(UNL./285 lbs.) G.O.A.T. MATNESS: NCAA Champs
Final Results
…And the winner of the inaugural G.O.A.T. MATNESS (UNL.-285lbs.) is:
🥇 - GABLE STEVESON ‘22 (MINN)
🥈 - KYLE SNYDER ‘16 (OHST)
🥉 - CARLTON HASELRIG ‘89 (UPJ)
Gable Steveson (61%) over Kyle Snyder
Thank you to everyone who participated!
Brought to you by: Wrestle MATNESS
Finals Matchup and Semifinals Results
#4 Gable Steveson '22 (MINN) 17-0 (1 FALL) [85-2] VS. #2 Kyle Snyder '16 (OHST) 11-0 (1 FALL) [74-5]
Gable Dan Steveson has lived up to his namesake. This man has navigated his way through the most daunting guantlet in NCAA wrestling history, needing just ONE MORE victory to claim true G.O.A.T. status. Although not easy, Steveson has comfortably defeated all foes (Thacker, Nelson, McCoy, Haselrig) standing in his way. Gable now faces his toughest challenge yet. Kyle “Captain America” Snyder is the epitome of a warrior and a hero. “Snyderman” just defeated Bruce Baumgartner, USA Wrestling's most decorated HWT., but Kyle’s toughest test was in the quarterfinals against the incomparable Stephen Neal. Discipline and pace can be expected as a gameplan from Snyder here. He may have a slight advantage on the mat and will try to take the match there but he’ll have to score a takedown first. I suspect this match will mostly take place on their feet and that’s where Steveson shines. Will Snyder be able to get to his ties, win the handfight, wearing Steveson down to score a late TD reminiscent of the Sadulaev upset and scream to the heavens? Or will Gable score a patented re-attack, claim his crown, and perform a final Backflip for all his adoring Wrestle MATNESS fans?
Gable Steveson (67%) over Carlton Haselrig
Kyle Snyder (68%) over Bruce Baumgartner
Semifinals Matchups and Quarterfinals Results
#1 Carlton Haselrig '89 (UPJ) 37-0 [143-2-1] VS. #4 Gable Steveson '22 (MINN) 17-0 (1 FALL) [85-2]
#19 Bruce Baumgartner '82 (INST) 44-0 [134-12] VS. #2 Kyle Snyder '16 (OHST) 11-0 (1 FALL) [74-5]
Carlton Haselrig (74%) over Brock Lesnar
Gable Steveson (87%) over Kerry McCoy
Bruce Baumgartner (57%) over Steve Mocco
Kyle Snyder (66%) over Stephen Neal
Quarterfinals Matchups and 2nd Round Results
#1 Carlton Haselrig '89 (UPJ) 37-0 [143-2-1] VS. #24 Brock Lesnar '00 (MINN) 31-1 (15 FALLS) [55-3]
#5 Kerry McCoy '97 (PSU) 41-0 (11 FALLS) [150-18] VS. #4 Gable Steveson '22 (MINN) 17-0 (1 FALL) [85-2]
#19 Bruce Baumgartner '82 (INST) 44-0 [134-12] VS. #6 Steve Mocco '05 (OKST) 37-0 (17 FALLS) [137-6]
#7 Stephen Neal '99 (CSUB) 44-0 (31 FALLS) [153-9] VS. #2 Kyle Snyder '16 (OHST) 11-0 (1 FALL) [74-5]
Carlton Haselrig (74%) over Mason Parris
Brock Lesnar (58%) over Chris Taylor
Kerry McCoy (81%) over Cole Konrad
Gable Dan Steveson (97%) over Tony Nelson
Bruce Baumgartner (91%) over Jimmy Jackson
Steve Mocco (53%) over Kurt Angle
Stephen Neal (64%) over Nick Gwiazdowski
Kyle Snyder (90%) over Lou Banach
2nd Round Matchups and 1st Round Results
#1 Carlton Haselrig '89 (UPJ) 37-0 [143-2-1] VS. #17 Mason Parris '23 (MICH) 33-0 (11 FALLS)[120-18]
#24 Brock Lesnar '00 (MINN) 31-1 (15 FALLS) [55-3] VS. #8 Chris Taylor '73 (ISU) 43-0 (39 FALLS) [87-0-1]
#5 Kerry McCoy '97 (PSU) 41-0 (11 FALLS) [150-18] VS. #12 Cole Konrad '07 (MINN) 35-0 (13 FALL) [155-13]
#13 Tony Nelson '07 (MINN) 33-1 [131-16] VS. #4 Gable Steveson '22 (MINN) 17-0 (1 FALL) [85-2]
#3 Jimmy Jackson '78 (OKST) 29-0 (11 FALLS)[88-9-2] VS. #19 Bruce Baumgartner '82 (INST) 44-0 [134-12]
#11 Kurt Angle '92 (CLAR) 26-0 [116-10-2] VS. #6 Steve Mocco '05 (OKST) 37-0 (17 FALLS) [137-6]
#7 Stephen Neal '99 (CSUB) 44-0 (31 FALLS) [153-9] VS. #10 Nick Gwiazdowski '15 (NCST) 35-0 (14 FALLS) [140-12]
#15 Lou Banach '83 (IOWA) 33-2 (15 FALLS) [90-14-2] VS. #2 Kyle Snyder '16 (OHST) 11-0 (1 FALL) [74-5]
Carlton Haselrig (94%) over Mark Ellis
Mason Parris (73%) over Howard Harris
