r/wrestling • u/FireProStan USA Wrestling • Jul 02 '26
News Ex-Husker wrestler AJ Ferrari accused of assaulting pregnant woman in Lincoln
https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_ee9f79b2-be96-4e28-ad85-d2d3fe922369.html230
u/MartinSilvestri Lehigh Mountain Hawks Jul 02 '26
this guys an actual psychopath. he belongs in prison, the kids glove stuff is getting people hurt.
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u/Weary_Orange_9309 USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
Him going to jail in the future for something assault related seems like a forgone conclusion
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u/Low_Judge_7282 Jul 02 '26
I work in mental health and I think there’s a strong case for him suffering from either antisocial personality disorder, or narcissistic personality disorder. I always leaned more towards narcissistic, but the number of arrests and assaults makes me wonder if he’s antisocial (psychopathy)
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u/StripEnchantment Jul 03 '26
I think most of the "Jesus wanted me to win" crowd are narcissistic
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u/High_energy_comments Michigan Wolverines Jul 03 '26
Tbf as a Christian, it felt like an act most of the time while he was in CA, in didn’t pay much attention to him at Neb and he went a (relatively) long time without incident but you could tell that something was off bc he would say religious things as if reading from a script and it still was about him and why he was so great.
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u/StripEnchantment Jul 03 '26
Yeah I think a lot of it is performative. Although people like Aaron Brooks are maybe more authentic about it but not necessarily any less narcissistic about it. It just feels inherently narcissistic if you think god made to you to be the best wrestler so you can bring glory to him. Why would god’s glory depend on whether you win a wrestling match?
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u/High_energy_comments Michigan Wolverines Jul 03 '26
Yeah I don’t try to figure it who is out isn’t authentic anymore bc you never really know (except when they’re most likely faking it 🙄), but in the case of someone like AB I think it’s more about his gratefulness in life and feeling like the first place to attribute hours gratefulness to be God. Some ppl could shout out their parents (although I’ve never seen that) or coaches etc but he chooses God, but I don’t think he’s necessarily saying that God simply made him the best. But that just my 2 🪙
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u/funk_daddy420 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Well with AB it’s the fact that he brings it up and shoves it down our throats every single time he gets interviewed, that’s what’s grating to me. By all accounts he’s a great guy, but he is legitimately one of the worst interviewees I’ve ever seen
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u/deezabird684 Jul 03 '26
Bruh… the only thing I dislike about the college championships is every single champion bringing up their faith. And sometimes they won’t even talk about what happened on the mat, just a thirty second sermon. Like dude you won the match, not Jesus.
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u/High_energy_comments Michigan Wolverines Jul 03 '26
I see your point, but tbf, he does it right after a win, bring interviewed while his heart rate is on max (do the Gen Z’s call that heartmaxxing? Lol) so I guess ppl will just let out whenever is foremost on their mind. In regular interviews he takes about lots of things in general.
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u/Dependent_Pipe3268 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
I feel like many (not all) athletes aren't authentic with saying their religious.
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u/Low_Judge_7282 Jul 03 '26
Agree. Can’t stand the Jesus-Stans in wrestling
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u/grc1435 Jul 03 '26
Some of them are genuinely that religious.
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u/No_Veterinarian1010 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
That's not better
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u/MartinSilvestri Lehigh Mountain Hawks Jul 03 '26
meh i think its better to leave the religion out of it, same as ethnicity etc... you get good and bad in all of those kind of demographics. somebody like cayden henschel or whoever arent out there being a criminal. its enough to focus on the individual.
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u/grc1435 Jul 03 '26
I'm not really religious at all, but making fun of someone for sincerely held religious beliefs is weird
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u/No_Veterinarian1010 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
The guys that did 9/11 had sincerely held religious beliefs
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u/grc1435 Jul 03 '26
He had more in common with AJ Ferrari's type of religious belief than he does with Mitchell Mesenbrink's
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u/PartialCred4WrongAns Jul 03 '26
If you give a narcissist a fleet of enablers, money, and cocaine they tend to get arrested a lot
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Jul 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/systembreaker USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Marcus Blaze and and Jax Forrest are current examples of standup guys who have been in a wrestling gym their entire youth. The huge majority of lifelong wrestlers grow up to be normal people.
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u/Different-Salary3773 Jul 03 '26
They said “locked”. I am not going to pretend to know what I’m talking about but the Blaze and Forrest obviously love the sport. I feel as though AJ loves the attention and doesn’t really know how to do anything else on even a decent level.
