WWE NIL Athlete Set to Stand Trial for Sexual Battery Charge

AJ Ferrari is set to stand trial. The WWE Next in Line signing was arrested this past August on a sexual battery charge, which came just one month after he was dismissed from the Oklahoma State University’s wrestling team. Now, Ferrari will appear in court for arraignment next Tuesday, December 6th. This comes due to a Payne County Judge declaring that Ferrari’s sexual battery case has a probable cause.

“The court finds that there is probable cause to believe that a crime was committed and that the defendant committed the crime,” Judge Thomas said, per KOKH FOX 25. “The court binds the defendant over for trial court arraignment on December 6, 2022 at 1:30 p.m.”

Ferrari’s situation has been developing for months now. Details of the charge first began to surface in July, when Ferrari was identified as a suspect in a sexual assault report.

“The case is currently under investigation by our Criminal Investigation’s Unit,” a press release regarding a sexual assault reported on July 2nd. “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 charge.”

Ferrari was arrested and charged with one felony count of sexual battery in August, with the Payne County District Court processing the charge and setting his bond at $25,000.

“The allegations against AJ are false,” Ferrari’s attorney Derek Chance said previously. “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 Oklahoma State, but he and the university mutually agreed a change was appropriate.”

Ferrari is a former NCAA National Champion in wrestling. He achieved that title in his freshman year, competing in the 197 weight class in 2021. His sophomore season was cut altogether after he suffered injuries in a car accident. Ferrari inked his WWE NIL deal almost a year ago, signing with the company as part of the inaugural class in December 2021.

As of this writing, Ferrari is still listed on WWE’s NIL website.