Despite his immense success on the mat, AJ Ferrari has often been a subject of criticism from the fans. The 2021 NCAA champion had a lengthy absence following a controversial case in 2022 and faced the heat from the fans over his age and his potential comeback this year. Nonetheless, after a two-year break, AJ Ferrari decided to return back to the action at the NWCA National Duels. With what can only be described as a positive, dominant comeback, Ferrari hit back at his haters over his criticism.

In what was a highlight performance at the NWCA National Duels, Ferrari got the better of Northern Colorado player Andrew Donahue by a scoreline of 17-4. With all the eyes being on Ferrari, he delivered a masterclass to make a successful return on his comeback. Recently, he was involved in a conversation with FloWrestling during which he opened up about how he dealt with criticism from his haters.

Ferrari said, “I said I’m a winner. I think everybody knows that the biggest thing for me is like the second match, the first match, hands in the face fans saying stuff, I kept getting my composure. Composure has really been key controlled aggression, not giving in to the all the nonsense here, whatever, I got a lot of love today, but I did get some hate, too; some people said some stuff to me, you know, but I kept my composure, and I’ve grown as a person.”

Recently, Ferrari bagged the Pac-12 title, defeating Stephen Little 2-0 to move 16-0 in his comeback season. The 23-year-old is showing glimpses of his best form and proving one and all wrong with his mighty performances on the mat.  While Ferrari has been dominating on the mat, he turned to a noble act recently.

AJ Ferrari gives back to wrestling

As the battle for the NCAA Championships heats up, AJ Ferrari took some time off his hectic training schedule to light up the day for young wrestling fans and potential stars of the future. Over the weekend, he attended the So Cal Hammers program, which is a program for youth wrestling in California. Ferrari shared some useful knowledge, tips, and tricks for budding wrestlers to succeed.

Sharing a heartwarming note, the program’s Instagram page shared a tribute to Ferrari, writing, “Thanks to A.J Ferrari for coming out n giving back to the youth. We’ll be seeing you soon fo sho.  Good luck in the post-season. Go get that Natty Title!” Additionally, Jacob Longcrier also attended the program along with Ferrari, making it a truly remarkable session for the young wrestlers.

Despite failing to end the season at the top of the NCAA Wrestling rankings, Ferrari continues to be a force to reckon with in the wrestling world. While this was just his comeback season, Ferrari will surely have his sights on the events to come up in the near future.