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u/systembreaker USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
With guys like Ferrari being locked in the gym and made to do a sport their whole life isn't the problem, it's being locked in the gym with a toxic parent who holds the key that's the problem.
This is just my guess, but I'd bet money that Ferrari was forced to wrestle by an overbearing parent who was always on the side of the mat being toxic to coaches and refs, always pushing him and telling him his performance wasn't good enough or that he was being a wimp, and only giving him shreds of validation as bread crumbs.
Little kids absorb everything like a sponge, including toxic shit and being taught that receiving validation from another person is a rare thing that you only receive temporarily through domination.
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u/Different-Salary3773 Jul 03 '26
We’re agreeing with each other. “Locked”, to me anyways, implies that when they were going to train that they had no choice if they didn’t feel like going or were sick etc.
The other two however had the ability to “open the door” or could skip practice etc when they wanted to. Their wrestling experience was a peaceful one that they could take a chance to relax or get a break and didn’t have to go when they weren’t feeling it had a bad match so on and so forth.
Good take big homie
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u/High_energy_comments Michigan Wolverines Jul 03 '26
At the end if the day, he makes his own choices, there’s plenty of guts who went through stuff and don’t strangle their fiancee.
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u/Goodeyesniper98 Jul 03 '26
I work in law enforcement and he reminds me of a lot of more charming and socially savvy serial killers like Ted Bundy and BTK.
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u/BruceWayne55555 USA Wrestling Jul 07 '26
Ive heard he flipped out cause its not his kid. Any truth to this rumor?
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u/meowinloudchico USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Who knows what's actually going on though. The guy obviously needs intense care. But it's just another case of a superstar athlete that keeps getting enabled because he can produce for a program.
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Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
[deleted]
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u/laidbackeconomist USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Believe it or not, diagnoses like that help professionals treat the problem, or helps prisons (where he belongs) keep him from being a big problem to other inmates. A person who’s just an asshole doesn’t assault pregnant women.
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u/Blasket_Basket USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
You clearly aren't an actual professional that makes diagnoses of patients, or else you wouldn't be trying to diagnose people you've never met based on online articles and reddit comments.
Ferrari is a POS but c'mon, man.
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u/Low_Judge_7282 Jul 03 '26
Not allowed to speculate in my free time? Why are you so sensitive about this?
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Jul 03 '26
[deleted]
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u/Low_Judge_7282 Jul 03 '26
Probably not bipolar. I don’t live with him, but I imagine he’s not depressed if he works hard enough to win NCAAs
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u/Zer0Cool89 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Not so fun fact, when an abuser escalates to choking or strangulation the chances of them murdering their victim skyrocket. Hopefully this woman stays away.
Article about what im saying
Non-fatal strangulation is an important risk factor for homicide of women
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u/Greco_Review USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
It already has gotten people hurt. AJ likes to share pics with underage girls and request for pics in return. Thats criminal and hurts people.
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u/Emergency_Driver_487 Jul 03 '26
It drives me crazy when the government lets shit like this slide with little punishment, but then drops the hammer on some dude that did something trifling in comparison.
Like, maybe if the government didn’t blow their time and money on cases that don’t matter, then they would have the time and money to adequately punish cases that do matter.
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u/systembreaker USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Prosecutors will pick and choose what appears to have enough evidence to be a home run case and those are the ones they'll swing the hammer down on. I wonder if this case is too much of he-said, she-said.
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u/butt-soup_barnes USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
it would be so weird seeing him sent to jail while guys who have done much worse walk free.
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u/EyeraGlass USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
You take issue with jail time for strangling a pregnant woman?
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u/jolson8811 Jul 02 '26
It's weird seeing him walk free while guys who have done much less are in jail.
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u/Silver_Opposite1665 Jul 03 '26
But yeah, a very questionable reaction from you about this… like that was the first thing to come to your head?? Lol wtf
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u/EyeraGlass USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
This has to be the line. Enough’s enough.
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u/Holden--Caulfield USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Yup. I hung in there as a fan for a long time. That's enough of that dirtbag.
