Sammy Sasso is back.
In his first match back nearly 15 months after he suffered severe nerve damage in an August 2023 shooting, the four-time All-American earned a 12-6 win over Chattanooga’s Jackson Hurst in Ohio State’s first dual of the season at the Covelli Center.
"A win 607 days in the making!"
— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) November 15, 2024
The Savage is officially back for the @wrestlingbucks with his win tonight #B1GWrestling on @BigTenPlus pic.twitter.com/ohJ5YcrRkD
After drawing a big ovation from the home crowd on his way to the mat, Sasso scored three takedowns in the first period to race out to a 9-4 lead. He extended his lead to 11-4 with a reversal early in the second period after starting on bottom, ultimately entering the third period with an 11-5 advantage. Hurst scored the first point of the third period on an escape, but Sasso controlled the rest of the match from there to secure a six-point victory and get his hand raised for the first time in more than 600 days.
Sammy The Savage Sasso is back
— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) November 15, 2024
The 4x All-American and 2x B1G Champ, who was shot in 2023, returns to the @wrestlingbucks tonight #B1GWrestling on @BigTenPlus pic.twitter.com/cy4Zhhdyld
Thursday’s match was Sasso’s first since he finished as the runner-up in the 149-pound weight class at the 2023 NCAA championships. Sasso, who is now wrestling at 165 pounds, missed the entire 2023-24 season as he relearned how to walk after the shooting, which also required emergency surgery to reconstruct his colon.
Just getting back on the mat was a victory in itself for Sasso given the severity of his injuries and how hard he’s worked to get back to where he is now, but Sasso had said he only wanted to return if he could still compete at a high level. His win in his return to action showed Sasso’s story as a wrestler is far from over.
“I knew there was gonna be a lot of emotions involved with tonight, but I just tried to do my best to stay focused on wrestling,” Sasso said in a post-match interview with Big Ten Network in which he also thanked his coaches, teammates, family and Ohio State fans for their support during his road to recovery.
Sasso’s triumph highlighted a dominant night for Ohio State as the Buckeyes rolled to a 36-6 win over Chattanooga. The Buckeyes won nine of the dual’s 10 matches, suffering their only loss in the 174-pound weight class when Bryce Hepner suffered an injury and had to default his match. Brendan McCrone (125), Jesse Mendez (141), Luke Geog (197) and Nick Feldman (HWT) all won their matches by tech fall to score five points for the home team.
Sasso will be back in the lineup for Ohio State’s second dual of the season on Sunday as the Buckeyes hit the road to face Edinboro (1 p.m., FloWrestling).
