Takedown Report

Iowa wrestling wins big at Soldier Salute, AJ Ferrari gets heated, DQ’d

There were certainly some fireworks in Coralville during the finals of the Solider Salute wrestling tournament on Saturday evening.

The Hawkeye men dominated the event, coming away with the overall team victory and seven individual titles. Gabe Arnold, a Hawkeye freshman who was wrestling unattached, also won a title at 174. But the biggest talking point anybody will take away from the tournament is what happened in the finals of the match of the 197 weight class. It seemed as though AJ Ferrari, who was competing unattached, was going to take home the title, defeating Iowa’s Zach Glazier 197. Shortly after time ran out in the bout, Ferrari slightly pushed down on the back of Glazier’s head. In response, Glazier grabbed and pulled on Ferrari’s upper leg. That’s when Ferrari attempted a punch at Glazier and proceeded to show the Hawkeye his middle finger.
That act got Ferrari disqualified and gave Glazier the title at 197. As Ferrari was walking off the arena floor he did a split and gave two middle fingers to the crowd, much to the displeasure of the Hawkeye faithful in attendance who showered him with boos. Ferrari is a former national champion at Oklahoma State. He was removed from the Cowboys’ roster in July of 2022 and has faced legal issues, though the charge against him was dismissed. He’s been out of the sport for nearly two years, but on December 27 he took a recruiting visit to Iowa. His younger brother, Angelo, is committed and signed to the Hawkeyes as one of the top wrestlers in the class of 2024. His other brother, Anthony, is also committed to Iowa. and has been in Iowa City practicing and working out in the wrestling facility since as early as May 12, according to his Instagram page.
Anthony’s antics earlier in the evening may have been where the ordeal with AJ started. Wrestling in the 149-pound finals against Iowa’s Caleb Rathjen, he suffered two takedowns en route to a 7-2 loss. After the final whistle was blown, Anthony Ferrari gave a shove to the back of Rathjen. Rathjen, an Ankeny native, took exception. He looked back toward Anthony Ferrari and taunted by flexing like Anthony’s older brother AJ, who is known for flexing after wins.
Anthony has also dealt with legal issues like AJ, getting a one-year deferred sentence on counts of assaulting two people in July 2022. According to the Stillwater News Press, he entered nolo contendere pleas. Anthony was also booed following his shove of a Hawkeye, while Rathjen’s gestures to Iowa fans were cheered. In prior matches, fans let loose their loudest cheers in Xtream Arena for the Ferrari brothers until the conflicts began. Then, the ones with Iowa singlets were the fan favorites. … story at … Hawkcentral.com/Iowa-wrestling-wins-big-at-solider-salute-aj-ferrari-gets-disqualified

January 6, 2024 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized