What led to the controvesy between Aj Ferrari and another NCAA wrestler amid highly anticipated face-off with Carter Starocci

AJ Ferrari and Carter Starocci are expected to lock horns with each other after the former challenged the latter to a wrestling match. However, there is a new entry in this tussle, with Nick Stemmet from Stanford University challenging Ferrari to wrestle with him.

Stemmet has mocked Ferrari for challenging the four-time NCAA champion from Penn State University. In a long post on Instagram, Stemmet wrote,

"Why don’t you pick on someone your own size??@mrfasttwitch. It’s okay @carterstarocci I accept his challenge on your behalf."

Stemmet, however, didn't stop. He mocked Ferrari and declared his intentions of spoiling the wrestler's comeback.

"On November 1st I will face the c******t and h******t 197 pound wrestler of all time. He’s been away for a while, and I plan on spoiling his big return. I promise to actually try this time, and show him that 3 years of crime and snapchat is not a recipe for success.

When I win you are banned from emojis for LIFE and you have to change your handle to @mrslowtwitch," added the grappler.

AJ Ferrari is the former NCAA champion in the 197-pound category, while Carter Starocci has won the NCAA title in the 174-pound category for the fourth consecutive time. The two stalwarts are all set to face each other after Starocci accepted Ferrari's challenge.

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Carter Starocci's challenge to AJ Ferrari

Carter Starocci challenges AJ Ferrari [Image for Representational Purposes] [Image Source : Getty]

In September 2024, a month after the Paris Olympics had come to an end, AJ Ferrari, who had been away from the wrestling scene for more than a year, mocked Carter Starocci in a video he uploaded on his X account. He challenged him to a wrestling match, calling him a clown for deciding to move up to the heavyweight category.

However, Starocci was not the one to take this lightly. He took a direct jibe at Ferrari and challenged him to a one-on-one match, with a prize money of $300000.

The 23-year-old grappler wrote on his Instagram post, calling out Ferrari as an attention seeker. Starocci also laid out the terms for Ferrari as he wrote,

"And finally, when I win you must tattoo “Starocci is my NATTY DADDY” in bold font on your chest. Or post in your bio for 665 days “Sorry girls, please forgive me! I have changed 190lbs. You started it, I’ll finish it. Agree to my terms and I’ll smash your face in."

Starocci is focusing on a fifth consecutive NCAA title in 2025. The American wrestler missed out on a ticket to the Paris Olympics after losing consecutively to Evan Wick and Trent Hidlay at the U.S. Olympic trials. However, he is all set to start afresh.