Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari shared a message of faith after his win over Iowa’s Ben Kueter on Friday. Instead of his normal celebration, Ferrari took a moment to pray after his 4-1 decision win.
Ferrari managed to get the better of Kueter in a tight contest, but it was Iowa who came out on top in the dual meet. Reeling from a 32-3 loss to Penn State, Iowa wrestling regrouped and responded by claiming a hard-fought 22-14 win.
AJ Ferrari Reflects on Praying After Match With Iowa
Ferrari delivered another solid performance, defeating Kueter 4-1 on Friday. He raced to a 4-0 lead and delivered a takedown before the Iowa wrestler got a point back. But Ferrari’s win wasn’t enough to help Nebraska avoid defeat in the meet.
After his match, Ferrari did not perform his signature celebration and instead decided to take a moment to pray on the mat.
Later, Ferrari shared a message on his faith on social media as he wrote, “Much respect to Kueter. My brother on the mat and my brother in Yahusha (His Son). No matter the outcome, all glory goes to Yahuah (our Father).”
Much respect to @Benkueter1 🤝
My brother on the mat and my brother in Yahusha (His Son).
No matter the outcome, all glory goes to Yahuah (our Father).
🙏💪👊 https://t.co/kwWJqqIvTM— AJ Ferrari (@mrfasttwitch) January 24, 2026
Iowa won six of the 10 bouts during Friday’s meet, while Nebraska won four. Brock Hardy (141), Antrell Taylor (157), and Camden McDanel (197) also registered wins for the Huskers.
Huskers Set Attendance Record in Tight Loss to Iowa
While the night ended in disappointment for the majority of the fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, the Huskers had some reasons to cheer as they attracted a crowd of 7,891 fans for the meet against Iowa. Per WOWT, the previous program record was 7,094 fans, set in December. This marked a new record for Nebraska Wrestling.
Hardy (ranked No. 3 in 141) also crossed a major milestone on Friday as he recorded his 100th dual meet win. The Nebraska senior claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Iowa’s Nasir Bailey. “It was a really special moment,” he said afterwards via the Daily Nebraskan. “But it’s bittersweet, because I would trade all 100 wins for a dual win against Iowa.”
Hardy took the lead in the first period and managed to hold on for the Huskers’ first win of the evening. He became the 33rd wrestler in program history to achieve this feat.
Nebraska Wrestling will be back at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Sunday to take on the No. 2 Ohio State. This dual meet will be part of the Big Ten Championship, and fans can watch the live action unfold on B1G+.
