When Gable Steveson returned to the collegiate program, fans felt a bit unsure. Utilizing NCAA waivers due to an Olympic redshirt and the extra year of eligibility (because of the pandemic), he made a comeback last year. “Minnesota has given me everything, and now it’s my turn to give it right back to them,” he stated, but many couldn’t help but think about his Olympics experience and also the fact that he temporarily signed with the WWE. They felt he was too experienced for the college level. Were they correct all this while?

This is the same wrestler who clinched his Olympic gold with a 10-second victory in Tokyo. He is already a seasoned pro. And some fans feel it’s a mismatch for him to compete against college athletes still building their careers and Steveson’s latest wrestling match may have confirmed this.

On January 25, Steveson showed just why people are frustrated with his return. He earned his 59th consecutive victory in a dominant performance against Northwestern, contributing to the Gophers’ 29-12 win. The Gophers began their performance aggressively and built a 21-0 halftime advantage. After Steveson’s victory against Dirk Morley (Steveson had four takedowns and also picked near-fall points), the momentum continued to build because his season record now stood at seven undefeated matches. 

His decisive victory concluded through a technical fall because his large point advantage allowed him to terminate the match before its full duration. Steveson ranks as the third-longest winning streak in Gophers history. In fact, he is only behind the 65-win stretch of Dustin Schlatter (2005-07) and the 76-win run of Cole Konrad (2005 to 2007). Steveson maintains a 92-2 record throughout his Gophers career. This includes a perfect 55-0 dual meet performance with 40 consecutive Big Ten victories.

Many people are demanding that Steveson leave the NCAA. This is all due to his undeniable success, which stands as the primary reason why fans want him to move away from collegiate sports. Steveson’s dominant triumph in the competition overshadowed the strong showings by his Gophers wrestling teammates Andrew Sparks, Clayton Whiting, Max McEnelly, and Isaiah Salazar.

After Northwestern cut the score down to 21-9 through victories at 125 and 133 pounds, Steveson’s win locked in the match result for Minnesota. People found it difficult to disregard just how dominant and quick he looked and, hence, they started calling him out.

Gable Steveson’s return to college wrestling makes fans fume over an unfair advantage!

Fans showed mixed emotions regarding Gable Steveson’s college wrestling comeback following his Olympic experience because they wondered whether it was fair to his opponents. One fan added, “How is this allowed?” while another wrote, “Why would anybody who won a gold medal in the Olympics go back and compete in college? So unfair.” But here’s the thing: Steveson decided to return to college wrestling after his family supported his decision.

Last year, Steveson revealed the main reason behind his decision to come back. He acknowledged his family, especially his father, who loves wrestling. The wrestler stated: “My dad loves wrestling a lot, and he wanted to see me back last year, and he was just like, ‘If you got the time to do it, just finish it off. Finish it off in the best way you can, and walk off in that NCAA finals match with that title once again.”

Steveson’s ultimate goal is clear: His goal remains to earn another Dan Hodge Trophy while demonstrating his former championship abilities to fans. But fans are simply not on the same page. One fan mentioned, “R.I.P. Norm,” while another remarked, “This is almost unfair,” and a third simply added, “Destruction.”

We will have to wait and see how he performs in his future matches and if he is just as dominant. His extra year of eligibility might prove a barrier for his rivals. What do you think?