Let's play at some mental gymnastics this morning. Perhaps even a mental back flip.
Where would you rank Gable Steveson's career among three-timers?
I am going to assume that if he wrestles this year, and wherever that may be, he will replicate his 2022 season. That means 17-0, another title, and another Hodge.
Tangent 1
And another boots on the mat? God, I hope not. I hope he has a sense of humor and figures out a way to lampoon his premature (in this scenario) "look at me" move.
Let's start by updating my table derived from wrestlestat.com data:
Steveson suffers from low usage. With only 97 projected wins he is on the low end of the group. But I am not sure how much that matters in the current age of wrestling less. But with only 2 losses (and unlikely to see a third) he is the leader in the clubhouse here.
Tangent 2
Does Anthony Cassar pop a bottle of champagne in a reverse 1972 Miami Dolphins celebration move every time Steveson wins another title? "That's right. I beat that guy. Twice. And no one gets a third shot at the title."
Even though Steveson is not a pinfaller, he has a very respectable bonus rate driven by a lot of majors. But the guys he is pinning and majoring are not the highest ranked. However, he does tech fall some very tough dudes.
Tangent 3
Does it help Steveson's case for dominance that he never has any problem with Mason Parris and the one year he left Parris goes undefeated and wins he Hodge?
Based on numbers alone Steveson would rank somewhere around fourth best of the wrestlestat era (plus Dieringer's freshman year) behind the three headed Lion monster of Nolf, Nickal, and Retherford:
Every Heard of the Hodge Trophy?
But in my world Steveson has three Hodges and those three only share three among them. That has to count for something. And probably a lot. But is it enough to say he is the best three timer of the wrestlestat era?
All That Glitters is Gold
Before you answer that question let me tell you a story about 13 seconds in Tokyo. Can you still hear John Smith saying "fake, snap, fake, snap, fake, snap"?
So...........?
So we have a three timer who is also a three time (two and a half?) Hodge winner, one time Olympic Gold Medalist who was quiet dominant in folk. I have to put him at the top. But wait, what did Mars Blackmon say? Oh, yeah, "It's the shoes." That top ranking is now contingent. I going to require an act of contrition for the shoes on the mat thing if he wants to keep that ranking.