Bassett tries to take opponents to unchartered depths

By John Klessinger 

Editor’s Note: This article appeared in WIN’s Volume 31 Issue 6, which was published on March 10, 2025.

In the U20 World Championships 65kg opening round enroute to a World bronze medal, Bo Bassett was in a back-and-forth match with Valentyn Hryhoryshyn of Ukraine. After a challenge that reversed the lead from 6-4 Bassett to 6-4 Hryhoryshyn, Bassett came back with a vengeance. A takedown by Bassett seconds before the break tied the score, 6-6. Before the break was over, Hryhoryshyn’s corner issued another challenge. The challenge was denied, and Bassett was given an additional point, making the score, 7-6, at the start of the second three-minute period.

“When we go overseas, those guys don’t care who you are. They believe they are the best in the world,” Bassett said about that first match. At the start of the second period, Hryhorsyshyn had a quick two-point exposure off of a Bassett shot, giving him the lead, 8-7.

Bassett’s pace increased, visibly frustrating Hryhoryshyn. Bassett rattled off two quick takedowns to go up, 11-8. Hryhoryshyn lay on the edge of the mat. The referee was verbally encouraging him to return to the center. After another takedown, Bassett led, 13-8. Once again, the Ukrainian lay on the mat. Bassett scored six more quick points to end the match, 19-8.

“I felt him break. My dad (Bill Bassett) uses the analogy of deep waters. While most people live in four feet of water, I live and train in 30 feet. I want to bring my opponents into the 30 feet. We swim there while they sink,” said Bassett after his twelve-point scoring run on Hryhorsyshyn.

Bassett talks like he wrestles. He is fast and full of energy. Watching him wrestle is like watching a caged animal being let loose. Bassett is aggressive and physical. He handfights and attacks hard, beating his opponents into submission, no different than Ukraine’s Valentyn Hryhorsyshyn.

“I want to be the best ever and change the sport as much as I can. I want to leave a legacy,” said Bassett, a returning PIAA Champion at No. 2 nationally ranked Bishop McCort High School. A lofty goal, no doubt, but Bassett was clear that if other people don’t think your goals are crazy, they aren’t high enough.

The son of Bill and Karissa Bassett, Bo was born and raised in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He is the oldest of three boys in the Bassett house. His youngest brother, Keegan, is a ninth-grade 106-pounder for Bishop McCort. His middle brother, Melvin Miller, is a sophomore 160-pounder for the Crushers.

Western Pennsylvania is a hotbed of high school wrestling. Only two miles from Division II powerhouse UPJ and home to some of the best high school programs and wrestling clubs in the country, Bo recognizes that growing up in Johnstown (roughly 60 miles east of Pittsburgh) has been a blessing.

Bassett grew up in the sport. He watched his dad coach when he was a baby. Bassett wore a Young Guns onesie. Young Guns is one of the U.S.’ premier wrestling clubs owned by Iowa All-American and UPJ national champion Jody Strittmatter. Young Guns practices are held at RPW/Compound wrestling club owned by his dad, Bishop McCort Head Coach Bill Bassett.

“At a young age, I fell in love with wrestling. I liked the one-on-one nature of it. I like the idea that whatever you put into it, you get out of it. I live it as well. God is the center of my life. I see the bigger picture. It drives me,” Bassett added.

Before he walks out on the mat, Bassett says three phrases to himself. “Machine gun mindset, sprint the mile, and nobody can outwork me.” It is a mindset instilled in him by his dad. “He is the mad scientist. He is so good at preparing us for the mental side of wrestling. He has these analogies that we understand and take with us into our matches,” Bassett said.

Bassett said he has developed this mindset through his love of the sport and hard work. He acknowledges all the great people around him. Bassett looks up to Spencer Lee, David Taylor, and Jody Strittmatter. But his dad, Bill, is his greatest mentor. “His workouts are the hardest things I have ever done. I know I do things most people aren’t willing to do,” said Bassett.

When Bassett wrestles, he is stoic. He credits that to his training and pre-match preparation. “We have the best preparation. We get the first match in before we ever set foot on the mat. We get our minds ready. We are ready to go to war,” he said.

Bassett says our face and body are a billboard. “We show how we feel by body language,” he says. “You can win matches on body language,” Bassett added. Bo reminds himself to smile. He never makes it out to be more than it is. He knows it is a wrestling match. “I surrender to the outcome. Regardless of the outcome, I will be back training tomorrow,” emphasized Bassett.

He told me of a sermon he once heard about the two wolves. It resonated with him. “Which wolf wins? The one you feed,” Bassett explains. “I feed the positive wolf. I get confidence from working hard. I have no regrets. It is a special place to be. I know whatever happens is part of God’s plan for me,” Bassett elaborated.

There is part of the brain that grows from repeated hard challenges and stimulation. It is called the anterior mid-cingulate cortex. Bassett tells me about this. He explains that wrestlers (and all people) need to do hard things to develop mental toughness. “No matter how I feel, I consistently go to practice every day and give everything I have,” said Bassett.

“We have an unbelievable room at Bishop McCort. We have eight guys ranked in the country. We joke that our wrestling room is called the “Shark Tank.” Not everyone that comes into our room can handle it. That is where I live, and remember that when I am out on the mat,” he says.

Quickly, Bassett is becoming an icon of the sport. His style is fun to watch, he dominates, and his pace is relentless. He has become the ambassador of the next wave of great American talent. However, he is not waiting to make his mark.

Bassett is already an accomplished senior-level wrestler while only a junior in high school. Will he be the best ever? Only time will tell. But in the meantime, the competition will have to swim out to deeper waters. Bassett has no fear about the unknown and is willing to sprint to it. His mindset is unique and unmoving. He falls back on his faith. “Faith can move mountains,” he said. But he remembers to smile. He smiles because he loves the sport. He smiles because he is not afraid to sprint when others only want to walk—a machine gun mindset.