"You might never walk again"- Ohio wrestler Sammy Sasso makes heartbreaking confession in court after gunshot wound surgery

Sammy Sasso, a promising wrestler at Ohio State University, revealed how his doctor broke it to him that he might never walk again after he underwent surgery for a gunshot wound. In recent news, the individual who shot him has been sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment, as per reports.

Sammy Sasso, the two-time Big Ten champion and four-time NCAA Division I All-American, was redshirting as a senior in the 2022-2023 season. The year that saw him make a record of 29-4 also witnessed a tragedy befall him. While Sasso was carjacking in an alley near his college campus, two men came with loaded weapons and demanded his vehicle. One of the suspects shot him in the abdomen area and drove away with the other.

According to reports, two years later, the wrestler finally earned justice as his guilty, Elijah Lee, was being sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. In court, before the Franklin County judge, Sasso recalled the agonizing pain and his surgeon telling him he might never walk again.

"The surgeon told me that I'd be up and walking out of here in seven days and I gasped in disbelief because of how severe the injuries were and I also couldn't feel my left leg. He swore up and down he was going to be walking out of here, no crutches, no wheelchair, no walker in seven days and after about three days of me telling him that I can't feel my left leg nor can I move it, he sits me down and says that there's been severe nerve damage from your L3 nerve running down to your left leg and you might never walk again. So I went from walking out of here in seven days to maybe never walking again." (beginning 1:49)

Sasso also recounted the days he thought he would never be able to wrestle again.

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Sammy Sasso revealed the real reason behind his wrestling retirement

Sasso at the Ohio State v Penn State - (Source: Getty)

Sammy Sasso fell short of the 2023 NCAA Division Championship title win as Yianni Diakomihalis defeated him 4-2. He also faced a setback that season and got sidelined till 2024. Not only was his wound on the recovery journey, but the 24-year-old was learning how to walk again.

His persistent struggles forced him to retire prematurely since training and competing at a high level were not physically possible despite support from coaches and close ones.

".. 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."

Sammy Sasso won the Fargo National champion's title and became a Cadet World Team trials finalist in freestyle.