Gable Steveson and AJ Ferrari—two undefeated wrestling phenoms, yet the debate over who reigns supreme has never been more intense. We have Steveson’s Olympic gold and victories on the one hand people and Ferrari’s speed and ability to attract attention on the other. But does Ferrari truly belong in the same conversation as the Olympic medalist? Or is this debate overblown? A viral exchange on X has set fans ablaze.
Justin Basch posted on X, “We’re talking 93% bonus vs 100% bonus, Starvingbox, that’s not ‘remotely as dominant? And, @carterstarocci has easily the best win of the year out of all 3.” The question here arises: how did Basch come into the debate? Well, he responded to the post of one X user, “Not even remotely as dominant as Mitchell or Gable and you know it. You know it, Justin. And yet you lie to us. The Carter bias is EXPLICITLY for his resume, not this year (not that he’s ever been hodge-level dominant).” How do Steveson and Ferrari compare on the mat anyway?
If we talk about the overall wins in wrestling, Gable Steveson dominated the mat with a score of 95-2, whereas AJ Ferrari won 35 matches and lost only one. Though Ferrari lost only one match in his career, Steveson has played more than double. That way, the Gophers star should be counted as the dominant on the mat. Also, not to forget, with a perfect 10-0 record, Gable Steveson is now ranked #1 in the 285-pound division.
The Indiana native is an unstoppable force in collegiate wrestling as a senior wrestler for Minnesota in the Big Ten conference. Steveson defeated Dirk Morley of Northwestern to record his 59th consecutive victory. As of now, AJ Ferrari and Gable Steveson have not faced each other in a wrestling match. So until the showdown, their wrestling records do all the talking.
The 24-year-old Gophers star backed Minnesota’s 44-0 victory over Campbell in November up with a 20-4 technical fall, marking his first return to action. Following a hiatus from wrestling, Ferrari made a triumphant comeback by defeating Stanford wrestler Nick Stemmet 5-0. Now, as the debate is going on again, most of the wrestling fans are rallying for Steveson over Ferrari.
Amid the AJ Ferrari-Gable Steveson debate, fans have a favorite
Gable Steveson’s dominance on the mat remains a constant, and fans are making it clear—there’s no real competition. “Carter beat a true freshman by a one-score match. Gable is the answer. He teched the Rutgers dude days after Kerk beat him 2-0. He teched the dude who won the all-star match in his first match in years. Gable all day!” Rutgers’ Yaraslau Slavikouski got the better of Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet and emerged as the winner with a 2-0 decision on January 24, 2025. Weeks later, at the start of February 2025, the reverse happened when Minnesota’s wrestling star won with a score of 25-3 against Slavikouski.
Another emphasized that no one has truly tested Steveson yet, noting, “It’s not Gable’s fault the schedule doesn’t have him against OSU or PSU yet. His closest match was a major against Feldman, I believe. Hodge is clearly between Mesenbrink or Gable. Mesenbrink is light years ahead of the next best.” Defeating Nick Feldman is no little joke! After all, the Pennsylvania native finished his high school career with an impressive 142-17 win-loss record.
For those still unconvinced, history speaks for itself. The wrestling fan wrote, “Gable toyed with Mason Parris every time they wrestled, and Parris won the Hodge the next season in a still very good HWT division. Gable was just that much better than EVERYBODY for 3 years, 4 counting this year.” First Feldman and then Parris, the Olympic champion takes down wrestling pros like it’s nothing!
That’s not just dominance—that’s generational greatness. Yet, some argue that PSU bias plays into the debate, calling out Basch directly: “You’re a great guy, Basch, but we all know you’re a PSU homer.” The comment further reads, “You think you can base the hodge on one ‘best win. And that win doesn’t even count. It’s Gable or Messenbrink. Maybe they’re close to even now. And it will come down to who is more dominant in the journey.”
Ultimately, it’s not just about stats—it’s about the aura Steveson brings to the mat. “People never shoot on Gable,” one fan pointed out. “They know it’s a given he’ll score. Every match, the other person is just trying not to get embarrassed. Ferrari definitely stalled. I agree.” Gable Steveson has earned such a reputation for himself over the years. The records speak for him. While Ferrari has undeniable talent, the consensus seems clear: Steveson is the benchmark, and until someone can truly challenge him, the debate feels one-sided.
The post Wrestling Fans Get Heated Over Gable Steveson and AJ Ferrari Debate as Frustrations Grow Over Undefeated Stars appeared first on EssentiallySports.
