If there’s one thing wrestling fans look forward to, it is watching Bo Bassett step onto the mat. All eyes have been on the prodigy’s stellar run. However, this got the best of him when he missed out on the gold at the U20 World Championships. But the 17-year-old didn’t leave until he’d snagged a hardware for himself and won the bronze at the championships. Since then, he’s back on an upward rise, and fans witnessed his stellar performance at the 2024 Super 32 Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

The wunderkind faced a familiar opponent, Daniel Zepeda, in the 144 lbs finals. Bassett took down Noah Nininger in the semi-finals 23-9, while Zepeda beat Nikade Zinkin 8-4. After Zepeda’s loss in FloWrestling’s “Who’s #1,” the 17-year-old emerged victorious yet again. Touted as one of the most anticipated matches at the championships, the 144 lbs finals came at a head when both racked up 7 points each. But after a thrilling OT, the prodigy emerged victorious against his foe with 10-7.

In a post-match interview with WIN Magazine, Bo Bassett was praised for keeping his composure in the match. The U20 Pan Am Champion confessed that several people asked how he dealt with the pressure from the sport. “To be honest with you, I find a lot of freedom in my faith. I don’t feel too much pressure,” he stated. The wrestler added that if he prays, things will go well. “Ultimately, if I win, that’s great, and if I lose, it’s also part of God’s plan.” He was even spotted smiling at his family, who watched him from the stands. 

The 17-year-old continued, “If you’re not smiling, you’re not having fun. I always remind myself that I do this for fun. Wrestling is fun. It’s not supposed to be real stressful or put a bunch of pressure on yourself.” Even though his winning streak was broken at the U20 World Championships, he dusted himself off and looked forward to returning next year. But one thing helped him clinch his third Super 32 championship. 

“So for me, I’m just going to keep rowing the boat, smiling when I need to, and scoring points. It’s so fun. That was probably the most fun match I’ve ever had in my life, and I remembered to smile, so that’s exciting.” By the looks of it, it worked in his favor. Here are the results of the rest of the finals: 

• 106 lbs – Caleb Noble Gurnee (IL), F Sean Kenny Bayville (NJ), 5:45
• 113 lbs – Fred Bachmann North Wales (PA), DEC Johnathon Mcginty Ridgewood (NJ), 4-2
• 120 lbs – Christian Castillo Ames (IA), DEC Antonio Mills III (GA), 6-5 TB2
• 126 lbs – Anthony Knox Monmouth Beach (NJ), DEC Aaron Seidel Schaefferstown (PA), 3-2
• 132 lbs – Jax Forrest Johnstown (PA), DEC Seth Mendoza Mokena (IL), 9-3
• 138 lbs – Sergio Vega Tucson (AZ), MD, Dalton Perry Renovo (PA), 18-5
• 150 lbs – Landon Robideau Saint Michael (MN), TF Blake Cosby Maybee (MI), 20-5 5:51
• 157 lbs – William Denny Manhattan (IL), DEC Kollin Rath Stroudsburg (PA), 7-3
• 165 lbs – Asher Cunningham State College (PA), DEC Dominic Bambinelli Hoscton (GA), 12-11
• 175 lbs – Tyler Eise Gilroy (CA), F Jordan Chapman Cranford (NJ), 2:45
• 190 lbs – Carson Thomas Hamilton (OH), DEC Vincenzo Lavalle East Hanover (NJ), 7-1
• 215 lbs – Angelo Posada Poway (CA), F Noah Weaver Frankfort (IN), 1:56
• 285 lbs – Dean Bechtold POTTSTOWN (PA), DEC Michael Mocco Parkland (FL), 5-0

However, this wasn’t the only time Bo Bassett faced Daniel Zepeda this season. How did the wrestling prodigy fare in one of the most thrilling rematches?

Bo Bassett redeems himself against foe Daniel Zepeda

The 17-year-old had faced the California native in FloWrestling’s “Who’s #1” in 2023. But alas, he wasn’t a match for Zepeda. Before their tussle on September 29th, Zepeda was confident as ever, even posting “Daddy’s Home” on his Instagram story. But things didn’t exactly go his way on the mat.

Ranked #1 in the 144 lbs category, Bo Bassett looked forward to holding on to the position after the night concluded. In fact, an early takedown had him leading by 3-0. However, Zepeda wasn’t going to concede as easily, and a quick escape brought the score up to 3-1. With his position hanging by a thread, the 17-year-old went for another takedown. By the end of the first period, he was still leading by 6-1.

However, things took an exciting turn in the second period. While Bassett hoped to hold on to lead longer, Zepeda wasn’t too keen on that. With the score now up to 10-6, it looked like the California native was on his way to snag another win. But the 17-year-old earned 2 more points, bringing the total to 12-6. With this, he held on to his #1 position, finally redeeming himself from the U20 World Championships bronze medal performance.

Beating Daniel Zepeda again at the 2024 Super 32 Championships, Bo Bassett has proven that he won’t settle for less. While things seemed shakey momentarily, he was back on top again. While he doesn’t intend to leave the mat anytime soon, this definitely gave him the insight to look beyond wrestling. The 17-year-old even hinted at trying his hand in the Octagon in a recent AMA, “I will be a UFC Champion.” We’re not sure when that will happen, but for now, he seems to be content with his wrestling success.