"Devastated at the news" - Wyatt Hendrickson pays his tribute to Charlie Kirk while honoring his legacy

American wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson recently paid an earnest tribute to former activist Charlie Kirk as he honored his legacy. Kirk was assassinated whilst delivering a lecture at the Utah Valley University.

Hendrickson shared some photos of himself with the political activist on his Instagram profile. The NCAA champion wrestler expressed his dismay at the tragedy which struck the Kirk family on September 10, 2025.

Wyatt Hendrickson paid his tribute to the legacy of Charlie Kirk as he wrote in the caption of his Instagram post,

"Devastated at the news that we lost such a standout man. I’m honored I had the chance to get to know Charlie and what he’s all about. He embodies what it means to love God and love America, and we will never forget that. Rest in paradise."

For the unversed, Charlie Kirk was an author turned conservative political activist, who had co-founded the student organization Turning Point USA in 2012. He was one of the most vocal supporters of President Donald Trump, and had actively campaigned for him last year during the general elections, where Trump won by a massive popular mandate.

Wyatt Hendrickson recently represented the USA in the men's superheavyweight category at the World Wrestling Championships, whose current edition is being held at Zagreb in Croatia. The wrestler was eliminated in the first round after losing 9-21 to Abdulla Kurbanov of Russia.

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When Wyatt Hendrickson opened up about wearing the American flag while wrestling

Wyatt Hendrickson talks about wearing the American flag while wrestling [Image Source : Getty]

In a post match interview after the NCAA Championships 2025, Wyatt Hendrickson opened up about representing the USA at the global level, and how he actually felt about it. In his words,

"From the very beginning, it's more than wrestling, and I think tryna portray that and giving that image is important. We are so honored to live in a free country, we are able to come gather in these events and do what we love and receive the support while we are on that mat."

Hendrickson further talked about wearing the American flag onto the wrestling mat, revealing that the wrestlers were 'one team at the end.' He further added,

"I just like to bring that energy into the arena, that you know we are all on one team at the end of the day, and obviously we are going head to head in a year, but Iron sharpens iron. At the end of the day, when we go to the Olympics or whatever we have to do, it's all one team in the end."

Wyatt Hendrickson is well known for his massive upset at the NCAA Championships this year. The wrestler surprised former Olympic champion Gable Steveson in the final seconds of the match with a brilliant takedown, and won the NCAA title in the 285-pound category for his team, the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Edited by Animesh Pandey