Paniro Johnson takes the stage during the 149-pound finals at the 2025 Big 12 Wrestling Championships at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Sunday, March 9, 2025. Photo Courtesy of Jacqueline Cordova / Cyclone Fanatic
TULSA, Okla. – With just 22 seconds left in the 149-pound title match, Paniro Johnson trailed 4-2 against UNI’s top-ranked Colin Realbuto.
In a dramatic turn, Johnson shot and secured a takedown, clinching the victory.
The BOK Center erupted as Johnson’s hand was raised, a familiar scene in March when teams rally behind their best interests in the team race, filling the arena with a chaotic energy.
Before the dual, assistant coach Brent Metcalf shared his vision for the match, telling Johnson: “I want them dead silent. I don’t want any noise in there. I want you getting your hand raised, and I want them in awe of what they just watched.” Well, the Northern Iowa fans went silent.
The victory was especially sweet, as it reversed the outcome of their earlier meeting in the regular season when Realbuto defeated Johnson in sudden victory in front of a record-setting crowd at the McLeod Center. For Johnson, avenging that loss proves that he can compete with and beat anyone.
“I’m more happy that I just beat that guy instead of winning the Big 12 title, to be honest,” said Johnson minutes after getting off the stage. “The Big 12 title means a lot to me but in the end, I want to know that I’m the best and I don’t want nobody getting away with a win without me getting mine back. You know what I mean?”
Dresser shared that the loss in Cedar Falls didn’t sit well with any of them. The matchup with Realbuto was more than just a title fight—it was about redemption.
“That was a great way to end the night, you know?” said Dresser. “I know that dual meet loss in Cedar Falls didn’t sit well with Paniro. It didn’t set well with any of us. I don’t think anybody in Cyclone wrestling nation liked the way that turned out. So for him, I know he was excited to get a chance to redeem himself a little bit there. So good way for us to finish the weekend.”
While “two-time Big 12 champion” has a nice ring to it, Johnson’s ultimate goal remains clear: to become a national champion. His work is far from finished.
“I got to celebrate for the last two minutes, and I’m gonna get on this podium, and we right back on the horse,” Johnson said. “We got 13 days to the last day of nationals, then we can do whatever we want after that. But right now, I’m focused on being on the podium and mainly being on top of the podium because I believe I’m the best. I gotta create more. I can’t keep winning like that if I want to be on the top because sometimes it bites you. But hey, you got to get it done. Ugly or pretty. You get it done.”
The NCAA Wrestling Championships will take place March 20 – 22 in Philadelphia.
“We don’t want to downplay a Big 12 title, but at the same time, people don’t remember conference championships like they do getting on the podium and obviously winning a national championship. My message to Paniro all year has been to be greedy. We need to be really greedy. We need to stay humble and we need to see what we can do in the next eight or nine days to separate ourselves,” Dresser said. “I’m really proud of him but we can’t put our guard down now. We got to keep our foot in the gas.”
The NCAA Wrestling Championship brackets and seeding will be announced on Wednesday, March 12, at 7 p.m., revealing Johnson’s path toward making his dream a reality.
Full team results here.
