“I’m proud of the guys, and how they showed up and took care of business,” Steveson said.

Gable Steveson ‘sad’ after another win by fall?

Steveson did something Sunday that lifted me out of my seat. Not out of fandom, but out of pure appreciation of athletic excellence. He moved tenth-ranked heavyweight Yaraslau Slavikouski like Ikea furniture damn near off the mat on a double leg takedown early in the third period.

6️⃣0️⃣ straight wins 👏

Watch Gable Steveson finish off his latest victory with this powerful move for his second pin of the season.#B1GWrestling on @BigTenNetwork 📺 pic.twitter.com/Mreb0Vr8j0

— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) February 2, 2025

Win No. 60 in a row for Gable Steveson comes as a dominant top-10 pin 📌#B1GWrestling x @GopherWrestling pic.twitter.com/mqa0i0SdPk

— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) February 2, 2025

It was a ferocious fall that rightfully received a standing ovation. But Steveson wished the match — which you can watch more of below — had gone the distance.

“I wanted to go the three periods today. Sadly it got cut short, but we’ve been prepared to go three periods and nothing less. And I want to be out there for seven minutes and let the other people see me for seven minutes.”

Gable Steveson after his 60th straight collegiate wrestling victory

This is why I love wrestling. You, me, and everyone else see the W as the finish line. But wrestlers see the value in wrestling every available minute in preparation for future minutes. They value practice. Speaking of practice…

Gopher wrestling recruits have been solid

A lot of credit should also go to Gophers head coach Brandon Eggum and his staff for putting this loaded roster together, developing the undergraduates, and preparing the team for competition. Undefeated redshirt freshman from Waconia, Max McEnelly, said as much after the rout of Rutgers.

“Our coaches preached to us going out there and just scoring points – not worrying about the wins and losses – but to focus on the way you want to wrestle. And the way we want to wrestle is going out there and scoring points every single time and just lighting up that scoreboard.”

-Max McEnelly, four-time Minnesota state high school wrestling champion

The Gophers did just that, getting on the scoreboard early and often. All four Minnesota Gophers who scored first won their matches in routs.

Future of Minnesota Gophers wrestling looks bright

The University of Minnesota has nine wrestlers ranked in the top-25, and that excludes Steveson because he hadn’t wrestled enough matches to qualify at the time.

Redshirt sophomore Clayton Whiting (No. 24 at 174 pounds) had a comeback victory over No. 28 Jackson Turley in a match that was as close as you’d expect given their national rankings. Whiting claimed a 4-2 victory on a violent takedown with 40 seconds remaining and managed to keep his feet despite losing leverage in the closing seconds.

Related: Minnesota Gophers Basketball NIL Budget Revealed

The fourth-ranked McEnelly was clinical in his 18-4 major decision over No. 18 Shane Cartagena-Walsh. Only an educated act of desperation saved Cartagena-Walsh from a first-period fall. But the match was never close, and it set the tone for the rest of the team.

No. 4 Max McEnelly wins the top-20 battle at 184 lbs via a 18-4 major decision 😤#B1GWrestling x @GopherWrestling pic.twitter.com/OtTSTDnQkO

— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) February 2, 2025

McEnelly has won twice as many matches as Steveson without taking a loss (14-0). He’s won matches every which way but pin fall, and he was so close to scoring his first on Sunday. McEnelly said Steveson has been a huge help on and off the mat, and Steveson credits McEnelly for staying in-state.

“I think he made the best decision coming here. And for all the young kids thinking they want to go out-of-state or thinking that the out-of-state program is going to do them better, think about staying in-state and maybe you can flourish like he has and how I have.”

-Gable Steveson, Olympic Gold medalist seeking third NCAA Championship

Will Gable Steveson run into someone who can “see” him for seven minutes? I wouldn’t bet on it happening before the Big Ten Wrestling Championships on March 8-9. The Minnesota Gophers wrestling team hosts Iowa on Feb. 14. Here is Gable’s entire condensed match from Sunday.

Olympic Champion Gable Steveson (Minnesota) faced 2024 All-American Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers) today on Big Ten Network. Steveson showcased his elite athleticism, picking up the fall.