Brock Lesnar (86%) over Jess Lewis
Chris Taylor (82%) over Tolly Thompson
Kerry McCoy (95%) over David Zabriskie
Cole Conrad (78%) over Jon Llewellyn
Tony Nelson (73%) over Greg Wojciechowski
Gable Steveson (93%) over Tab Thacker
Jimmy Jackson (51%) over Anthony Cassar
Bruce Baumgartner (84%) over Tommy Rowlands
Kurt Angle (79%) over Greg Kerkvliet
Steve Mocco (97%) over Bill Hyman
Stephen Neal (94%) over Dustin Fox
Nick Gwiazdowski (93%) over Zach Rey
Lou Banach (62%) over Sylvester Terkay
Kyle Snyder (98%) over Fred Bohna
Okay, here we go! We here at Wrestle MATNESS found ourselves twiddling our thumbs, bored stiff with inactivity this off-season, so we dreamed up a way to get the MATNESS firing again. We’ve created a new “fantasy” event format in which our users will determine the outcome through their popular votes. And for our first fantasy event…., G.O.A.T. MATNESS!
Don’t we all love to debate who’s the best ever? For GOAT MATNESS, we’ve gone and seeded the top NCAA champions from 1970 to the present day, based on what we consider to be their prime year and weight of competition. The criteria used to determine seeding was, in this order of importance:
# of NCAA titles
# of outstanding wrestler and/or Hodge trophies
Additional finals appearances
Additional AA’s placed (highest to lowest)
Prime season record
Prime season number of FALLS
Career Record
It’s been absolutely exhilarating taking the deep-dive into the stats of the NCAA’s all-time greats, getting a 10,000ft view of the historical landscape of the sport we love. The first criteria is the years of eligibility. We settled on 1970-present, the post-Gable era, for a couple of reasons. This timespan allots for enough eligible champions to fill a 32 man bracket. Also, 1970 is the year the NCAA went to 10 weight classes that directly correlate with the present day weight classes that came to be in 1999. It’s a bit of a challenge finding accurate stats for some of the wrestlers from the 70’s, although the NCAA HoF website has been a godsend. Some schools keep better records than others and their sites help to fill in holes, but we quickly learned that some stats, like falls, were not officially kept by the NCAA in the 70’s, so accuracy is not guaranteed. In fact, through our research, we learned Gene Mills’s fall record is self-proclaimed and Wade Schalles is still the certified record holder at 106 career falls.
We noticed some other interesting trends through our research as well. Pins seemed to “fall” out of favor (get it?) in the late 80’s, through the 90’s and into the early 2000’s, however, during this same time period, we see an uptick in overall bout totals in their career records.
Start thinking of your picks and be sure you Join the MATNESS to receive an email when G.O.A.T MATNESS ready to go!
Here is the list of competitors and 1st Round Matchups:
—Seed/Wrestler’s Name/‘Year (College) Season Record (#FALLS)[Career Record]—
#1 Carlton Haselrig '89 (UPJ) 37-0 [143-2-1] VS. #32 Mark Ellis '09 (MIZZ) 31-3 (9 FALLS) [91-39]
Your #1 seed, Carlton Haselrig has the top spot for a reason. “The RIG” posted a record-breaking 122 consecutive wins (once defeated Kurt Angle 🐐) in his NCAA career for the Mountain Cats and essentially became the only 6x NCAA champion in history, winning (3) Division 1 and (3) Division 2 titles in ‘87, ‘88, and ‘89. His style will bring Ellis and many others in the tournament trouble, as he is very light on his feet given his size. However, Ellis is a tough customer himself and can hold his own against someone like Haselrig. Ellis made history of his own at Mizzou, becoming their 2nd ever NCAA champion in program history during his junior season in ‘09 and a third of his career wins coming by way of fall. This clash of titan heavyweights should be a good one!
