This month hasn’t been the best for the wrestling community. After all, just last week we saw veteran grappler Nick Gwiazdowski hang up his boots. And now, just when we thought we were done, another titan of the sport has announced his sign-off from the mat. Now this news comes as extra heartbreaking for the Penn State fans. After all, the mat technician has been a cornerstone of the Nittany Lions’ lightweight legacy and brought All-American glory to the team four times. But did he choose to retire?

Well, the name of the man is Nico Megaludis, and his veteran leadership has been a hallmark of both his high school dominance and the NCAA glory that he came to achieve at Penn State. And that’s exactly why the news was even more shocking for the fans. Not to mention, it came in the most underwhelming manner possible. How so?

The announcement came on April 26, 2025, via a post on X by Justin Basch, host of the Baschamania Podcast, confirming what many had speculated: Nico Megaludis was retiring from freestyle wrestling. “RETIRED. Nico Megaludis is officially hanging ’em up,” Basch wrote, sharing a photo of Megaludis in his singlet with the headline “NICO MEGALUDIS CALLS IT A CAREER, RETIRES.”

Judging from Basch’s tweet, it is pretty clear that Megaludis has clarity on his decision. And with this tweet ended the career of a veteran, which spanned from high school glory to NCAA and senior-level competitions. But now that his wrestling career is over, one might wonder what’s next for the mat technician. Well, takedowns. No, not mat takedowns. We are talking about financial takedowns.

After all, Megaludis is going all-in on Megaludis Financial, the firm he’s been building since way back in 2016. Fresh off that Penn State business degree, he teamed up with his dad to grow the family biz. Now, it’s his full-time focus—helping folks with their money moves. But can this mat master bring that same championship grit to the world of finance?

You have to wonder! “He’ll now be focusing full-time on Megaludis Financial,” Basch confirmed in his post. So what does the firm do? Well, surely nothing as interesting as what Nico did on the map. In simple words, they provide financial planning and investment services. But as Megaludis retires his singlets for suits, one has to ponder, will the success on the stock charts match the ones on the mat?

Nico Megaludis, Recalling His Career

After all, Nico Megaludis put together one heck of a high school wrestling career. Coming out of Franklin Regional, his record was an impressive 170 wins and just one loss. Even as a freshman, he showed his potential, going 37-1 and finishing third at 103 pounds. Definitely a sign of the success that would follow. And his high school career just kept getting wild! Three straight years of absolute perfection!

Undefeated seasons in ’09, ’10, and ’11 brought him three state titles at 112, 119, and 125 pounds. Megaludis wasn’t just winning; he was untouchable! A Pennsylvania legend was born right there on those high school mats. The big question then was, could this dominance translate to the college game against the best in the country?

Then came his time at Penn State, and he became a huge part of that Nittany Lion dynasty under Cael Sanderson. Megaludis was Mr. Consistent at 125 pounds, earning All-American honors three times! As a true freshman, he battled his way to a third-place finish at NCAAs—talk about making an immediate impact! He reached the finals twice before finally grabbing that elusive NCAA title in 2016.

Four-time NCAA qualifier, a true leader… Penn State knew they had a special one. But after all that college success, the freestyle world is a whole different beast. What would that challenge look like for him? But Megaludis wasn’t done wrestling after college! He jumped right into the freestyle scene with that same fire. He battled at 57 kilos for a couple of years, then bumped up to 61.

Training back home with the Pittsburgh Wrestling Club RTC, he kept grinding. Now, 61 isn’t an Olympic weight, so for the big Olympic year, he dropped back down to 57. He sounded confident about it, saying, “My body is adapted to 57, and I’m probably lighter than most of the guys at the weight.” And he wasn’t shy about his goals, either. He felt great wrestling at 61, but his eyes were on the prize at 57.

 He said straight up, “You dream about going to the Olympics, not getting second at the Olympic Trials.” Even though those Olympic dreams didn’t pan out, you have to respect the hustle—he was balancing that intense wrestling career with a full-time job as a financial advisor for years. Talk about dedication! Now, as he steps away from the mat, wrestling fans can only be thankful for everything Nico gave on the mat. And perhaps wish for his success from now on.