Gable Steveson just cannot seem to get out of controversy in recent times. After making merry in the Olympics, Steveson decided to switch careers and got registered to WWE. Unfortunately for him, things didn’t pan out in the manner he would have liked it to. Despite requesting WWE permission for a potential transfer to the University of Iowa, Steveson was turned down. Finally, after days of uneventful negotiations, the WWE finally decided to fire the NCAA phenom from its promotion. 

Now, looking at his wrestling prowess, it was expected that Steveson’s next stop would be the UFC. And he himself looked quite interested in the prospect, the likes of Jon Jones too, praised his fighting abilities. Terming his fighting style as scary, the UFC heavyweight champion heaped praises on the Olympic champion. However, Steveson took a decision that caught everyone by surprise. 

After a significant gap, Gable Steveson decided to return to collegiate wrestling. Free from his ties with the WWE, Steveson wanted to have his final run with the Golden Gophers at the University of Minnesota. Apart from that, Steveson would also be chasing the dream of winning a third NCAA title. If fulfilled, he would be joining an elite group of wrestlers like Earl McCready and Dick Hutton. 

Now, Steveson did take his first positive step towards his goal. However, despite winning his initial fight, the Olympic champion has been subjected to a series of backlash from the fans. Returning to NCAA after a gap of 981 days, Steveson made a thumping return. He toppled Drew Blackburn-Forst 18-3 within a couple of minutes, registering his first NCAA win in a while. 

Now, surely, this was a praiseworthy performance. However, the fans were unimpressed due to the mismatch in experience between the two wrestlers. While Steveson is a veteran, Drew is a newbie and is younger than the Olympian. Thus, as soon as the reports of his win became public, fans started to take shots at Steveson online.

Fans Criticize Gable Steveson’s easy victory 

Gable Steveson got the stick from the fans for almost ragdolling with a much-inexperienced opponent. One fan commented and announced Gable Steveson’s return to collegiate wrestling, highlighting his Olympic gold medal and his role with the University of Minnesota’s wrestling team. It notes his participation in a heavyweight match, which he won decisively against his opponent. With excitement and enthusiasm, the fan wrote, “He’s back! Olympic gold medalist and @GopherWrestling great Gable Steveson making his return to collegiate wrestling tonight. He’ll wrestle in the heavyweight matchup tonight against”. While several fans were excited, a few wrestling enthusiasts seemed pretty disappointed about the fact that he won against an inexperienced rival.

One X user criticized Gable Steveson’s return to NCAA wrestling, highlighting the perceived unfairness of his dominance against an inexperienced opponent, Drew Blackburn-Forst from NDSU. “Gable Stevenson college wrestling again seems kinda silly. Ragdolled a kid from NDSU tonight in Fargo”, wrote the commenter. They consider the matchup imbalanced. More so because the difference between Steveson’s Olympic and collegiate accolades versus his opponent’s rookie status is quite prominent. The bout has also been referred to as “ragdolling” due to the stark disparity in skill and experience.

Another fan shared their personal opinion and defended Gable Steveson’s return to collegiate wrestling, emphasizing it as a rightful move for the Olympic champion to finish his degree and final year of eligibility. The netizen commented, “You’re missing the point. It’s not about making or breaking the Olympics… It’s about the fact that Gable Stevenson is returning to the sport he BELONGS in.  You don’t have to celebrate, but to hate a 24 year old Olympic Gold medalist for finishing his degree / last year pt1”. They argued that criticism of Steveson’s dominant performance overlooks his decision to return to his roots in amateur wrestling, a sport where he excels, instead of focusing solely on his Olympic achievements or other career ventures.

Gable Steveson also got criticized by another fan who blamed him of mismanaging his career post-Olympic success. The netizen commented, “Has anyone fu**ed up their own career after winning a Gold Medal more than Gable Stevenson? “When you chase two rabbits you catch none.””. It suggests that his attempts to juggle multiple pursuits, including WWE, UFC prospects, and a collegiate wrestling return, have diluted his focus and undermined his achievements. 

Echoing the same thoughts, another user wrote, “You can’t switch between Olympics, going back to college for another NCAA Championship, WWE (professional wrestling), MMA AND professional football like that. Anybody could have told him this.” The fan’s opinion implied that such frequent transitions hinder stability and hampers an athlete’s growth in the athletic realm.

Thus, with Steveson facing the heat, it remains to be seen how well can he turn it around and topple the other stalwarts of the NCAA.