The Gable Steveson Story
3/16/2021
Gable Steveson’s mother Laticia has always joked that Gable was born on the wrestling mat, and at times, it feels as though she might be right.
With each dominant performance Steveson puts on display, it becomes less far-fetched to believe that he learned snap-downs and double legs in the same days he learned to take his first steps and speak his first words.
Gable hasn’t been shy about the fact that he uses his wrestling career as an avenue to continue to build the legacy that he has worked so diligently to create, with every moment in the limelight being used as an opportunity to add to his story.
In fact, Gable’s story has been one that spans over the course of twenty years. It’s a story of adversity, a story of perseverance, a story of dominance, and this weekend in St. Louis, Steveson has an opportunity to finally add another chapter of that story: a national championship.
This is the Gable Steveson story.
Gable’s wrestling career started in Portage, Indiana, where he strapped up the singlet for the very first time. His older brothers, John and Bobby, had wrestled and found success in the sport, so it was a rite of passage for the youngest Steveson to step on the wrestling mat as well.
From an early age, it was clear that Gable was going to become an elite wrestler, and more likely than not, his brothers are to blame for the early success.
“I always got really frustrated wrestling with Bobby, just being younger and having to battle with him all the time,” Steveson said. “But having older brothers who had wrestled and had experience really allowed me to get better at wrestling during that time.”
It wasn’t just the local tournaments he was winning either. Sure, Steveson had no problem winning multiple youth state titles, but even in some of the most prestigious youth tournaments in the nation, such as Tulsa Nationals or USA Folkstyle Nationals, Gable would come home with the gold medal.
Whatever tournament Gable showed up to, he was going to win it.
During Gable’s seventh grade year, the Steveson family moved to Minnesota, a transition that meant Gable and his older brother Bobby would be wrestling for Apple Valley, a high school wrestling powerhouse that was known for producing collegiate-level talent.
“I never won in the practice room during my first two years at Apple Valley.”
The high school team that produced the likes of Seth Gross, Mark Hall, and of course, the Stevesons, had dominated the high school wrestling scene, and Gable had his opportunity to step into the lineup as an eight-grader at 195 pounds.
Everything had been going well for Steveson that year, becoming the top-ranked wrestler in his weight class at just 13 years old. He had a 39-2 record when he had reached the state finals, which was where Steveson ran into Alexandria’s Justin Cumberbatch.
“I knew I could beat that dude. Just didn’t do it that day.”
A loss. On the grandest of stages, center mat at the Xcel Energy Center, Steveson dropped a 6-1 decision. It was the last time Gable walked off a high school mat without getting his hand raised, and that moment served as the turning point of his high school career.
“That loss was definitely the turning point for me, just because it was my first loss in front of that many people,” Steveson recalls. “I thought I could never lose, so after that match I knew it was time to pick it up a little bit.”
From there, Gable dominated his high school competition, winning 171 straight matches and four state titles. His final two state championships lasted a combined 28 seconds.
Steveson also won three world championships, two cadet titles and one junior title, helping Gable realize that his true potential could go much further than the collegiate level.
“Going over there and winning those titles proved that I could go overseas and compete, and a lot of those guys are still doing well at the senior level right now, so I know I’m right there,” Steveson said.
With all the success that Gable had earned during his high school career, he was clearly the top pound-for-pound prospect heading into his recruiting season, with Minnesota and Iowa at the top of his list.
For some, it made sense for Gable Dan Steveson to wrestle in the house that Dan Gable built. For Steveson, however, the choice was clear to stay home.
“Minnesota was always the frontrunner,” said Steveson. “I wanted to leave a legacy here in Minnesota and to be that spark that the team needed for their rebuild at the time.”
Coming into his freshman season, Gable quickly became one of the most anticipated recruits that the Minnesota program had ever seen, with fans eagerly awaiting the arrival of their future heavyweight star.
On November 18, 2018, the Oklahoma State Cowboys came into town, and with them came then-No. 3 heavyweight Derek White.