#17 Mason Parris '23 (MICH) 33-0 (11 FALLS)[120-18] VS. #16 Howard Harris '80 (ORST) 46-0 (40 FALLS)[169-25]
“The Battle of -ARRIS” - In this opening round nail biter, Mason Parris of Michigan squares off against Howard Harris of Oregon State. The Wolverine is a 2x finalist, but only managing one title (win vs. Kerkvliet, loss vs. Steveson, both 🐐’s) drops him into the contest with Harris. Mr. Harris may have put together the most impressive single season in the bracket. His 40 FALLS and perfect 46-0 record in 1980, are both “bests” among heavyweights. The BIG Beaver HWT. is actually considered undersized while Parris is NOT, but Harris’ second period FALL over Bruce Baumgartner in the finals that year (Outstanding Wrestler), proves he can handle the disparity.
#9 Jess Lewis '70 (ORST) 31-0 (20FALLS) [76-1] VS. #24 Brock Lesnar '00 (MINN) 31-1 (15 FALLS) [55-3]
On paper, #9 seed Jess Lewis has the edge with his perfect season and better overall record. One of two Beavers HWT’s in this bracket (H. Harris), Lewis was nearly unstoppable and a 2x Champion but let's not count out the Beast Incarnate himself, Brock Lesnar, whose known for his freakish athleticism and intimidating presence. Imagine the scene: Lewis, the epitome of 1970’s grit and determination, facing off against Lesnar, the turn-of-the-millennium athletic phenomenon. It's old school versus new school, technique versus raw power, experience versus youthful energy. Lewis would likely try to leverage his technical skills, honed through years of dominance on the mat. His ability to secure falls (20 in a single season!) could be a game-changer. On the other hand, the Gopher’s explosive power and lightning-fast takedowns could catch even a seasoned veteran like Lewis off guard.
#25 Tolly Thompson ‘95 (NEB) 36-2 (12FALLS) [157-21] VS. #8 Chris Taylor '73 (ISU) 43-0 (39 FALLS) [87-0-1]
This first round matchup evokes the proverbial ‘David vs. Goliath’ struggle, in which the Nebraska Cornhusker (Thompson), who’s NO small man himself must shoulder the weight of the 400 lbs.+ Chris Taylor of Iowa State. Taylor’s the second largest competitor in this GOAT bracket, creating potential mismatches in every round he advances. Here, he outpaces Thompson two titles to one, while posting a perfect 43-0 record in Chris’ senior campaign. This “Gentle Giant” hailing from Ames, Iowa compiled (39 FALLS), 3x as many as Thompson (12) in Tolly’s most dominant season. It’s also worth noting, Taylor never lost a match in his two-year career with the Cyclones, only being equaled once in 87 bouts.
#5 Kerry McCoy '97 (PSU) 41-0 (11 FALLS) [150-18] VS. #28 Dave Zabriskie '10 (ISU) 26-2 [116-22]
Kerry McCoy is often considered for the Mt. Rushmore of Nittany Lion greats. Enough said, his prestige is sky high with (2) NCAA titles and a 88-match winning streak to his resume. He used lightning-fast shots and an unbreakable gas tank on his way to the very rare 150-win club. “The Nittany Lion Express” brings an undefeated season, with a whopping 11 falls to his name. Standing in his way is the Cyclone powerhouse Dave Zabriskie whose explosive power and devastating throws could shock the world. Rumors are circling that Zabriskie would likely use fellow teammate, Olympic Gold Medalist, and NLWC coach Jake Varner as a body-double in practice to get a “feel” of the REAL McCoy.