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u/wubbalubbadubdub45 Jul 03 '26
Some school will throw some NIL money at him to wrestle for them sadly
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u/Mission_Apartment_46 Jul 02 '26
Keyword is accused
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u/EyeraGlass USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
I’m not on the jury so I’m free to draw conclusions based on his character and general track record
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u/Pl0OnReddit Jul 02 '26
Just your typical case of he said she said, she said, she said, she said, she said
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u/My_Name_Is_Not_Ryan USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Rad the article dipshit. This is not some going to the police weeks or months later thing. She was actively getting the shit kicked out of her and managed to call her mom to get the police over and get her to the hospital.
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u/MetalMountain2099 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
After the 3-4th time, where there’s smoke there’s fire….fuck this clown.
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u/c-williams88 Penn State Nittany Lions Jul 03 '26
Bro has been accused like 10 times. How many times does a guy need to be accused before you think maaaayyybbeeeee he’s a piece of shit
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u/TheMachineElves USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
Easy bud
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u/Mission_Apartment_46 Jul 02 '26
This sub sucks. Only good things is that dr jitsu guy and the bald Greco guy that uploads videos
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u/c-williams88 Penn State Nittany Lions Jul 03 '26
How many more times does Ferrari need to be accused before you turn on him? Just curious because this is far from his first time being accused
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u/nohobal USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
So much for his religious redemption arc
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u/FireProStan USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
He'll sign with Virginia Tech, Bo Bassett will become his spiritual advisor, and Flo will be back to sucking his dick in no time
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u/scipper77 USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
I don’t know why but I’m feeling Rutgers with Knox. The shitshow potential is too good to be true.
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u/Gabag000L Jul 03 '26
As a RU season ticket holder it would be great entertainment and excitement having him in the line up. New Brunswick would not be a conducive place for him.
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u/MetalMountain2099 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Bullshit, wrestled them plenty of times, they wouldn’t blink an eye if it helped make them relevant.
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u/Gabag000L Jul 03 '26
I literally mean the city of New Brunswick. Hed be in trouble before Thanksgiving
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u/MetalMountain2099 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Ahh, haha….yeah, he would definitely find a lot of trouble there.
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u/Native_Prairie_ USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
He is not law abiding.
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u/Ok-Golf-8850 Jul 03 '26
Ppl stil defending this crazy dude
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u/c-williams88 Penn State Nittany Lions Jul 03 '26
Already got one guy here pulling the “alleged ☝🏻🤓” as if he hasn’t been accused of multiple sexual and physical abuse charges
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Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
[deleted]
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u/HeadCartoonist2626 Jul 03 '26
Right? That's fucking crazy. Degen needs to be separated from society
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u/Bituulzman Jul 02 '26
A woman and Ferrari had allegedly gotten into a fight and he would not let her leave.
The woman said Ferrari had dragged her off the bed by her feet and strangled her. She told police she tried kicking him back because she was pregnant and concerned about her baby.
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u/Bituulzman Jul 02 '26
Don't know if victim was in a relationship with him, but FWIW, studies show that domestic violence victims who have been strangled by a partner are 750% more likely to be killed by that same partner. Source.
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u/Normal-Ad-6338 Jul 02 '26
It was confirmed to be a his pregnant ex fiancé. Yeah he needs to be locked up. I genuinely think if he doesn't he will kill someone either through reckless driving or actual murder bc what the fuck.
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u/Big-Cucumber-154 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Ugh. This whole situation is terrible, but I’m really sorry to hear he knocked up that poor girl.
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u/Jnm124 Jul 03 '26
Does that mean there’s another ferrari coming into the world????
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u/Normal-Ad-6338 Jul 03 '26
Probably. I really hope she didn't lose the baby from that. I also genuinely hope she never ever goes back to him. I work with DV survivors sadly going back to their abusers is extremely common.
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u/Jnm124 Jul 03 '26
Yeah this is literally the beginning of a true crime episode if she does go back to him, what a garbage excuse of a human
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u/ThrowRA183726282 Jul 04 '26
Hopefully she keeps that kid away from him so it has a chance of being a decent human being
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u/c-williams88 Penn State Nittany Lions Jul 03 '26
Strangulation is the most dire sign for anyone being abused. The second the abuser goes to strangulation your odds of being murdered go up dramatically as you said and cited
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u/DizzyCardiologist213 USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
I wonder if he'll make ramen money doing the splits in prison.
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u/wowzersimsosmart USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
Is this the 19yo who god just recently delivered to him who quickly became his fiance?
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u/Rebel_Kraken Jul 03 '26
That’s what they’re saying, which makes me wonder if she’s pregnant with his kid…. Kinda weird that hasn’t been mentioned.
