Gable Steveson lost in stunning fashion at the NCAA National Championships, and he shared his thoughts after the match.
Steveson was defeated by Wyatt Hendrickson in a match that many consider to be one of the biggest upsets in the sport, as Steveson is a multi-time champion and had come into the finals with an undefeated record this season.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, the former WWE star said that he wasn’t happy with the loss, but he had fun going back out and trying to claim another title.
“I’m not happy with the result that happened this past weekend,” Steveson said. “But it’s a blessing to go out there in front of the crowd, in front of the biggest stage, and since leaving in 2022, I’ve always wanted to go out there and give one last good push for the University of Minnesota. So that’s what I try to do. I try to make things as big as possible, and I love the show, I love going out there and feeling the jitters, having your heart race and having a great opponent across from you. Win or loss, the road doesn’t end for me, and I keep going forward.”
Steveson Acknowledges It Wasn’t His Day
Steveson said that ultimately, it just wasn’t his “time” to win, and that while he thinks he could have won plenty of ways, it ended up just not being his day.
“It just wasn’t my time, and I’m cool with that,” Steveson said. “There’s nothing wrong with not having your time and not having your day because I feel that, out of all the other times that I probably could have pulled it off, but that day just wasn’t my day, and it happens. A lot of people are going to say a lot of things about, ‘Hey, he lost,’ but what I’ve done for wrestling I think is unimaginable. I’ve gone out there and won Olympic gold at the last second. I’ve won two Dan Hodge trophies at heavyweight, which no one else has ever done. Two national titles, three-time in the finals, five-time All-American. My resume stands for itself. A quick search can help that out. So like we talked about, it wasn’t the day. It happens, it’s a gladiator sport, and I’m a warrior.”
Despite the outcome, Steveson said that he will continue to go out and try and put on a show, and respects Hendrickson for the win, as he does everyone he goes up against.
“Win or lose, like I said, I’m always a showman,” said Steveson. “I go out there, and I turn the crowd up, I show love. If a guy gets his hand raised across from me, it’s respect as always. So the doors are still opening, and I’m just so happy where I am today and where the future’s going to take me.” (H/t Fightful)
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