#21 Jon Llewellyn '91 (ILL) 34-0 [98-10-1] VS. #12 Cole Konrad '07 (MINN) 35-0 (13 FALL) [155-13]
Few matchups could generate as much excitement as this dream bout between two undefeated heavyweight champions: Illinois' Jon Llewellyn from 1991 and Minnesota's Cole Konrad from 2007. Known for his relentless pressure and stamina, Llewellyn racked up wins using his ability to wear down opponents over the course of a match. Also toe-ing the line we have the #12 seed, 2x champ Cole Konrad. The Minnesota Golden Gopher stalwart posted a perfect 35-0 record in 2007, including an impressive 13 falls. Dubbed "King" for his reign of dominance on the mat, Konrad's combination of raw power and technical proficiency made him one of the most feared heavyweights of his era. His rivalry with Steve Mocco 🐐 is well-documented.
#13 Tony Nelson '07 (MINN) 33-1 [131-16] VS. #20 Greg Wojciechowski '71 (UT) 20-0 [55-2]
Toledo’s finest Greg Wojciechowski runs into Tony Nelson, the 2x champion from “HWT U”. The Gopher is one of four Minnesota GOATS competing in the bracket. Ironically (3) of them fall in the same quad! Wojciechowski put together a perfect 20-0 season in 1971, winning his only title in three visits to the “big dance”. The Rocket of EPIC proportions had a low-volume career, (wrestling only 57 bouts) but only lost twice, both in the NCAA finals.
#29 Tab Thacker '84 (NCST) 31-0 [91-13-1] VS. #4 Gable Steveson '22 (MINN) 17-0 (1 FALL) [85-2]
We have an ACC vs BIG10 clash in our 1st round match with NC State’s Tab Thacker and Minnesota’s Gable Steveson. Thacker has been “TAB-bed” the largest wrestler in GOAT MATNESS, tipping the scales at 450 lbs. He is a 4x ACC champion, 3x NCAA all American, and had the 2nd best record in program history with one national title to his name. In his 91 wins, 54 of those came by fall, so would be interesting to see what would happen if he can take Steveson down. Steveson, who is currently one of the biggest names in the sport, posts an impressive resume: 3x BIG 10 champion, 2x NCAA champion with (2) Hodge trophies! His style is just as impressive as his resume, resembling the likes of #1 seeded Haselrig. While he may not be the biggest heavyweight at 6’2 and roughly 250 lbs., he makes up for it with his quick feet and constant aggression and offense. Thacker’s best chance at a first round victory is to slow Gable down and get to his attacks first.
#3 Jimmy Jackson '78 (OKST) 29-0 (11 FALLS)[88-9-2] VS. #30 Anthony Cassar '19 (PSU) 30-1 (5 FALLS)[49-3]
Again in this matchup, we're pitting two eras against each other as Oklahoma State's Jimmy "The Cowboy Colossus" Jackson from 1978 takes on Penn State's Anthony Cassar from 2019. Jimmy Jackson uses raw power with an aggressive style and imposing presence on the mat. Facing off against the legend is #30 seed Anthony Cassar, a modern marvel from Penn State's powerhouse program. Cassar's 2019 campaign was nearly perfect, posting a 30-1 record. En route to his NCAA title, Cassar claimed the Big Ten heavyweight crown by defeating Minnesota's Gable Steveson, who was undefeated at the time and would go on to become an Olympic gold medalist. Cassar beat Steveson again in the semifinals of the NCAA’s. These wins showcased Cassar's ability to perform under pressure against elite competition.
#19 Bruce Baumgartner '82 (INST) 44-0 [134-12] VS. #14 Tommy Rowlands '04 (OHST) 44-1 (7 FALLS) [164-15]
Maybe the slimmest margin of separation in this opening round, Baumgartner vs. Rowlands should be titanic. If we were sorting out the greatest freestyle super heavyweight of all-time, Baumgartner’s resume would put him well in front, but the Sycamore of Indiana State was slightly more beatable. A 3x finalist, Bruce put it all together in his 1982 season, when he finished with a perfect 44-0 record while claiming the title. He compiled 134 wins, over half (73) of them coming by FALL over his career. Meanwhile, all the 225 lb. Rowlands did was dominate the NCAA HWT. weight class from ‘01-‘04. Also a 3x finalist, (with an injury default in the ‘03 semifinals denying him a fourth) Tommy managed two titles, his most dominate title year coming in 2004, when he posted a 44-1 record, 7 of those by FALL. He also tops Ohio State’s illustrious wrestling record book in career Takedowns (705), wins (164), and team pts. (703). Rowlands is out-massed in this matchup, but his proficiency on his feet gives him a puncher’s chance.
