Former WWE NIL Athlete AJ Ferrari Arrested on Multiple Felony Charges in Nebraska

AJ Ferrari, the former WWE NIL recruit and NCAA wrestling standout, was taken into custody in Nebraska on Tuesday, July 8, on an outstanding warrant out of Lancaster County, facing a slate of serious felony charges.

Authorities charged Ferrari with third-degree assault by strangulation or suffocation of a pregnant woman, third-degree domestic violence assault, and first-degree false imprisonment. According to local Nebraska news outlet WOWT, investigators had been conducting surveillance on a residence where Ferrari was believed to be hiding. Around 10:45 a.m., officers observed a woman exit the home and enter a truck. Ferrari was then allegedly spotted crawling out of the garage before climbing into the truck’s rear passenger seat. Law enforcement followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop, taking Ferrari into custody at that point. The woman involved in the current case has since filed for a protection order against him.

This arrest is far from Ferrari’s first encounter with law enforcement in recent months. In June 2026, he was arrested in Lincoln County on charges of fleeing to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and obstructing police. Earlier in 2026, he also faced a fugitive from justice charge, though that case was subsequently dismissed.

Ferrari’s legal history stretches back further. In 2022, he was charged with sexual battery, which led to his dismissal from Oklahoma State University’s wrestling program. Those charges were dropped in 2023 after the alleged victim chose not to pursue the case — a decision the district attorney attributed to social media harassment, ongoing trauma, and threats directed at the victim.

Ferrari had been part of WWE’s NIL program, which recruits elite amateur athletes ahead of a potential transition to professional wrestling. Given the accumulating legal proceedings, his future in the sport appears deeply uncertain.