Wyatt Hendrickson did what many deemed impossible — he beat Gable Steveson on a college wrestling mat in 2025.
Hendrickson pulled off an upset for the ages to close out the NCAA Championships. He beat Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson 5-4 in the heavyweight final, as Hendrickson captured his first national title in his lone year as a Cowboy.
Hendrickson trailed Steveson 4-2 in the third period before shooting in on a last-ditch takedown attempt and powering through the Olympic champion and Hodge Trophy favorite. Steveson hadn’t been taken down this season.
YOU JUST GOTTA BELIEVE BABY
— OSU Cowboy Wrestling (@CowboyWrestling) March 23, 2025
Before the match started, things got a little chippy. Steveson was the first out of the tunnel, walking out WWE style to The Notorious B.I.G’s “Big Poppa.” Hendrickson, who is a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force, came out with an American flag draped over him. When he got to the mat, Steveson had some words for him. Hendrickson did his talking on the mat.
It caps off an undefeated season for Captain America. He wasn’t in the Hodge talk this season because it felt like such a formality that Steveson was going to win this weight, but with this win, Hendrickson’s undefeated season and his ridiculous bonus rate, he might’ve won a national title and college wrestling’s Heisman all in one swoop.
