The Iowa wrestler Yonger Bastida’s strength coach, Ben Durbin, recently responded to AJ Ferrari’s apology for accusing the Iowa wrestler of consuming performance-enhancing drugs. The coach called for a showdown between the wrestlers in the RAF.
The controversy unfolded after Ferrari and Bastida locked horns with each other at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in the heavyweight semifinals on March 20. The Iowa wrestler claimed the win by delivering a strong performance with an early takedown and a seven-point move in the first period. He booked his place in the final, securing a 15-7 major decision over the Nebraska wrestler.
Ferrari, after this loss, accused his opponent of consuming performance-enhancing drugs and also suggested a test for Human Growth Hormone (HGH). This sparked controversy, which led to Bastida’s strength coach sharing a video on X, demanding an apology. Shortly after he shared a video, Ferrari issued an apology, admitting that he spoke in the heat of the moment and has a lot of respect for Bastida.
Durbin recently responded to his apology, saying the apology is accepted but not forgotten. Sharing a video on X and calling for a showdown, he said:
“Hey, AJ, Coach Durbin here. I’m on my way to a dear friend’s funeral, but I want to take a moment and let you know that your apology is accepted, but not forgotten. I mean, there’s no reason we can’t just be civil, right? I’ll just let you two take it from here. Actually, I changed my mind. I’d like to get involved in the RAF. Strength coach versus athletes. Now I gotta go pay my respects, but I’ll take the winner of you too.”
What Did AJ Ferrari Say About Yonger Bastida After the NCAA Loss?
After falling short of advancing to the heavyweight finals at the NCAA Wrestling Championships against Yonger Bastida, AJ Ferrari spoke to the media at the press conference. Here, he weighed in on their clash, highlighting the visible differences in the Iowa wrestler’s form, including his weight switch from 197 to heavyweight. In addition to this, he pointed out the acne on his body and also mentioned HGH testing.
“I weighed in at 224 pounds with my clothes on this morning … he went in there maybe 250, 260?. We wrestled years ago at 197, and you saw how that went…you see what he looks like. I’m not gonna say things and make accusations, because I know the facts. But the facts are, you saw him when he was 19-20 years old, like me, no acne, no backne, no nothing. Look at him now, tons of acne, tons of backne,” said AJ Ferrari.
He added:
“So, whoever’s running the testing protocol for testing HGH probably should go test some people. Not just in season but outside the season. Because he gained 30 pounds of muscle. But hey, I’m not making excuses, because hey, it might have gone my way if I’d have been healthy.”
AJ Ferrari recently clarified his statement on HGH, revealing that he was talking about tests in general for all wrestlers and that he did not direct anything towards Yonger Bastida specifically.
Read more:
AJ Ferrari Gives Clarification on His HGH Allegation About Last Opponent Yonger Bastida
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