Competing in the recently held Big Ten Championship 2025, the Minnesota Golden Gophers wrestling team finished fourth with 108.5 team points—trailing Penn State (181.5 points), Nebraska (137.0 points), and Iowa (112 points). Despite qualifying nine wrestlers for the NCAA Championships, the Gophers’ performance highlighted a stark reliance on Gable Steveson’s brilliance, as he was their sole champion. This gap in the relative performances has thrust star Gophers wrestlers into the spotlight, tasked with elevating Minnesota beyond Steveson’s singular dominance as they approach the NCAA Championships.  The team’s seven top-eight placers showed depth but lacked the firepower to challenge the conference’s top tier, placing intense expectations on wrestlers like Vance VomBaur, Max McEnelly, and others to step up amid these struggles. Moreover, a specific comment has made the pressure of expectations so much worse for the VomBaur.

“He’s fun to watch!” blurts out a former wrestler on the lineup_legends show. While it’s meant as a huge compliment, you can’t help but think about the immense pressure that kind of talk puts on our Gophers superstar. Entering the tournament as the No. 4, Vance VomBaur’s Big Ten tournament run was quite a ride.

While going in, the expectations from the Gophers junior were high,  in the finals, All-American Brock Hardy (Nebraska) pinned him in 1:59, ending VomBaur’s bid for Minnesota’s second title. 

A buzz surrounds this phenomenal athlete, a wrestler whose electrifying performances have captured the hearts of legends! And indeed, he is! “From a technical perspective, there’s always room to grow, but he’s been a pure joy to witness this season,” exclaims the former wrestler. “He just attacks with the ferocity of a honey badger”!  And his progress has been nothing short of spectacular, a quantum leap from last season. He’s a spectacle, a wrestler who ignites the arena with every match! Yet we wonder! Will he be able to prove himself as the deserving successor of Gable Steveson? After all, the standards the 24-year-old has set are pretty high

Gable Steveson’s Big Ten exploits and the road that lies ahead

Gable Steveson’s 2025 Big Ten Championships run was a masterclass. As the No. 1 seed at 285 pounds, he has yet again proved why he belongs at the top. In the semis, he left the wrestling community intensely divided as he chucked opponent Nick Feldman of Ohio State outside the mat altogether! Sheer strength and muscle power like none other! But the real climax? the finale for sure!

In the finals, the Indiana native was all set to face off with Nittany Lions superstar Greg Kerkvliet. From the moment Steveson set foot on the mat, he made it clear he was there to win. In the third period, with 90 seconds to go, the Gophers wrestler was leading with 6-2. Kerkvliet is a national champion! yet nothing seemed to matter on the mat for Gable Steveson! Come the final moments of the showdown, the 24-year-old claimed his decisive victory at 10-3. This was not just another victory, this was historical!

The Gophers legend became the first ever heavyweight in the history of the Big Ten program to win four titles! A feat only Gophers wrestler had achieved in the past century, Verne Gagne, who claimed the titles in 1947 and then from 1947-49. After such breathtaking and historical achievements, what lies ahead for Gable Steveson?

For now, Steveson heads to the NCAA D1 Championships, March 20-22, 2025, at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, aiming for a third national title (he won in 2021 and 2022 ). He is confident about his win, as he made aptly clear on his Instagram. While celebrating his historical Big Ten achievement, the heavyweight wrestler teased his fans about his next show, “my greatest performances still awaits.. <wink emoji>” Could he be talking about the NCAA D1 championships, or is he referring to a potential Olympic comeback in 2028 to claim another gold for his country? Or he could be referring to both! With his blockbuster deal with NBOLife that caught everyone by surprise, we never know what Gable Steveson has in store for us, and that’s the best part!