Condensed Match: pic.twitter.com/HPvKyFve0i

— Saturday Night Lights Wrestling (@WrestlingSNL) February 2, 2025

Gable Steveson signed by Buffalo Bills

After a failed attempt with the WWE, Steveson is trying to swap sports. And today, after numerous workouts with several NFL teams, the former Gopher legend has officially signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills, where he will try to make their roster on the defensive line.

Gable Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist and one of the most dominant college wrestlers in NCAA history, is signing with the Bills, per his agent Carter Chow.

Steveson now will try to join Bob Hayes as the only athlete to win a Super Bowl ring and an Olympic gold medal. pic.twitter.com/TfJn4Cd7B1

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 31, 2024

According to Schefter, his workout in Buffalo was the first time the 6’1″, 275 lb athletic freak has ever put on cleats. That’s a pretty remarkable fact that underscores his natural athleticism and raw talent.

Steveson had an impressive high school wrestling career at Apple Valley, winning four state titles and achieving an incredible 171-match winning streak. His success led him to commit to wrestling for the University of Minnesota.

Related: Do the Minnesota Vikings Have a New Starting Cornerback?

During his time as a Golden Gopher, he won three Big Ten championships and two NCAA championships. In 2021, he won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in one of the most memorable wrestling finishes in Olympic history.

College wrestling legend and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson is signing with the Buffalo Bills. Truly a freak athlete.

pic.twitter.com/sChgFCR7FX

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 31, 2024

Steveson signed with WWE in 2021, making appearances at SummerSlam and SmackDown. However, on May 3rd, less than a month ago, he was released from his WWE contract.

Related: Gophers’ Gable Steveson Talks Olympic Trials and WWE After Winning National Title

This prompted him to explore opportunities in the NFL. Is it possible Steveson can make a transition from wrestling to NFL football having never put on spikes before? I guess we will see…

There’s a first time for everything. Are you mother lovers ready for a mixed martial arts article? Put this one in your protein shake and drink it.

Funny how 30 degrees can feel like summer…

Your thoughts @BrandonStrack? pic.twitter.com/TSug2v2rMS

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) February 28, 2018

On Tuesday night, on Kevin Harvick‘s SiriusXM NASCAR Radio show; the President of the UFC, Dana White, said there is a “very, very, very, good” chance that Brock Lesnar returns to the UFC arena. These comments came just days after Lesnar, the former Golden Gopher and Minnesota Viking, was pictured with the business savant.

? pic.twitter.com/2AVR6HmAjR

— Dana White (@danawhite) February 26, 2018

Additionally, we are only a week removed from White telling TMZ “I’d like to see him come back. When Brock Lesnar won the championship, it was fun.”

The 40 year-old North South Dakota native won a UFC title in November, 2008. Since then, the Maroon and Gold’s former D1 wrestling national champion has bounced between MMA and professional wrestling. With his current WWE contract set to expire in April, the return of the tank of all tanks, to the Octagon, is trending in the right direction.

In the event he does make a comeback, Lesnar will be subject to an immediate six-month suspension due to his use of banned substances prior to UFC 200. April, 2018 + Six Months = October, 2018.

For what I’m assuming will be a decent sized army of Lesnar-haters, let the negative comments fly. Whether you want to call him a cheater, state he is too old, or anything in-between, one thing won’t change: Brock Lesnar puts asses in the seats.

To back that statement up, I’ll use myself as an example. My last evening centered around a UFC fight was when Conor McGregor beat Eddie Alvarez. My next evening centered around a UFC fight will be when “The Notorious” or Brock Lesnar……. maybe Jon Jones is back in the octagon. Whichever happens first.

Despite now craving Lesnar, I’m f*cken feening to see McGregor’s return. In my eyes, the Irish phenom is currently the most electric athlete on the face of the earth.

via GIPHY

Apparently, like the reports surrounding Lesnar, The UFC’s only individual to ever simultaneously hold title belts in multiple weights classes, is getting ready to feed my addiction. Yessss!!

What if they fought on the same card? Talk about a spectacle. A double main-event that started with Lesnar victory and closed with another McGregor knockout would be euphoric.

via GIPHY

Johnny Minnesota @TheJohnnyMN
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com