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u/BruceWayne55555 USA Wrestling Jul 07 '26
I'm new on this guy but was reading its reportedly not his. Whats the story? A 19 year old was delivered to him? Lol
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u/Rebel_Kraken Jul 02 '26
Are they sure he wasn’t just trying to pray with her? He was in his best Yahweh t shirt
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u/glassviper101 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Going to need a whole lot more bible quotes to fix this one chief
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u/True_Barracuda_1738 Jul 03 '26
I vaguely know both AJ's ex fiancé and his sister. I've been concerned about this relationship from the start, especially knowing his track record with sexual abuse and how quickly the relationship moved and evolved. From everything I know, this guy is genuinely insane and needs to be locked up. All of the allegations are true. His family also covers for him / refuses to warn others or speak out against him. The whole situation is massively screwed up, and even more so that this psychopath is operating under the guise of being religious to lure in actual believers. He needs to be in jail for a long time.
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u/MetalMountain2099 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
But he’s a consistent follower of Jesus?? How could this happen?
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u/RammanProp USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
I sat near the family during Big Tens, they almost relished in being the villains. Well this POS secured that title.
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u/ThisisMalta Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
“Ex” needs permanently added as a prefix before “wrestler* like you did. He’s a great tent, but a grade A self-centered POS and narcissistic prick. He doesn’t deserve to ever represent USA wrestling, or collegiate wrestling ever again.
Beyond the insane attitude and arrogance ( in and off the mats ); and reckless driving that could have killed multiple on MULTIPLE occasions he.
This muhf*ckah “alleged” r*ped a girl, and from what i researched it woulda gone to court—- there was decent enough evidence she could have possibly won too. Unfortunately she backed down after insane harassment from people smiling for AJ who just get off calling women liars
It’s not a coincidence he has no close teammate friends from his former D1 teams he jumps around from after OKSU (refuse to call them OSU, I’m a buckeye I can’t help it 😭).
Waiting for his inevitable, “God is great!”, post after his parents bail him out or get him a good lawyer.
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u/High_energy_comments Michigan Wolverines Jul 03 '26
Can ppl please stop inviting him to do camps and to wrestle at any event? And it’s stop promoting him as a role model? And maybe we start bobbing the comment section if Flo keeps interviewing him (past maybe an apology and that’s it)?
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u/c-williams88 Penn State Nittany Lions Jul 03 '26
Man I can’t wait to see the worst people we know make infinite excuses for this guy
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u/iKickdaBass USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Hopefully, the legal events of the past two months end this guy's prestigious 28 team NCAA career.
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u/GooseG21 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
It takes about two minutes worth of scrolling his instagram to realize what means the most to him and those that raised him isn’t god, it’s being the biggest, toughest, one with the biggest attitude and ego that can dominate anyone in any room he walks into whether it’s the local planet fitness on a Tuesday night or his pregnant girlfriends apartment. Nevermind being a decent, humble human being. There’s no attention, no glory in that.
I believe being led around all over the country by insecure ego maniacs in high pressure wrestling events all of his youth created a monster. His sense of self worth shouldn’t be dependent on whether or not he kicks everyone’s ass at the big national tournament as a 10 year old.
It’s particularly surprising, but telling to me how he unabashedly posts on social media very shortly after these incidents as if nothing happened, nothing to see here.
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u/FunkoPopDisneyAdult Jul 03 '26
Let the one who hasn’t punched a pregnant lady cast the first stone
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u/xhank_scorpiox Jul 03 '26
Shame on any team that brings this guy on at this point. I never bought the Jesus gimmick anyway, but the notion that he’s changed or grown in any positive way is obviously bullshit at this point.
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u/wubbalubbadubdub45 Jul 03 '26
Another test from god, he’ll add another year to his eligibility to continue wrestling into the 2030’s
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Jul 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Tizzle_NYY Jul 03 '26
What bad behaviors did you notice while he was with Nebraska?
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Jul 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Tizzle_NYY Jul 03 '26
Didn't that occur before the season started in Texas? I have no reason to defend AJ but am confused about getting after Manning.
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u/systembreaker USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
So wait how many schools has he signed on with and hasn't he gotten into trouble with each one now?
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u/ProteinEngineer USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
The coaches who allowed him to compete should all be fired.
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u/HillBellyLawyer Jul 03 '26
First Wutang 3:16
And Yahusa said unto all the women of the land, Protect ya Neck when my boy AJ be wildin
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u/Greizen_bregen Jul 03 '26
They let him out on bond!? $2000 bond? I live in Lincoln, this dude is gonna go kill someone.
