Friday night was special for Minnesota Golden Gophers wrestler Gable Steveson. It marked his final home appearance at Maturi Pavilion. So the crowd was already fired up. That amped up when Steveson entered the mat with his arms outstretched during the introductions for the dual meet against Iowa.

The sold-out 5,307-strong crowd obliged the Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA heavyweight champion, as he made a request for noise, bringing a roar and a festive atmosphere to the rivalry. 2 hours later, when Steveson entered the mat, the former Apple Valley High School star didn’t disappoint the enthusiastic crowd.

Steveson took his winning streak to 63 with a 19-3 technical fall over No. 11 Ben Kueter. He needed only 2 minutes, and 48 seconds to land four takedowns and seven near-fall points against the Hawkeyes heavyweight and football linebacker. “It was just a great experience,” Steveson said. “I’m glad everybody showed up. … I’m glad I could go out with an undefeated home record and do my thing.”

The matchup ended unfavorably for Minnesota after both the sensational feeling and Stevenson’s dominant presence during the event. Against Iowa, the Gophers incurred their eleventh straight defeat as they lost 23-11. The beginning of the competition easily went to Iowa when they captured six out of seven opening matches and determined the first takedown in each victorious fight. With the team loss, how did Steveson himself feel about the night?

Steveson acknowledged the significance of his return and the belief his team had in him. “Just coming back was a great thing for the team, and I feel like they believed in it. I believed in it, too,” he said to the Star Tribune. His focus now shifts to what lies ahead and that looks like that is a call out to his opponents. “I’ve got two more tournaments, and I’m going to bring the hammer,” he added.

In November, Steveson announced that he would be returning to college wrestling for one last season with the Gophers. The decision came after runs in the WWE and the NFL, but at 24 years old, he has proven that he remains one of the best amateur wrestlers in the world. Steveson will now have the Big Ten Championships on March 8-9 on his radar. He will eye his fourth conference title and first since 2022. He has not lost a collegiate wrestling match since 2019 against Anthony Cassar when he was a true freshman.

Steveson’s top competition in Evanston, Illinois will be Penn State senior Greg Kerkvliet, a former Simley High School standout. Kerkvliet is also undefeated at 15-0, but Steveson has beaten him twice at the collegiate level — once in 2021 and then in 2022. Understandably, Steveson will ultimately be the heavy favorite in the competition. But, despite his commanding victory, Minnesota suffered its 11th consecutive loss to Iowa, highlighting the challenges the team faced in the rivalry.

Gophers could not replicate Gable Steveson’s dominance

During his return to the NCAA mats in November, Gophers secured a 39-0 shutout of North Dakota State (0-3) in front of a record-crowd of 1,529 at the Scheels Center in Fargo, N.D. But they could not replicate the same success in Steveson’s last home match.

During their opening matches, Minnesota lost 6 contests out of 7, leading to a major initial deficit in the competition. The Hawkeyes started their matches with intensity and never gave up their initial takedown advantage. This led to them winning seven out of the ten matches. Vance VomBaur gave Minnesota a boost at 141 pounds with his 14-10 decision victory, which brought his season record up to 20-3.

The bout between Max McEnelly and No. 8 Gabe Arnold reached its ultimate moment when McEnelly secured a takedown. This sudden victory allowed him to stay unbeaten with his 18-0 record. Isaiah Salazar fought bravely at 197 pounds but lost his match following a 5-1 decision to Stephen Buchanan. The Hawkeye maintained his top ranking at Iowa due to this win.

Despite their efforts, the Hawkeyes’ aggressive starts and relentless attacks proved difficult to counter. It wasn’t just about one match but a farewell to an era of dominance. Iowa maintains its lead position and the question is about whether Minnesota can create a viable challenge for the future. Is there any athlete who will manage to alter Steveson’s path toward historical achievements? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.