Gable Steveson has vowed to come back stronger following his latest setback, drawing on the same mentality that helped him rebound from adversity during his wrestling career.
In a statement following Saturday night’s fight, Steveson acknowledged his opponent’s victory while making it clear that he views the defeat as another opportunity to rebuild.
“As for my opponent, congratulations, you caught me,” Steveson said. “A mistake on my end was made. It was your night.”
Rather than dwell on the result, Steveson said he intends to use the loss as motivation, comparing his planned comeback to the response he showed after setbacks in wrestling.
“Just like my wrestling goes after my loss, I came back with an undeniable will to win and focus that led me to the top of my sport,” Steveson said.
“The result of Saturday night, I believe, will catapult me to do the same.”
The message was emphatic: Steveson believes the latest defeat is a setback, not a defining moment.
“I will be great, and this won’t deny me,” he said.
Steveson also addressed controversy surrounding allegations from his college years that were brought up by his opponent during fight week. He said the matter had previously been investigated and that he was never criminally charged.
“I want to be clear: I did not do anything alleged,” Steveson said. “I was never charged with a crime, and the matter was ultimately dropped by the district attorney.”
He said he fully cooperated with law enforcement and that the matter was also subject to a separate Title IX review.
“The allegations were not ignored nor brushed aside,” Steveson said. “They were thoroughly and heavily reviewed as I fully cooperated with law enforcement, including a separate Title IX review.”
Steveson said his priority now is moving forward with his family and his career.
“Moving forward, I am going to keep focusing on my wife, my daughter, my family, and the work in front of me,” he said.
For Steveson, the immediate challenge is turning his words into action. The former Olympic wrestling champion has already experienced the process of responding to a loss and rebuilding his career around it. Now he says he intends to do it again.
“The result of Saturday night, I believe, will catapult me to do the same,” Steveson said.
“I will be great, and this won’t deny me.”
