Bedlam exes AJ Ferrari, Stephen Buchanan to meet in NCAA wrestling semifinals
PHILADELPHIA — In a different reality, this would be a Bedlam match for the ages.
Former Oklahoma State wrestler AJ Ferrari, who won the 2021 national championship as a freshman at OSU, advanced to the 197-pound semifinals as the No. 3 seed for Cal State Bakersfield with a win Friday at the NCAA Championships at the Wells Fargo Center.
His opponent will be second-seeded Iowa wrestler Stephen Buchanan, who was an All-American at OU in 2024.
Ferrari suffered serious injuries in a car accident that ended his sophomore season at OSU in 2022, and the following summer, he was dismissed after being charged with sexual assault. The charges were later dropped.
Ferrari returned to wrestling for the 2024-25 season, classified as a redshirt sophomore, at Cal State Bakersfield.
He is undefeated after a 2-0 win over Pitt’s Mac Stout in Friday’s quarterfinals, his third win of the tournament.
“The match didn’t go the way I wanted it,” Ferrari said. “All three of these matches, I don’t think any of these dudes are on my level technically, athletically or conditioning-wise. I should’ve pushed the pace more that match. But I’m a winner. I find a way to win.
“I think you guys have seen my growth and the way I carry myself. I have that holy spirit. I’m not living in the flesh. I still have that 675-pound deadlift. I still have that personality. But I’m not vain, I’m not prideful. And that’s been a big testament to Cal State. Some of these smaller programs, they really help you grow as a person. Coach Luke Smith has done that.”
Buchanan redshirted in 2023, then earned his third All-America honor last year after picking up the first two at Wyoming. He went 29-3 at OU, then transferred to Iowa in the offseason, where he has gone 24-1 this season.
The semifinal round is set to start at 7 p.m. Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NCAA wrestling championships: AJ Ferrari, Stephen Buchanan to face off
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