The Minnesota Gophers have been tearing through the NCAA wrestling season! Undefeated, unstoppable, and making their opponents question their life choices. But wait… is there a secret weapon behind all this dominance? Yep. Gable Steveson. This guy who took a detour from wrestling in 2022 to try out, well… everything. He jumped into WrestleMania 38, dabbled in the NFL, and even landed a spot with the Buffalo Bills in 2024. But guess what? The wrestling mat still calls his name, and with one last year of NCAA eligibility, he’s back, bringing the heat to Minnesota’s already stacked squad. Now, as the Gophers gear up for their next match, Steveson is already throwing out warnings—to his rivals!

Valentine’s Day might be all about love for couples, but for wrestlers, it’s about something else—bringing the heat and breaking hearts (literally). Instead of chocolates and roses, it’s takedowns and near falls, as No. 2 Iowa prepares to clash with No. 6 Minnesota in a high-stakes showdown on February 14 in Minneapolis. And if you’re looking for a match worth keeping your eyes on, the 133-pound battle is the one to watch, with Minnesota’s No. 11-ranked Tyler Wells stepping onto the mat, ready to throw down.

Even Gable Steveson is hyped for this one. The wrestling superstar reshared a post from @GophersWrestling on Instagram, featuring a pic of Wells ahead of the big match at Maturi Pavilion, 8 PM, February 14. The original post called it, “a big one to close out the regular season,” but Steveson took it up a notch with his own fiery caption: “This Friday… we going to war!! See you then.” So, forget the candlelit dinners—this Valentine’s Day, the mat is the real deal! And if last weekend’s Minnesota vs. Ohio State showdown was any indication, this one’s going to be intense.

Gable Steveson and the Gophers take down Ohio State

This past weekend was no exception, and one of the biggest ‘Wait, did that just happen?‘ moments came when Minnesota took down Ohio State. When two teams with all ten wrestlers ranked went at it, you knew it was going to be a barnburner and that’s exactly what happened Friday night. Minnesota edged out Ohio State due to some clutch bonus-point wins, including a 13-4 major decision from none other than Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson.

The Gophers also secured major decisions from Tommy Askey (157 lbs) and Max McEnelly (184 lbs), plus an absolute beatdown from No. 11 Andrew Sparks, who pulled off an 18-1 tech fall—the only one of the night. Meanwhile, McEnelly had an undefeated season (17-0) like it was no big deal, adding another ranked win to his collection. After a weekend of dominance, the Gophers are officially on fire, and don’t be surprised if they climb the national rankings—because right now, they look like a team nobody wants to mess with.