NCAA wrestling champion Mitchell Mesenbrink has finally reacted to the long-drawn-out controversy surrounding his post-final NCAA podium moment, where his handshake gesture with his NCAA finalist opponent, Michael Caliendo, did not go as expected. This comes amid the wrestling community’s reaction with outrage towards Caliendo for not upholding classic sportsmanship.
The NCAA D1 March Madness 2026 had seen electrifying mat performances throughout all weight classes, and Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink caught up with Iowa’s Michael Caliendo during the finals and swiped the mat with a dominant 20-4 technical fall. After the bout, during the final podium share, Mesenbrink walked around, greeting all the wrestlers, and stopped by Caliendo’s corner, who snubbed Mesenbrink’s handshake offer with a stoic look.
During a recent interview, Mesenbrink opened up on why Caliendo should not be the recipient of the heat surrounding this controversy, explaining how the high-stakes NCAA race could overwhelm even the simplest of the fighters.
“I was just like. Oh, I’ll shake everybody’s hand, appreciate them, we battled those good , but on the other hand, if you’re not going to shake my hand, that’s come, dude, I get it.I can empathize with that. And so I think people giving him a hard time’s like. Well, you’ve never been in that situation, so I think you know we can. We can be okay with how he responded,” said Mesenbrink.
Since the wave of the digital firestorm, Michael Caliendo hasn’t yet responded to his reason for refusing to clasp hands with his NCAA opponent.
Mitchell Mesenbrink Talks About His Love for Music
NCAA Champion Mitchell Mesenbrink has earned several national accolades through his mat prowess and continues to shock the wrestling world with his timing in high-pressure situations. Going beyond the mat, Mesenbrink has revealed a startlingly different side of his desire, completely different from wrestling: his love for music.
During a news segment, Mesenbrink spoke about his love for fine-tuning and explained how much it has helped him focus and be the person he always wanted to be.
“Music has really allowed an out for me, but it’s been like an in, I want to be in that industry,” he said.
His parents also echoed his enthusiasm and highlighted how growing up, their simplistic lifestyle ingrained music deeply within the family.
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