Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nickname | Mr. Fast Twitch [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | July 24, 2001||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 197 lb (Folkstyle) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Wrestling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | Freestyle Folkstyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College team | Cal State Bakersfield (2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Cowboy RTC (2020–2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coached by | John Smith (2020–2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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A.J. Ferrari (born July 24, 2001) is an American freestyle wrestler and folkstyle wrestler who competes internationally at 92 kilograms and collegiately at 197 pounds. [2] [3] He was previously signed by the WWE under its NIL (Next in Line) program. In freestyle, he claimed a bronze medal at the 2018 Cadet World Championships and was the 2020 US junior national champion. [4] [5]
In folkstyle, Ferrari is an NCAA Division I national champion and Big 12 Conference champion out of Oklahoma State University, and was the top-ranked high school wrestler at the time of his commitment. [6] [7] Ferrari left the OSU wrestling team after local police announced he was under investigation for sexual assault. [8] [9] On August 3, 2022, Ferrari was charged with felony sexual battery. [10] The case was dismissed on October 2023. [11]
Born and raised in Texas, Ferrari first attended Allen High School, where he became a two-time state champion and claimed a Walsh Jesuit Ironman title, as well as a Cadet Fargo National Championship in freestyle wrestling. [12] [13] [14] [15] In 2018, Ferrari claimed a Cadet World Championship bronze medal before he and his family moved to New Jersey, where he attended Blair Academy as the top-ranked 195-pounder in the country. [16] [17] While in Blair, he claimed a Beast of the East title by beating the second-ranked wrestler in the nation Jacob Cardenas (helping to the team title) [18] and another Ironman title (also helping to the team title). [19] He then transferred to Bergen Catholic High School, [20] where he was also dominant but not eligible to compete in the post-season, like in Blair. [20] After that, he moved back to Allen, Texas, [21] where his senior year was derailed by an ankle injury. [22] In 2020, Ferrari claimed the US Junior National Championship in freestyle. [3]
In October 2019, Ferrari, the top-recruit in the country, committed to Oklahoma State University, [23] over Rutgers, Penn State, Nebraska and Ohio State. [24]
During regular season, Ferrari compiled a 12–1 record, with his only loss being handed to him by the highly ranked Noah Adams from West Virginia. [25] Entering the post-season, Ferrari ran through the bracket to claim his first Big 12 Conference title, becoming the first true freshman to be named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament since 2005. [6] At the NCAAs, Ferrari, the fourth seed, clinched three matches to make the semifinals, notably defeating All-American Jacob Warner from Iowa and highly–ranked Tanner Sloan, before facing the Olympian and B1G Champion Myles Amine. [26] Ferrari was able to prove himself by soundly defeating the highly skilled three-time All-American on points to advance to the finals, taking out the top–seed. [27] In the finale, he defeated Nino Bonaccorsi from Pittsburgh, becoming an NCAA champion as a true freshman, the third in the Cowboys' history. [28]
In April, Ferrari bumped up 17 pounds to make his senior freestyle debut at age 19, at the rescheduled US Olympic Team Trials in April 1–3 as the sixth seed at 97 kilograms, in an attempt to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics. [29] [30] In the first round, he was defeated by 2018 NCAA champion Michael Macchiavello, and lost controversially to 2019 graduate Ben Honis in the consolation bracket. [31]
With an undefeated 10–0 record midway through the season,[ citation needed ] Ferrari and Oklahoma State cross country runner Isai Rodriguez were involved in a serious car accident where Ferrari's car was completely destroyed. [32] Ferrari was airlifted to OU Health in Oklahoma City for treatment for internal bleeding and fluid on his lungs. [33] Ferrari withdrew from the rest of the season since his injuries required surgery. [34]
Ferrari is preparing for a transition to mixed martial arts and has been training in various striking martial arts, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu alongside Rodolfo Vieira and Jorge Masvidal from American Top Team. [35]
Ferrari is from Allen, Texas, and he started wrestling after the family's move to Dallas. [36] Ferrari's family are Italian Americans. [37]
On July 5, 2022, a woman filed for an emergency protective order against Ferrari, alleging he sexually assaulted her on July 2 in her home. [10] On July 14, Oklahoma State University confirmed Ferrari had left their wrestling team. [8] An hour later, the Stillwater Police Department announced Ferrari was under investigation for sexual assault. [9] On August 3, 2022, Ferrari was charged with felony sexual battery in Payne County District Court. The case was dismissed on October 6, 2023, in Payne County District Court." [38] [39]
Oklahoma State University is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act. Originally known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, it is the flagship institution of the Oklahoma State University System that enrolls more than 34,000 students across its five institutions with an annual budget of $1.69 billion for fiscal year 2024. As of Fall 2023, 26,008 students are enrolled at the university. OSU is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". According to the National Science Foundation, OSU spent $226.5 million on research and development in 2023.
Pat Smith is a former folkstyle and freestyle wrestler. He competed collegiately at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and later served as an assistant coach at OSU. During his collegiate wrestling career, Smith became the first four-time NCAA Division I champion in the sport's history. His older brother is John Smith, who was a two-time NCAA champion, six-time gold medalist at the World and Olympic levels, and former head wrestling coach at Oklahoma State.
