AJ Ferrari has made a public apology to fellow wrestler Yonger Bastida regarding the accusation Ferrari had made against Bastida of using Human Growth Hormone (HGH). This comes after Ferrari’s loss to Bastida in the NCAA D1 semifinals this past weekend.
The two-time All-American and 2021 NCAA Champion, Ferrari, came in as the No. 4 seed after beating Juan Mora and advanced to the semifinal round, but lost to Bastida by a major 15-7 decision. After the defeat, Ferrari made wild accusations, alleging Bastida of consuming HGH. Many jumped in to criticize the all-American for accusing without evidence.
Amid the backlash, Ferrari has shed light on how he actually views the whole situation. He issued an apology via his social media and elaborated on how he and Bastida have been long-time acquaintances, and whatever accusations were made were part of the flaring tempers post-bout.
“After my semifinals match, I was speaking in the heat of the moment, I was taken the wrong way, I feel very badly about that, I respect Yonger a lot, we’ve hung out quite a bit, he’s a respectful competitor and a friend on and off the mat, so I just wanna say Yonger is an amazing wrestler and I wish him nothing but respect for him and for the IOWA state program,” he said.
He also highlighted his own faith in the Almighty and assured him to keep his emotions in check during critical times.
Yonger Bastida Responds to AJ Ferrari’s Apology
Yonger Bastida also took to his social media, reacting to Ferrari’s comments. While he acknowledged the apology, Bastida highlighted how real respect is earned through what happens on the mat.
“Respect for the apology! But let’s be real, words don’t fix what happened If you really want to clear the air, step on the mat one more time with me at a RAF event. No noise, no talking, “NO EXCUSES”, just WRESTLING. That’s where respect is earned for real. I’m not here for drama,” Bastida wrote on X.
To clear the air, Bastida has issued an open challenge to Ferrari at a Real American Freestyle event, making it clear that he doesn’t want any drama. Bastida again reinforced the open challenge while asserting his unmatched force.
The response was to Ferrari’s other social media post, where he highlighted his phone call with Bastida and spoke about embracing the future with respect, integrity, and faith.
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