Can a tiger beat a deer? Sure, that’s easy. But can a tiger defeat another tiger? Now that’s a whole different challenge. It’s the same with ‘The Golden Gable’, Gable Steveson. To take him down, you have to get inside his world, understand his mindset, and know exactly what it takes to outsmart the champ. And guess what? Gable met someone who did exactly that: Wyatt Hendrickson! Want to know the intensity of the match? It went down two weeks ago when Hendrickson took down Steveson, and it’s still making headlines. But was beating the Olympic champ really that simple? Hear it straight from the US Air Force second lieutenant himself!

March 23 is a day that will forever be remembered in NCAA history. Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever by toppling Olympic champion Gable Steveson 5-4 in the championship match. But he had a strategy that made him win, as on April 5th, Hendrickson revealed how he managed to do the impossible. His game plan was simple yet genius, and it was all about timing and control. When Hendrickson joined the interview with Oklahoma State Athletics on YouTube, he proudly said, “Wyatt Hendrickson, your 2025 Heavyweight National Champion.” The question on everyone’s mind was: how did he do it?

As we all know—before the match, Gable Steveson was the clear favorite. The guy was already an Olympic gold medalist, had multiple NCAA titles, and was looking to finish off his career with a fourth undefeated season. Hendrickson, on the other hand, came in with an undefeated season himself, but it was his first time ever reaching the NCAA finals. No pressure, right? So, what was Hendrickson’s secret?

He broke it down: “Gable does a great job at making you carry his weight, his ties, and his attacks. I knew going into that match, I was going to have to be a little bit more reserved. You know, we call it controlled chaos, so I didn’t want to go out there and just take 20,000 shots and waste that energy. Being to wrestle smart was really important.”

In other words, it was all about patience. While Steveson was known for wearing down opponents with his attacks, Hendrickson knew he needed to stay calm and conserve his energy. And he did.

The strategy was paying off, especially when Gable Steveson’s usual pace didn’t seem to rattle Hendrickson. “Whenever we were in those situations where it looked like nothing was happening, that was in my favor 100%, because Gable likes to move you and control you. But, you know, my ties are very specific to stopping that,” Hendrickson explained. Even when Steveson landed a few shots, Hendrickson stayed focused: “Nothing’s ever perfect. There’s no such thing as a perfect wrestling match. But in those moments, it was definitely favoring me because I knew I threw him off when I first got into that scramble. He wasn’t expecting that.”

And that’s where the game changed. Hendrickson managed to flip the script, and the pace of the match shifted in his favor. And when that shot came, it was a thing of beauty. Hendrickson did a beautiful feint, and shot for a leg, and despite Gable sprawling on him with a body lock, Hendrickson managed to hold onto that leg, slide his knee, and circle enough to complete the takedown.

The crowd and the cameras went wild. “Just watching that over and over, it’s just that knee slide, knee slide, KNEE slide—two—and just, oh my goodness, the camera and the audio just go crazy. And I’m like, ‘This is insane!’” It wasn’t just the victory; it was the way Hendrickson executed his plan so flawlessly. Still, any doubts? Let’s recall the match!

Wyatt Hendrickson’s grip that kept Gable Steveson in check until the final second

It all started fast. The moment the bell rang, Gable Steveson was on the attack. Sure, Steveson took control of the match when he locked up Wyatt Hendrickson’s leg during the opening 12 seconds. But Hendrickson wasn’t backing down. He fought through a 44-second scramble. But, Steveson managed to secure a takedown during the first period, though Hendrickson maintained the pressure on throughout. He made sure, every score required Steveson to fight hard for it—like really hard.

As the match continued, Hendrickson delivered outstanding defensive work by stopping every offensive advance Steveson tried. During the second period, Hendrickson successfully blocked two takedown attempts from his opponent. Time was running out in the third period when Hendrickson found an opportunity to shoot. With a fake move, Hendrickson seized Steveson’s leg before completing a spot-on takedown that put him ahead 5-4.

The final moments? Pure madness. Throughout the match, Hendrickson fought with absolute intensity to stop Gable Steveson from breaking free, yet maintained control over him. “My arms have never felt so strong,” he said later, talking about the grip he had on Steveson. The decisive clinch happened 21 seconds before the match finished. Steveson’s 73-match win streak? Gone. This victory was immortalized as one of the greatest upsets in NCAA history. Hendrickson’s 5-4 win over the Olympic champ is a moment that every wrestler dreams of!