Gable Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist wrestler, experienced a surprising defeat at the 2025 NCAA Championships but remains optimistic about his future in wrestling and potential transition to MMA, despite previous setbacks in professional wrestling and football.
Gable Steveson gets it—you can’t win every time. The Olympic gold medalist faced a shocking defeat at the 2025 NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championships. Despite being the favorite, he lost to Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson, who took him down in the final moments for a 5-4 victory.
That takedown? The first one Steveson allowed all season. Ouch. But he’s not dwelling on it too much; that’s just how wrestling goes sometimes.
Steveson took to Instagram to express his gratitude: “First, Thank you Gopher Wrestling,” he wrote. He reminisced about his journey from an 18-year-old kid to now—some say 30, but who’s counting? His return to the University of Minnesota was a decision he never regretted.
“Bumps in the road gone happen,” Steveson said. Sports are wild like that. Yet, it’s those very moments that make the journey worthwhile. Wins and losses? They don’t define him. It’s about the sport’s attraction and showmanship.
After clinching Olympic gold in 2020, Steveson had a brief WWE stint that didn’t pan out. Then came football—a leap into uncharted waters with the Buffalo Bills. Training camp saw him trying hard, but he didn’t make the team.
Though offered a practice squad spot, Steveson chose to wrestle again at Minnesota. He went undefeated until Hendrickson halted his streak in the NCAA tournament. Quite a run!
To his fans, Steveson expressed heartfelt thanks for their unwavering support. From skipping warmups to staying late after matches just to chat—it made everything worth it. And to the doubters? He cheekily noted they still watched.
As for what’s next? Steveson’s future remains open-ended. He’s eyeing a second Olympic gold in Los Angeles come 2028, having skipped the 2024 games while with WWE.
But wait, there’s more! Steveson’s got MMA ambitions too, especially after bonding with UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones during training for a fight against Stipe Miocic last November. Who knows what’s next? Stay tuned!