Cayden Henschel made his feelings known after a thrilling bout with Bo Bassett in the featherweight competition at RAF 05 on January 10, 2026. The latter, boasting an undefeated high school record, defeated his opponent by technical fall, 14-4.
Bassett has been gearing up for a collegiate career at Virginia Tech after thorough consideration, turning down the Iowa Hawkeyes despite initially committing to the program. He officially announced his move to Iowa in February 2025, but soon afterward reopened his recruiting options.
Cayden Henschel Shows Admiration for Bo Bassett After RAF 5 Match-Up
Henschel, who built a strong wrestling resume with his performances at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and a massive social media following, faced off with Bassett in the Real American Freestyle competition. However, he fell to the Bishop McCort alum, who earned a 10-point margin to clock the win.
Following the matchup, Henschel reacted to a picture of the winning moment shared by RAF Wrestling USA, showing his love and admiration for his opponent, a testament to his sportsmanship. He penned:
“Love this dude!”
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In a later video, the two shared a heartfelt moment of mutual admiration. The youngest world champion in history hailed Henschel, saying, “He in unbelievable as a person and a wrestler. That was so much fun. I think the crowd was into, we’ve got a lot of highs, we grew the sport today.”
In response, the social media influencer echoed his sentiments and wished him luck for the next match.
This came weeks after the Wisconsin-Parkside wrestler publicly stated that the game against the 19-year-old would be the ‘biggest match of his life’. Henshel recorded 74-26 overall at the NCAA level and has been a two-time NCAA Super Regional place-earner.
READ MORE: Bo Bassett Hails Virginia Tech Standout Jimmy Mullen on Dominant Southern Scuffle Victory
On the other hand, Bassett entered with a long list of laurels and recognitions, especially an unmatched record of 126-0 in folkstyle wrestling. He won the Super 32 tournaments four times and the Powerade Wrestling Tournament three times. He will head to the Hokies in 2026, and his adopted brother Melvin Miller will follow in 2027.
Bassett Explained Why Virginia Tech Stood Out for Him
Bassett was very thorough in his college search. He remained in constant contact with different programs through evolving recruiting lists, coach visits, and even workouts. He visited approximately seven colleges during the recruitment process, set his sights on the Hawkeyes, but later decommitted to choose the Hokies as his preferred option.
On the “Sons of Sunday” podcast, the 19-year-old shared that the Virginia Tech program felt like home and family, as he had grown up in a similar atmosphere at Bishop McCort High School. He also gave the reason behind choosing it over other colleges, as it is both dominant on and off the mat. He further added:
“Their staff and wrestlers are great people with a true family feel. No one goes all in as they do; they’ve visited Pennsylvania and Johnstown over 10 times. Nobody wants it more.”
Bassett was in contention at the Beast of the East, where he stunned Lake Highland Prep’s Charlie DeSena in the 150-pound division.
