'Baddest man on the planet': Iowa wrestling fans react to Spencer Lee's title, torn ACL

Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee won the third NCAA Championship of his career on Saturday, defeating Arizona State's Brandon Courtney at 125 pounds.

Immediately after Lee's match, ESPN interviewed the three-time champion, and Lee revealed a secret on viewers.

"I'm battling a lot of things," Lee said. "Eight days ago, I tore an ACL in my other knee. I'm wrestling with no ACLs. Whatever, man. I didn't want to tell anyone, because F-excuses. Excuses are for wusses.

"That was a tough turn for me. I could barely wrestle. I could barely shoot. I can't sprawl. But I believed in my coaching staff and everyone believed in me. Here I am."

If Lee's championship wasn't enough to get fans talking, his torn ACL was.

Fans took to Twitter after Lee's title, praising the Hawkeye wrestler's toughness after powering through the difficult injury.

Iowa wrestling fans love Spencer Lee's toughness after NCAA Championship

Read more Iowa wrestling news

• 'Excuses are for wusses': Iowa's Spencer Lee wins his third consecutive national title on torn ACL
• Leistikow: Years of patience were required, but the Iowa Hawkeyes are NCAA wrestling champs again
• NCAA Wrestling: Iowa Hawkeyes clinch national team title for the first time since 2010
• NCAA Wrestling photos: Iowa Hawkeyes wrestlers win 2021 national team title

Adam Hensley is a digital producer with the USA Today Network. You can follow him on Twitter @A_Hens83.