Following AJ Ferrari’s dismissal from the Oklahoma State wrestling team earlier this week due to a sexual assault allegation, WWE has not made any statements regarding his situation as a NIL (Next In Line) athlete.
In December, Ferrari was revealed to be a member of the first WWE NIL class. The 6-foot-tall, 200-pound, Dallas native who won the NCAA wrestling championships in 2024 is still listed on the WWE NIL website as of this writing.
Following the Stillwater Police Department’s announcement that their Criminal Investigations Department is looking into a claim of sexual assault against Ferrari, the Oklahoma State Cowboys made the announcement on Wednesday that Ferrari had been dismissed from the wrestling program.
An emergency protection order was granted against Ferrari. A Stillwater woman requested the protective order on July 5, and Judge Katherine Thomas approved it later that day. Ferrari was accused of inappropriate sexual contact by the woman, who then reported the incident 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.”
Derek Chance, Ferrari’s lawyer, is denying the charges.
Chance told The Stillwater News Press that the accusations against AJ were untrue. “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.”
For a full protection order against Ferrari, a hearing is currently set for Monday, July 18.
According to the Payne County District Attorney’s office, as of Wednesday, no cases involving Ferrari had been filed with them, and no criminal charges had been offered for consideration. However, as the SPD investigation goes on, this could change.
Ferrari, a 2020 NCAA champion, missed the majority of the previous season as a result of a car wreck.
When WWE announced their first class back in December, Ferrari was one of the NIL athletes they highlighted.
Since July 9, Ferrari hasn’t tweeted anything, yet he’s still posting to Instagram. He has not addressed the claim in the media. Below, you can see Ferrari’s most recent Instagram post about his roadside recovery as well as his first WWE NIL post from back in December.
