Gable Steveson has been absolutely indomitable as of late. Since his return to the NCAA mat in November 2024, the Golden Gabe has extended his winning streak to 66 as he added 14 more victories to his name this season. But the numbers don’t do him justice since, in these fourteen victories, there are nine technical falls, two falls, and a few major decisions. Now with his 4th Big 10 Championship already in his lap, and a victory over #2 Greg Kerkvliet, experts have only one question. Who can stop Gable if he can be stopped at all?
After all, the man last faced defeat in 2019 in his freshman year. But since that 4-3 loss to Penn State’s Anthony Caesar, he has been anything but unbeatable. In fact, the last time he didn’t have his arm raised in freestyle was also in the same year as he lost to Uzbek, Khasanboy Rakhimov at the Medved Tournament back in Belarus. But that was it. Since then the Gopher has been on a run that has gotten him comparisons from everyone, starting with Cael Sanderson and Gopher legend Verne Gagne.
But with two NCAA titles (2021, 2022) and an Olympic gold to his name, Gable Steveson, isn’t done yet. Perhaps he wants to add that laurel of being the first Minnesota grappler to claim three NCAA titles. And between him and that glory lie five men. But looking at the sheer disparity of numbers between any of these men and Gable, one can ask, is there anybody that can take down Gable Steveson?
Can Wyatt Hendrickson and Greg Kerkvliet pose enough threats to Gable Steveson?
Looking at Gable Steveson’s potential opponents, two names that immediately come up are Wyatt Hendrickson and Greg Kerkvliet. While Oklahoma State’s Hendrickson is seeded #2, Kerkvliet is #3. Before Steveson’s return, these two were the best heavyweights in the division, with Kerkvliet even being the defending NCAA and Big 10 Champion.
Gable running away with it? Who can slow down Gable at 285 pounds? pic.twitter.com/YCZqJLQRXq
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) March 18, 2025
Looking at Kerkvliet’s record, he went 38 games unbeaten, with 29 of those victories coming with bonus points. This includes a 7-2 victory over this year’s #4 seed, Owen Trephan. He also had amassed a win over #2 Hendrickson in the 2023 season with a 4-2 decision. Thus, while he might have lost his Big 10 crown to Gable on March 9, Kerkvliet is still very much the defending NCAA champ and might still prove to be the toughest challenge that Steveson faces.
Meanwhile, Hendrickson is coming into his final NCAA championship with a 24-match winning streak, which has seen him pick up victories over #12 Nick Feldman due to the latter getting injured and a fall victory over #33 Hayden Filipovich. The Cowboy was also third at the 2023 tournament as well, being the first All-American from OSU since 2003. But while he continued his dominant run, achieving another #3 finish last year, he will finally be looking to get the crown this year. And for that, he will need to beat Gable Steveson.
With an overall record of 118-11 and a list of defeated names that includes the likes of Kueter, Trumble, and Schultz several times, few expect to see Hendrickson fold easily in front of Gable. Not to mention, with the U23 World championship under his belt, Wyatt’s confidence must be high. But while this clash between the top three seeds is no doubt enticing, there is a third man who can be the solution to the question, named Gable Steveson.
Can Owen Trephan finally break the streak and win the big one
One other name that has raised the standard of the NCAA heavyweight division is Owen Trephan. The South Carolina Gamecock has built up an unbeaten streak of his own, which saw him defeat the likes of Cohlton Schultz, Lucas Stoddard, and William Jarrell, among others. In fact, since his last defeat to Taye Ghadiali of Campbell, he has been on a roll.
This unbeaten streak has landed him the #4 seed and will see him matching up with Ashton Davis, Seth Nevilis, and #5 Ben Kueter on his way to the top. If Owen manages to maintain his winning streak, the Gamecock has a chance to match up with Gable Steveson in the semifinals. The two men have never met before. This in itself might prove to be Owen’s advantage, since Gable will be venturing into unfamiliar territory.
But regardless of all the speculations, there is only one thing that is assured. Irrespective of whom Gable faces in the upcoming matches, he will be looking to close in on the gap between him and the greatest heavyweights of all time. Everyone will be watching as Gable will knock on the foothills of glory. But whether Wyatt Hendrickson, Owen Trephan, or Greg Kerkvliet will be able to answer that knock, only time will tell.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t predict who the biggest challenge will be for Gable. So who do you think will pose the biggest threat to the Golden Gabe?
The post Gable Steveson’s Biggest Competition, Analyzing the Top 3 285lb Stars Who Could Challenge the Olympic Champion for the NCAA Title appeared first on EssentiallySports.