John William Smith is an American folkstyle and freestyle wrestler and coach. Smith was a two-time NCAA Division I national champion, and a six-time world level champion with two Olympic Championships and four World Wrestling Championships. Smith is the only American wrestler ever to win six consecutive World and Olympic championships as a competitor. At the end of his competitive career, Smith had won more World and Olympic gold medals in wrestling than any other American. Smith was widely known for his low single leg takedown, and is considered one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers of all time.
The Bedlam Series is the name given to the Oklahoma–Oklahoma State rivalry. It refers to the athletics rivalry between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and Cowgirls of the Big 12 Conference and the University of Oklahoma Sooners of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Both schools were also members of the Big Eight Conference before the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996, and both were divisional rivals in the Big 12 South Division prior to 2011. Since Bedlam began in 1900, 40 years of the rivalry's games were played without the teams playing in the same conference. The rivalry concluded as an annual conference matchup for football following the 2023–24 NCAA Division I FBS season, after which Oklahoma joined the SEC; while scheduling issues preclude the resumption of the Bedlam Series for football until the 2031 season, the Series will continue for basketball as a non-conference game for the 2024–25 season.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University, located in Stillwater. The program's mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Big 12 Conference. The university's current athletic director is Chad Weiberg, who replaced the retiring Mike Holder on July 1, 2021. Oklahoma State has won 55 national championships, including 53 NCAA team national titles, which ranks sixth in most NCAA team national championships. These national titles have come in wrestling (34), golf (11), cross country (5), basketball (2), and baseball (1), and the Cowboys also claim non-NCAA national titles in football (1) and equestrian (1). In addition, Oklahoma State athletes have won 183 individual national titles.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his 20th year as head coach. Oklahoma State plays its home games at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling team is the most successful NCAA Division I athletic program of all time in any sport. As of 2023-24, Oklahoma State wrestling has won 34 team national championships, 143 individual NCAA championships, and 488 All-American honors. The all-time dual record for the program is 1185-140-23.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team represents Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. All women's teams at the school are known as Cowgirls. The Cowboys currently compete in the Big 12 Conference.
Douglas Morlan Blubaugh was an American wrestler and Olympic Champion. He competed at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where he became the freestyle Olympic Gold Medalist at welterweight, defeating the legendary 1956 Olympic Champion and 3-time World Champion Iranian Wrestler Emam-Ali Habibi.
Yojiro Uetake is a Japanese wrestler and two-time Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling. He went undefeated for the entirety of his college career, winning three consecutive NCAA Championships. Uetake was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma as a Distinguished Member in 1980. In 2005, he was inducted into the FILA Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
The 1945 Oklahoma A&M Cowboys football team represented Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1945 college football season. The team was led by seventh-year head coach Jim Lookabaugh and played its home games at Lewis Field in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma A&M was awarded a retroactive national championship and The Coaches' Trophy by the AFCA after compiling a 9–0 record, winning the Missouri Valley championship, defeating Saint Mary's in the 1946 Sugar Bowl, and being ranked No. 5 in the final AP Poll. In addition, the Aggies also outscored all opponents by a combined total of 285 to 76. The 1945 season remains the only undefeated season in school history.
Eric Guerrero is a retired amateur American freestyle wrestler, who competed in the men's lightweight category. He won three consecutive NCAA (1997–1999) and four U.S. Open titles (2001–2004), scored two medals in the 58 and 60-kg division at the Pan American Games, and represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Dean Heil is a former folkstyle wrestler from Brunswick, Ohio. Heil wrestled collegiately at Oklahoma State, where he was a three-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion.
Daton Duain Fix is an American freestyle and former folkstyle wrestler who competes at 61 kilograms. In freestyle, Fix is most notably a World Championship runner-up and U20 World champion, a Pan American Games gold medalist and a US National champion.
Thomas Patrick Gilman is an American retired freestyle wrestler and folkstyle wrestler who competed at 57 kilograms. A Summer Olympic medalist and World champion in 2021, Gilman was most notably also a three-time World Championship medalist. Out of the University of Iowa, he was a three-time NCAA Division I All-American.
Nicholas Piccininni is an American professional mixed martial artist and graduated folkstyle wrestler who currently competes in the flyweight division. As a wrestler, Piccininni became a three–time NCAA Division I All-American and a four–time Big 12 Conference champion out of the Oklahoma State University for John Smith.
Kyle Crutchmer is an American professional mixed martial artist, freestyle wrestler and graduated collegiate wrestler. He currently competes in the welterweight division of Bellator MMA. As a folkstyle wrestler, he was a two-time NCAA All-American and two-time Big 12 champion.
Jordan Michael Oliver is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter and former freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes in the featherweight division of Bellator MMA.
Myles Najee Martin is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 86 kilograms. In freestyle, he placed second at the '19 US National Championships and is a two-time US U23 National Champion. As a folkstyle wrestler, he was an NCAA Division I National champion, a four-time All-American and a Big Ten Conference champion out of the Ohio State University.
Harold DeMarsh was an American folkstyle wrestler. He was the first wrestler to become an NCAA wrestling champion. DeMarsh competed at the 115-pound weight class and won the first NCAA individual wrestling title at the 1928 NCAA Wrestling Championships.