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Wrestler Gable Steveson follows Olympic gold with NCAA title, retires with WWE next

Gable Steveson

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 19: Gable Steveson of the Minnesota Golden Gophers celebrates his win over Cohlton Schultz of the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 285-pound final match during the Division I Mens Wrestling Championship held at Little Caesars Arena on March 19, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Jay LaPrete/NCAA Photos/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

NCAA Photos via Getty Images

DETROIT — Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson of Minnesota successfully defended his heavyweight title in his final college match at the NCAA Championships on Saturday night.

The top-seeded Steveson, who took gold in Tokyo last summer, won 6-2 over Arizona State’s second-seeded Cohlton Schultz. Steveson took control from the outset, scoring a takedown in the opening seconds.

After the match, he flexed to the crowd three times. Fans at Little Caesars Arena continued to cheer, urging him to do his trademark victory backflip. He executed it to perfection and flexed again.

Then he went to the center of the mat, sat down and took off his shoes and left them there, the time-honored practice of wrestlers signaling their retirement. Steveson won his last 54 matches.

“I’m done,” he said in a post-match ESPN interview. “I did what I came to do. I was going to win the Olympic gold and win the national tournament again.”

Steveson’s retirement from amateur wrestling was expected. He has said he’s interested in becoming a professional wrestler and that he will attend WrestleMania in April, though he would not say if he’ll be involved in any way.

“I hope I gain many WWE fans when I take the next step,” he said.

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