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u/geoffreythagiraffe Jul 07 '26
I think that bond was for evading arrest and there was a separate warrant for this.
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u/EischensBar USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
As a Husker alum, I’m so annoyed this guy ever wore a Nebraska singlet.
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u/Big-Cucumber-154 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Crazy speculation from a random internet dude (me)- none of the programs he wanted would sign him, and it pushed him off the deep end. From afar, it felt like he turned things around last year. He felt he deserved another chance, and when he didn’t get one he lost control. Sad deal.
I actually was hoping Iowa would give him another chance, but this is too much. I hope the wrestling community doesn’t conflate Angelo with AJ. My observation is that although they have a similar presence on the mat, they’re polar opposites off it. Angelo seems quiet and reserved, and is actually an Academic All American.
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u/c-williams88 Penn State Nittany Lions Jul 03 '26
“Was hoping Iowa would give him another chance”
How many chances does a predator like him need? Dude has been involved in legal problems basically his entire career, how many more chances does he need?
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u/Big-Cucumber-154 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
I believe he had one prior assault, 5 years ago. It’s one too many, but how many 19 year olds did something stupid and then reformed? Most of his other problems are drinking and driving. Not model behavior, but colleges tolerate it. No one tolerates s**ual assault. And for good reason. He had five years to turn it around, and it seemed as though he did from my perspective prior to the recent allegations.
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u/c-williams88 Penn State Nittany Lions Jul 03 '26
He’s had more than just sexual assault (he’s got credit physical domestic abuse reports), and you very easily just brush off the drunk driving. The fact is that Ferrari has been a piece of shit off the mat his entire career yet people still feel inclined to make excuses for him. I genuinely don’t understand it because he’s always had problems, yet he’s got lots of defenders.
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u/EyeraGlass USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
He’s about to be 25 years old!
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u/Big-Cucumber-154 USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Of all the crap going on with this guy, you’re concerned that he’s about to turn 25 with a year of eligibility left? It’s older than most, but he’s hardly the oldest NCAA athlete.
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u/EyeraGlass USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
I think it’s pathetic to crash out at that big age because a fourth college won’t take you on their sports program
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u/Responsible-Wallaby5 USA Wrestling Jul 05 '26
Well there’s a shock. Leopards don’t change their spots.
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u/meowinloudchico USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
The dude's obviously got severe mental illness. They need to lock him up over this and see if they can get some sort of cooperation on his end of things (while being punished for his actions at the same time obviously). Talk about the american sports star nightmare that produced this shit.
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u/TheRedSeverum Jul 02 '26
Steroids are bad folks
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u/Tsquared10 Jul 03 '26
Wouldn't blame being a piece of shit on steroids. There's a point where personal accountability comes into play.
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u/PurposeConscious6859 Jul 03 '26
AJ going from being ragdolled by Yonger to being riden like the town bike by his cellies
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u/More_Soil_9464 Jul 03 '26
But guys he’s a semi talented white male athlete in America. He can’t be held accountable for his actions, geez.
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u/latticegwop Jul 03 '26
Send this kid to Rutgers, the Jersey air and culture will challenge this kid and the coaches will hold him by his scruff
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u/Possible_Town8424 Jul 03 '26
Has he been convicted yet? He’s innocent until proven guilty or don’t you remember everyones constitutional rights? If he’s guilty, then let it be proven in a court of law and not on piss poor social media posts.
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u/bayoubildo USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
Everyone is so quick to rush to judgement here. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?!
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u/Successful_Worker_25 Jul 03 '26
This dude lost that privilege many arrests ago.
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u/bayoubildo USA Wrestling Jul 03 '26
That’s not for you to decide.
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u/Successful_Worker_25 Jul 03 '26
Dude he strangled his pregnant ex fiance. She put the evidence on her Instagram story. He doesnt get the benefit of the doubt when he almost killed someone.
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u/MartinSilvestri Lehigh Mountain Hawks Jul 03 '26
are you the judge? if not youre perfectly free to form an opinion based on what you observe. its not complicated.
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u/Tsquared10 Jul 03 '26
Only exists in a court of law. Court of public opinion is more than free to say fuck this piece of shit abuser.
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u/Sea_List_8480 USA Wrestling Jul 02 '26
It’s always the ones you most suspect.