"Going to learn how to walk again"- Sammy Sasso makes his feelings known as he opens up about struggles and retiring from the sport

Sammy Sasso talked about his retirement from wrestling and how he struggled with his form after returning to Ohio State from a one-year hiatus. Sasso made waves during his college years since the 2019-2020 season, but a setback in 2023 ended his career prematurely.

Sammy Sasso faced a harrowing fate when he was shot during a carjacking in an alley near the OSU campus. The wrestler encountered two individuals, one of whom approached him with a gun and claimed his car. The suspect then shot Sasso in the abdomen area and drove away in the latter's vehicle with the other person. The four-time Big Ten medalist's condition landed him in the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where he immediately underwent surgery on his colon.

The bullet that restricted his nerves from functioning was then taken out from near his spine with another surgery. Sasso was sidelined for over a year before marking his return later in 2024. The silver medalist at the 2023 Nationals impressed on the mat but announced retirement due to his persistent struggles to compete at a high level.

As per the Big Ten Championships' X account, Sasso made his feelings known, saying:

"It was tough, just because you go from wrestling at such a high level, and wrestling in Big Ten Finals, National Finals, things like that, and then going to learn how to walk again, you know, it's not easy. And at first, wrestling seemed far away, but I just had some really good physical therapists, I had a lot of people supporting me, especially the wrestling community as a whole, and ultimately it didn't work out the way I wanted it to, but the damage to my leg was just a little too much."

"But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything, because it just showed me a lot about myself, and what I'm capable of, despite not getting the results I wanted, I just found another level of work that I could go to, so, you know, I really couldn't have done it without the support of coaches, teammates, and, you know, family, and the wrestling community," he added.

Sammy Sasso received applause from coach Tom Ryan for mindfully retiring when he didn't feel his best

Sammy Sasso representing OSU at the Big Ten Championship - (Source: Getty)

Sammy Sasso became a four-time NCAA Qualifier and All-American and finished No.5 at the 2022 and No.2 at the 2021 and 2023 National Championships. His impressive track record made him one of the most promising names on the Buckeyes roster.

Recently, when his decision to retire came to the fore, his coach lauded him for taking the step in his and the program's best interest.

"His will is 100 percent there. That has never wavered. This guy is an ultra-competitor. As difficult as it was for him to bow out — he was supposed to go to Lock Haven and battle it out with Cannon for the spot, but he’s a man and he felt that it was not in his best interest or the best interest of the program.”

Sammy Sasso was the OSU Scholar-Athlete in 2019 and 2020. His resume also included two Big Ten titles.