Penn State wrestling star Mitchell Mesenbrink addressed the viral video of Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo not shaking his hand or even acknowledging him on the All-America podium at last month’s NCAA wrestling championships.
Before that, Mesenbrink once again proved he had the upper hand Caliendo with a commanding victory in the NCAA Wrestling Championships final at 165 pounds. But while the final result added another emphatic chapter to Mesenbrink’s dominance, much of the post-match conversation centered on the moment after the whistle.
Appearing on The Money Round podcast, Mesenbrink addressed the now-discussed non-handshake with Caliendo following the national title bout. Rather than criticizing his opponent, Mesenbrink expressed understanding and empathy for the emotion that comes with a high-stakes loss.
“I’ll shake everybody’s hand. Appreciate them. We battled. It was good,” Mesenbrink said. “But on the other hand, if you’re not going to shake my hand, that’s, dude, I get it.”
Mesenbrink went on to explain that his perspective is shaped by conversations with those who have experienced the pain of falling just short on the biggest stage. Referencing his mentor Ben Askren, he noted how difficult it can be to process that kind of disappointment in the moment.
“Having Ben talk to me about having one person, Ben would have been a four-time NCAA champion if it wasn’t for penalties. Yeah. And so, dude, I get it,” Mesenbrink said. “Like I see the, I can empathize with that. And so I think people giving him a hard time, it’s like, well, you’ve never been in that situation. So I think we can be okay with how he responded.”
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.In the NCAA final, Mesenbrink tech-called Caliendo 20-4 technical fall, securing his second individual national championship at 165 pounds and improving to 9-0 in his career against the Iowa wrestler.
For Caliendo, the matchup represented another chance to break through against a familiar opponent. Instead, Mesenbrink once again controlled the action from start to finish. The 20-4 result not only sealed the national title, but also matched the largest margin of victory in their series. Mesenbrink had previously beaten Caliendo 23-7 on March 9, 2024, also by technical fall and by a 16-point margin.
Across their nine meetings, Mesenbrink has thoroughly dictated the rivalry. He is averaging 14.7 points scored and just 4.2 points allowed per bout, producing an average margin of victory of 10.4 points. His wins over Caliendo have come in every form: three technical falls, three major decisions, and three standard decisions.
The progression of the rivalry shows both Mesenbrink’s consistency and his ability to win in different ways. He opened the series with a 12-6 decision on Feb. 9, 2024, then followed it with a 23-7 technical fall and a 17-9 major decision during that same postseason run. In 2025, he added a 19-4 technical fall, a 4-1 decision, and an 8-2 decision. This past season, he closed the door with an 11-2 major decision, a 12-3 major decision, and finally the 20-4 technical fall in the 2026 NCAA final.
Mesenbrink and Caliendo each have one more year of eligibility left.
