"It's more than wrestling" - Wyatt Hendrickson gets real about defeating Gable Steveson and waving the American flag on the mat 

Wyatt Hendrickson paraded the team spirit after defeating Olympic champion Gable Steveson for the NCAA heavyweight title in Indianapolis on Saturday. The Oklahoma State senior beat Steveson 5-4 with a last-minute takedown and celebrated by waving the American flag on the mat.

Hendrickson was trailing Steveson for most of the match, 0-3 after the first round and 2-4 early in the third, before bouncing back in style in the last minute. He unleashed a leg attack in the final half-minute and took down the fifth-year senior to clinch his maiden national title 5-4.

The former Air Force wrestler was cheered on by US President Donald Trump and celebrated his victory by waving the American flag on the mat. Explaining his decision at the press conference, he claimed that they were one team at the end of the competition.

"From the very beginning, it's more than wrestling and I think tryna portray that and giving that image is important," Wyatt Hedrickson said at the post-match conference.

"We are so honored to live in a free country, we are able to come gather in these events and do what we love and receive the support while we are on that mat so. I just like to bring that energy into the arena that you know we are all on one team at the end of the day and obviously we are going head to head in a year, but Iron sharpens iron. At the end of the day, when we go to Olympics or whatever we have to do, it's all one team in the end."

Hendrickson had finished third at the past two editions of the NCAA Championships, and transferring to Oklahoma to train under former Olympic champion David Taylor surely helped change his fortunes.

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Wyatt Hendrickson earns high praise from WWE legend Kurt Angle

Wyatt Hendrickson at the Division I Championships - Source: Getty

Wyatt Hendrickson, beating Gable Steveson, sent the crowd into a frenzy in Philadelphia and all over the internet, with the announcers declaring on air that it was the biggest upset in NCAA history. Hendrickson's heroics earned him high praise from wrestling legends, including former Olympic champion and WWE legend Kurt Angle.

"Congrats to Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State for doing the impossible…. by beating Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Stevenson of the U of Minnesota at the 2025 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia. This could very well be the biggest upset since Dan Gable lost in the finals in 1970. Job well done. #historicalmoment," Angle posted on X.

Steveson was undefeated this season and on a staggering 70-match win streak. He was chasing his third national title and was an overwhelming favorite to seal it before Hendrickson, as Angle said, did the impossible.