#11 Kurt Angle '92 (CLAR) 26-0 [116-10-2] VS. #22 Greg Kerkvliet '24 (PSU) 20-0 (2 FALLS) [76-10]
Kurt Angle, was a 2x NCAA Champion and is so patriotic that he bleeds red, white, blue. He’ll take on the youngest, most modern champion in the field, Greg Kerkvliet. Angle, the pride of Clarion University, Known for his intensity, integrity, and intelligence (and his ability to win Olympic gold with a "broken freakin' neck"), is truly no joke when it comes to his amateur wrestling career. Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State's latest heavyweight sensation, struts into this matchup with a squeaky-clean 20-0 record in 2024. Although Greg was dominant this past season, he has shown the inability to win against elite competition like Parris, and Steveson. His best advantage against Angle is size and a suffocating top game.
#27 Bill Hyman '85 (TEMP) 45-2 [77-9] VS. #6 Steve Mocco '05 (OKST) 37-0 (17 FALLS) [137-6]
The “Battle of New Jersey”. Steve Mocco is a scary man. He started his career at Iowa where he won a title in two finals appearances, but he put up his most dominant season at Oklahoma State, where he had a record of 37-0 with 17 FALLS, and capped his championship year with a Hodge Trophy. He is a 4x finalist. Playing role of the “underdog” is Bill Hyman. The Temple Owl is considered the best wrestler in school history, where in 1985 he won the national title, posting a record of 45-2.
#7 Stephen Neal '99 (CSUB) 44-0 (31 FALLS) [153-9] VS. #26 Dustin Fox '08 (NW) 29-1 (2 FALLS) [109-29]
Stepping onto the mat are #7 seed Stephen Neal from Cal State Bakersfield and #26 seed Dustin Fox from Northwestern. Neal, brings an absolutely monstrous 44-0 record from his 1999 season, with an eye-popping 31 falls, earning himself the Dan Hodge trophy. And oh, did we mention he took down a certain Brock Lesnar in the finals? His career 153-9 record speaks volumes about his dominance, as does his impressive NCAA tournament résumé: 4th, 2nd (lost to McCoy), 1st, and 1st. On the other side of the circle, we've got Dustin Fox, the crafty Northwestern grappler. With a 29-1 record in 2008 and a career mark of 109-29, Fox might not have the same gaudy numbers as Neal, but don't let that fool you. He can be sly.
#23 Zach Rey '11 (LEH) 34-1 (7 FALLS) [116-24] VS. #10 Nick Gwiazdowski '15 (NCST) 35-0 (14 FALLS) [140-12]
Lehigh Mountain Hawk, Zach Rey made two NCAA finals, winning his one title as a junior in 2011. That season, he posted a 34-1 record, 7 of those wins by FALL. Rey also had a solid career record of 116-24. He runs up against the one so fondly referred to as “Gwiaz”, Nick Gwiazdowski of the N.C. State Wolfpack. Gwiaz is a 3X finalist, taking home the top spot twice. He logged a perfect 35-0 record and 14 FALLS in his 2015 campaign. A 140-12 career record is quite impressive. After transferring from Binghamton, he finished up 110-3 over his last three seasons, illuminating his dominance in the weight class.
#15 Lou Banach '83 (IOWA) 33-2 (15 FALLS) [90-14-2] VS. #18 Sylvester Terkay '93 (NCST) 41-0 [122-11]
Lou Banach (Iowa) and Sylvester Terkay (N.C. State) will be 🔥! Banach won two titles as a Hawkeye, 1983 being his most dominant year with a record of 33-2 and 15 FALLS. Terkay evolved into a GOAT, progressing up the podium from 3rd, to 2nd, and finally winning a title in 1993 for the Wolfpack. In that season, he marked a perfect 41-0 record. This bout could go either way. Terkay has a weight advantage, but that never seems to bother Banach, who’s out-muscled opponents 50+ pounds heavier throughout his NCAA career.
#31 Fred Bohna '79 (UCLA) 29-0-1 [99-24-4] VS. #2 Kyle Snyder '16 (OHST) 11-0 (1 FALL) [74-5]
Ohio State’s Kyle Snyder, one of the most accomplished NCAA heavyweights ever (4x finalist, three titles at HWT, runner-up at 197lbs, outstanding wrestler of the 2016 NCAA championships). “Snyderman” beat Gwiazdowski 🐐 for an NCAA title and comes into this matchup heavily favored, but Fred Bohna has done nothing but overcome the odds throughout his high school and collegiate career. His work culminating in a 29-0-1 senior season record and the 1979 NCAA title, making him the greatest wrestler in UCLA history.