When Wyatt Hendrickson beat Gable Stevenson for the NCAA heavyweight control championship on Sunday, people did not joke how an upheaval was.
“It was absolutely the greatest upheaval in amateur history,” the WWE legend and the gold coat of Olympic Kurt Kurt Angles in PK Press Club Digital.
“It will definitely go up there with the Miracle Hockey team and Buster Douglas eliminating Mike Tyson, definitively.”
CLICK HERE for more sports cover on Foxnews.com
The Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State, on the right, reacts after defeating Gable Steveson of Minnesota in a 285 pound match in the final at the NCAA wrestling championship on Saturday March 22, 2025 in Philadelphia. (AP photo / Matt Rourke)
It’s a whole honor, but angle does not only say that. He knows the world of struggle well as Olympic champion, world champion and NCAA champion.
Angle even quoted The Great Herb Brooks during the discussion of the fight.
“If they were fighting 100 times, 99 times, Gable Stevenson would have beaten him, not only beat him, but beat him generously,” said Angle. “It was just a weird night. It was the night of Wyatt Hendrickson, and I give him a lot of credit. He has not stopped fighting, and that shows the kind of force he has. I am sure he got it from the Air Force.”
Hendrickson, an Air Force second lieutenant, praised President Donald Trump after the victory after being draped in an American flag, an angle of moment said seemed to be out of a film.
President Donald Trump, on the right, welcomes Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State after defeating Gable Steveson of Minnesota in a 285 -pound match in the final at the NCAA wrestling championships on Saturday March 22, 2025 in Philadelphia. (AP photo / Matt Rourke)
Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State talks about the appearance of Trump at the NCAA wrestling championships
“He went out with the American flag, Mr. America – I know that it was not the case, but it is almost as if it was repaired, as if it was a film. It was crazy,” joked angle. “President Trump is there, congratulating Wyatt after winning. You couldn’t write a better script for a film.”
Angle also hypothesized that Hendrickson simply wanted the more fight, given the already impressive CV of Stevenson.
“I think Gable was like,” hey, I won the Olympic Games, I won the NCAA, I’m good. “It was not as if he had this additional fire inside him like Wyatt Hendrickson,” said Angle. “It was a weird thing – I give a lot of credit to Wyatt, he fought hard. But the levels of Gable above Wyatt, rightly so. But I give credit to Wyatt, he did.”
Stevenson tried WWE, even appearing next to the angle in 2022. He even signed with the Buffalo Bills last year but did not do the team. Angle said that if he was trying again this year, he would do the team, but he has another prediction for Stevenson, that he has already nicknamed “one of the greatest” in the history of the struggle.
Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State Cowboys reacts after defeating Gable Steveson of the Golden Gophers of Minnesota during the male wrestling championship of division I which was held at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on March 22, 2025. (Images Eric Hartline-Imagn)
“I think Gable Stevenson is going to be a great fighter in MMA, whether UFC or Bellator or anything,” said Angle. “He’s going to be an MMA fighter, and if he fights in the UFC, I think you will see a new UFC champion. Gable is this athletics. The kid is incredible. For him to be in a heavyweight division and be as athletic as he is nothing less incredible. The kid is just talented on the left and right, there is no doubt.”