“I knew that was the match for me to come out. He was ranked top-5 at the time, and that was just the perfect match for me to go out and show what I could do against top-ranked guys”
Steveson won the match 8-2, and started to cruise his way through his freshman campaign shortly thereafter. He quickly earned the top ranking at heavyweight, and as the undefeated freshman headed into the Big Ten tournament, it seemed as though there was nobody who could beat him.
Unfortunately, Gable was soon to meet his match in eventual national champion Anthony Cassar of Penn State.
Steveson lost a close 5-4 match in the B1G finals against Cassar at Williams Arena. In the highly-anticipated rematch in the NCAA semifinals, Cassar took another one-point victory, with 1:01 of riding time in favor of Cassar being the deciding factor.
Steveson wrestled through the backside of the bracket to take home the NCAA bronze medal in his freshman season, but his dreams of becoming a four-time national champion were now over.
“I was obsessed with winning four national titles, but I just wasn’t ready to beat him at that time,” Steveson said. “To this day, all of the success that I’ve had on the wrestling mat since those matches is because of Anthony Cassar.”
As the old saying goes, you either win or you learn. Steveson learned what he needed to do to become a champion. He worked on his strength and conditioning and came back stronger than ever, looking to prove that he was the best heavyweight in the land.
Gable did just that the following year, going a perfect 15-0, which all culminated to a B1G finals showdown with No. 2 Mason Parris. This time, he passed the test with flying colors en route to an 8-6 victory and his first B1G championship.
Steveson earned the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, and was set to compete in his home state in front of a projected record-breaking crowd at U.S Bank Stadium. All the stars had aligned, setting up the perfect scenario for Gable to win his first national championship.
And then, COVID-19 happened. A storybook moment for Steveson had vanished in front of his eyes, and another full year without a NCAA title awaited.
“It was saddening. I was ready to win my first national title, but life goes on.”
Life did go on, and Gable continued to train, this time with a new mantra heading into his third season in a Gopher singlet. He didn’t want to just win matches anymore, but instead dominate them, widening the gap between himself and his heavyweight foes. He was set to prove that he was not only the best heavyweight, but the best pound-for-pound collegiate wrestler.
As the 2021 season rolled around, dominance ensued for Steveson, going 11-0 with a 100% bonus rate leading up to another match in the B1G Finals with Mason Parris. This time, though, the finals match had a much different feel to it.
Some Twitter banter between Steveson and Parris after the RTC Cup quickly turned into a rivalry between the two foes, with all sorts of wrestling fans calling for the rematch to see if Gable could be dethroned.
Steveson, who had accomplished just about everything over the course of his wrestling career, came into this match once again with something to prove.
“I felt disrespected by everybody that said that they wanted to see that match, because I didn’t feel that there was anybody that could keep up with me,” Gable said. “I just felt as though I needed to prove once again that I’m the best guy, and that nobody is on my level right now.”
Whatever statement the heavyweight wanted to make at the Big Ten tournament, he did that and then some, widening the gap as he had done all year, this time defeating Parris via a 12-4 major decision.
Steveson had made it back to exactly where he left off this year, earning the No. 1 seed once again.
The entirety of Gable’s story sets the stage for this upcoming weekend, the 2021 NCAA Tournament. After almost two years of waiting, Steveson will finally have the opportunity once again to claim that elusive national crown.
If he happens to get his hand raised on the championship mat on Saturday night, there’s plenty of people to thank that have helped him throughout his career, listing his family and his coaches, among others, who have helped him get to where he is today.
However, Gable knows that he has been the one to put the work in, both on the mat and in the weight room. He has been the one to stay the course, never wavering from his goal of becoming a champion, and so if and when he becomes a national champion, Steveson knows that he will have earned it for himself.
“I’ve put the work in, I’ve overcome the adversity. Now it’s my time to win that national title.”
- written by Logan Sass, Communications Assistant
