Why Was Former NCAA Wrestling Champion A.J. Ferrari Booted From Soldiers Salute?

The entire collegiate wrestling community is on its toes with one of the best collegiate wrestling tournaments Soldier Salute going on. This competition consists of some of the best wrestlers from all over the country. This is an annual tradition for recognizing and honoring America’s former and upcoming service members. However, this honorable competition faced an extremely unexpected instance. AJ Ferrari who is an American freestyle wrestler and former folkstyle wrestler had a roller-coaster experience.

This former NCAA Wrestling Champion secured the match-winning takedown in the finals of this competition. However, things did not end in the way it was supposed to be. He faced a blow and was disqualified from the tournament. 

AJ Ferrari’s disqualification from Soldier Salute event 

AJ Ferrari was off the competition for two years after securing the title of NCAA champion in 2021. After this break, he made his return to the Soldier Salute. This college competition did not turn out as he expected for himself. The initial play delivered by him was nothing but pure excellence but how the story unfolded after that was not expected by anyone.

He faced Zach Glazier on the opposite side of the ring. They faced a tie with 1-1 against each other in the third period. They had one minute and one second of riding time. Keeping this time in consideration, the victory would have been of AJ Ferrari, but the decision of sudden victory was made. The next move in the Soldier Salute after this changed the entire game. 

During the post-match confrontation, both of them exchanged shives and Ferrari swung it at Glazier and Glazier pointed to Ferrari. With this, Ferrari ended up showing a disrespectful gesture to his opponent and faced immediate disqualification. This became a major spot in the career of the 2021 NCAA champion.

The career of the 2021 NCAA Champion in wrestling 

AJ Ferrari was born and brought up in Texas and has just the ideal skills and passion for his performances while wrestling. He now competes internationally at 92 kilograms and in the college fields at 197 pounds. He has added multiple feathers to his hat with his stellar achievements. In the freestyle area, he nabbed a bronze medal from the 2018 Cadet World Championships and was the 2020 US Junior National Champion. 

Read more: Watch: Maryland Wrestling Star’s Jaw-Dropping Maneuver on NCAA Finalist, Earns a Well-Deserved Weekly Honor

In the folkstyle section, AJ Ferrari was the top-ranked high school wrestler during his commitment. He is a former NCAA Division 1 National Champion and Big 12 Conference Champion out of Oklahoma State University. Can Ferrari erase the spot from his career? 

Watch this story: 5 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT TOMMY FURY: PAUL VS. WOODLEY