“My greatest performances still awaits.. 😉,” Gable Steveson wrote on X ahead of the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships. The Tokyo Olympics gold medalist returned to Minnesota’s wrestling mats after nearly three years and went on a tear. A 14-0 record overall was capped off by winning a fourth Big Ten Title, making him the first heavyweight to achieve this feat. He followed it up with a dominant run through the NCAA tournament and was heavily favored to take home a third national title. After a career detour that had seen him take stabs at pro wrestling with WWE and later at football with the Buffalo Bills, Steveson was feeling at home and looked primed to end his collegiate career on a high. The NCAA, sensing the occasion and Steveson’s popularity, even placed his bout last despite calls for Penn State’s Carter Starocci to headline the card as he chased an unprecedented 5th national title. However, it all came crashing down for Steveson.

The heavyweight titan fell to Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson in a dramatic 5-4 final on March 22 in Philadelphia. Hendrickson, a lieutenant in the Air Force who transferred to the Cowboys, sealed the upset with a late takedown, avenging his 2021 loss to Steveson by technical fall and etching his name into wrestling lore. The result left the wrestling world stunned, and even Daniel Cormier, who was calling the match alongside Jordan Burroughs, couldn’t contain his disbelief.

“Oh my goodness! Wyatt Hendrickson just beat Gable Steveson!”  Cormier shouted. “Oh my god! That’s crazy! Oh my goodness. I’m just happy I could say I was here to watch. I don’t know if I’ve ever been that surprised at a wrestling match.” Spencer Lee, meanwhile, offered a poignant message of solidarity to Steveson.

The 2024 Olympic silver medalist and Iowa’s three-time NCAA champion, Lee posted on X, “Wrestling is hard,” following Steveson’s surprise defeat. Lee’s words are rooted in his own experiences with tough defeats. In February, Lee lost 3-2 to Japanese World Champion Masanosuke Ono at Xtream Arena in the main event of FloWrestling Night in America, and as such, he is well aware of the pain of defeat on a big stage.

Lee and Steveson’s association goes back to 2021, when both wrestlers were honored with the 2021 Dan Hodge Trophy. Lee won 12 matches, earning extra points in most, while Steveson won all of his 17 matches and had a high scoring rate. Thus, both wrestlers shared the honor. Lee even praised Steveson after the honor, saying, “I’m absolutely proud to be sharing this award with Gable. I think he’s the best wrestler in the world.” 

The defeat would’ve been hard for Steveson, especially given how dominant he looked in the lead-up to the final.

He had not surrendered a single takedown all season or throughout the NCAA tournament that began the previous Thursday. In fact, he started the final in the same dominant fashion. He took an early lead with a takedown and seemed set to fend off any comeback from Hendrickson at the Wells Fargo Center.

Steveson stormed into a 3–0 lead after the first period and led 4–2 early in the third. But with less than 30 seconds left in the final period, Hendrickson seized a leg, refusing to let go until he delivered a shocking takedown—the first Steveson had given up all year—clinching a 5-4 victory. As time expired, Steveson sat on the mat, visibly gutted, while Hendrickson erupted in celebrations.   

While there is uncertainty over Steveson’s future following the shocking outcome, he posted a lengthy message on Instagram highlighting what his comeback to wrestling in college meant to him.

“First, Thank you Gopher Wrestling,” Steveson wrote on Instagram. “From a 18 year old kid to now 24 years old (Or 30 years old as some would say lol) When I left in 2022 there was always this itch to give y’all one last go around and I’m glad I could come back and give the University the light that it deserves! We had a generational run and I don’t regret my decision to stay at home to put on for the city again and again!

Bumps in the road gone happen, that’s what makes sports so crazy! But we live for moments like these and I am just fine!! In the end Wins and Losses will never define what I tried to do for the sport of wrestling.. The attraction, viewership, and showmanship always meant the most to me when I stepped out on the mat. To give it the light it deserves.”

The loss to Hendrickson put an end to Steveson’s incredible 70-match unbeaten streak, but there is a world of possibilities awaiting him. Last year, he trained with UFC legend Jon Jones and has expressed a desire to transition to MMA. He also harbors hopes of competing in the Summer Olympics in 2028 on home soil.

In his IG post, Steveson also made sure to thank his supporters and even those who doubted him.

“To my supporters I appreciate all the love through my time in collegiate wrestling. From skipping warmups to staying late after every dual regardless the city to talk to everyone definitely made it worth the time! To all the doubters, and naysayers that I had this year and will continue to have.. Regardless of how you feel… YOU STILL WATCHED and I thank you for that too. See you again! Gable, Out…,” he wrote.

Yet, with such a storied career at Minnesota, what remains is Steveson’s lasting legacy of college wrestling!

Gable Steveson’s Collegiate wrestling exit leaves a lasting legacy

Despite the loss, Steveson’s legacy at the University of Minnesota remains untouchable—he finishes with a career record of 103 wins and 3 losses, the best winning percentage (.980) in Gopher history, and as the program’s only two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner (2021, 2022).

For fans who’ve marveled at his dominance, Steveson’s run, which included 4 Big Ten titles and 2 NCAA titles, cements him as one of the greatest heavyweights ever. But how will this final defeat shape the way his college career is remembered?  

Beyond the numbers, Steveson’s impact on college wrestling is defined by his flair and fearlessness, traits that made him a fan favorite and a nightmare for opponents. He was the first heavyweight to win the Dan Hodge Trophy twice, a testament to his technical brilliance. Moreover, Steveson’s return for the 2024-25 season after stints with the WWE and a tryout with the Buffalo Bills showed his enduring love for the sport, even if it ended in heartbreak.

Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year after the 2025 Championships, he remained a beacon of excellence, earning the Most Outstanding Wrestler award at the Big Ten Championships for the second time—a feat only he has achieved as a Gopher, and is one of the only three in the Big Ten history. What does the exit of such a legend mean?

For the passionate wrestling community, Steveson’s legacy isn’t just in the titles but in the way he elevated the sport’s visibility, leaving an indelible mark. How will his influence continue to inspire the future of collegiate wrestling? remains to be seen. The likes of Vance VomBaur, and Max McEnelly have a huge weight on their shoulders that they must prove themselves to be the worthy successors of the all-time legendary wrestler and Gophers star, Gable Steveson.