

The wrestler was understandably hyped and exclaimed that they earned this win. In fact, he confidently promised that Cal State Bakersfield would soon emerge as a top-three team. The squad pulled off an exciting win over their Big Ten rival by 21-14. Things momentarily looked promising for Michigan when the score was 18-14. However, in the final match, 165-pounder Guillermo Escobedo beat Jay Nivison 2-1, ending their home duel on a high note.

The CSUB head coach, Luke Smith, couldn’t have been happier and believed the Bakersfield grit paid off. Yet, he exclaimed how having AJ Ferrari on the team has been good. Not only is the wrestler a great leader, but he’s also very disciplined. Smith stated that the 23-year-old will only get better as the season goes on. Last week, Ferrari couldn’t compete at the Cliff Keen Invitational, causing quite a stir in the wrestling community.

Why is that, you ask? The former NCAA champion had suffered an injury and decided to step away to recover and recuperate for future bouts. Given how the Invitational is regarded as one of the most challenging events during the season, many were quick to point out that he didn’t have the fire in him anymore. But, if he hadn’t suffered from the injury, the 23-year-old would’ve confidently stepped on the mat. Even though he clinched an essential win for his team, fans weren’t too impressed by his dominant performance. What did the fans have to say?

Wrestling fans pull out the pitchforks and torches

Even though the 23-year-old was dealing with an injury, he didn’t want to let this time go to waste. So, what did the wrestler do? Instead, he took the opportunity to prepare for the upcoming battle with Michigan. Ferrari stepped into the gym to maintain his form and set a new PR on the barbell conventional deadlift. While he hoped this would shut down the naysayers, his return only added more fuel to the fire. 

One fan let out his frustration, “@InterMat Okay …. I can’t hold my tongue anymore. How is AJ Ferrari still number 1 and why is Figs ahead of Spratley?” Despite being away from the mat, the wrestler has clawed his way back to the #1 position in the 197-pound category. Another fan added, “Josh Barr will beat AJ Ferrari at NCAA’s if they meet.” By the looks of it, these fans aren’t too happy about the wrestler’s return. 

Given how AJ Ferrari won his first NCAA individual title at 197 pounds in 2020-21, Intermat ranked the wrestler as #1. However, many fans would argue that since then, he hasn’t showcased any promise because he missed the last three NCAA tournaments. On the other hand, if he does cross paths with Penn State’s Josh Barr, the wrestler wouldn’t be able to defeat him as easily. Why’s that? The Nittany Lion currently sits at 4-0 in the season with two majors, making him a difficult opponent to beat.

A fan exclaimed, “🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️this woman ab*ser will get folded like a cheap lawn chair before the season is over.” The 23-year-old has dealt with numerous legal issues in the past and was subsequently dismissed from OSU. Another was puzzled, “this dude is still wrestling? I thought he was off the team” Remember how we said the wrestler missed a few years off the mat? This fan probably thought it was for good. One fan added, “Imagine giving this pos r*pist the opportunity to wrestle at your school and then post him proudly on your socials. Nasty work!” No one is happy about his return to the mat. Why’s that? 

Back in 2022, the then NCAA champion was a suspect in an incident, according to the Stillwater Police Department. The Criminal Investigation Unit promptly investigated the case. However, the 23-year-old’s attorney stated that the allegations weren’t true. But after 15 months, the charges against him were promptly dropped in 2023. The CSUB’s recent win came after nearly 700 days, the last being on January 22, 2023. So, the team thought this was cause for celebrations, but fans thought otherwise. What about you? Do you agree with them?