WWE has not commented on the status of NIL (Next In Line) athlete AJ Ferrari after he was released from the Oklahoma State wrestling team earlier this week due to an allegation of sexual assault.
Ferrari was announced as a part of the inaugural WWE NIL class back in December. The 6-foot 200 pound NCAA wrestling champion, in the class of 2024 and from Dallas, is still listed on the WWE NIL website as of this writing.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys announced on Wednesday that Ferrari was released from the wrestling program after the Stillwater Police Department announced that their Criminal Investigations Department is investigating a report of sexual assault against Ferrari.
Ferrari recently had an emergency protective order issued against him. The protective order was filed on July 5 by a Stillwater woman, and then granted by Judge Katherine Thomas later that same day. The woman accused Ferrari of unwanted sexual contact and reported it to the Stillwater Police Department.
The SPD report notes, “On Saturday, July 2, 2022, at 4 p.m. Stillwater Police Department responded to a report of a sexual assault investigation that occurred within our jurisdiction. The suspect in the case has been identified as, Albert James Ferrari Jr. The case is currently under investigation by our Criminal Investigation’s Unit. SPD is committed to thoroughly investigating these cases. Once the investigation is complete the case will be submitted to the Payne County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of filing charges.”
Ferrari’s attorney, Derek Chance, is denying the allegations.
“The allegations against AJ are false,” Chance wrote in a statement to The Stillwater News Press. “It is unfortunate that a student athlete can become a target, primarily because of their status as an elite athlete. AJ is cooperating with law enforcement and is confident the truth will come out. He appreciated his time at Okla State, but he and the University mutually agreed a change was appropriate.
A hearing is currently scheduled for Monday, July 18 for a full protective order against Ferrari.
The Payne County District Attorney’s office noted that as of Wednesday they had not received a case related to Ferrari, and no criminal charges had been submitted for review, but that may change as the SPD investigation continues.
Ferrari, a 2020 NCAA champion, missed most of the past season due to a car wreck.
Ferrari was one of the NIL athletes that WWE touted when making their inaugural class announcement back in December.
Ferrari has been quiet on Twitter since July 9, but he continues to post updates to Instagram. He has not publicly commented on the allegation. You can see Ferrari’s new Instagram post below on how he’s recovering from his car wreck, along with his original WWE NIL post from back in December:
Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.
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