Held under bright lights, the comeback of pro wrestling’s league felt electric when Haryana Thunders took the title by one narrow point – five to four – in front of roaring fans late Sunday. Victory slipped their way only after every bout concluded, tension peaking during the last match at Noida’s indoor arena. Seven years off stage had done little to dull the spark; emotion ran high as fists pounded mats and names echoed through walls. Delhi Dangal Warriors pushed hard, but fell just short when it mattered most.
Right at the edge of exhaustion, victory came down to a single match. Not many saw it ending like this, yet there stood Iryna Koliadenko – calm, focused, unbeaten. Under crushing weight of expectation, her performance unfolded with quiet dominance. The scoreboard read 16-0, a shutout in the women’s 62kg division. That moment, sharp and silent, handed Haryana the crown by the thinnest thread. Delhi had led until then, but now they trailed by just one slip. History blinked when she did. A silver from Paris 2024, yes – but here, on this mat, gold was redefined.
A game decided by the narrowest of margins
Early on, Delhi Dangal Warriors took charge when Turan Bayramov claimed victory without a single loss. Though the spotlight was sharp, he stayed calm during the 74kg men’s match. From beginning to end, his rhythm never wavered while facing off against Parvinder. Scoring eight points to two, he tipped the score firmly toward Delhi. That moment handed them a one-nothing edge in the clash. Through every round this season, his performance has held steady like clockwork.
Out of nowhere, Haryana Thunders struck back during the women’s 76kg match. Kajal Dhochak, a U20 world titleholder, stayed sharp under pressure. Instead of rushing, she held her ground round after round. Her calm approach wore down Anastasiya Alpyeyeva, a champ from Europe. The judges gave it 3-1. That tied everything up – score now even at 1-1.
Into the fray stepped Sujeet Kalkal, Delhi’s skipper, turning the tide during the tense 65kg showdown. Behind on points with time slipping away, he erupted forward – sharp, relentless – a whirlwind that toppled Tömör-Ochiryn Tulga, second-place finisher at Worlds, by an 8-6 margin. That win tipped the scoreline again: now Delhi led two games to one.
A legacy of excellence unfolded before everyone’s eyes
From nowhere, Haryana pulled ahead thanks to their star – Yui Susaki, the several-time world champ. In the 53kg women’s bout, she overwhelmed Saarika without reply, winning by technical superiority 15-0. That equalized scores at 2-2, sparking energy through Haryana’s corner. Her presence tilted momentum like sudden light after shade.
Back on top went Delhi when Vafaeipour Hadi Bakhtiar, known from his bronze at the Asian Championships, crushed Ashraf Ashirov without reply – eleven points to nothing – in the men’s 86kg match, lifting his team to a 3–2 lead. Now tense stood the moment for Haryana; their hope rose with Akshay Dhere stepping into the ring at 57kg. He seized control fast, piling up sixteen unanswered scores against Amit Kumar until the ref called it, rulebook margin met – the score leveled, now three each.
One point decided it all when Ronak overwhelmed Anirudh Gulia twelve to two in the heavyweights. Victory here brought Delhi Dangal Warriors within touching distance of gold, sitting at four wins against three before the last pair of matches began.
Haryana’s calm under pressure
When everything was on the line, Haryana Thusters stayed calm under pressure. Neha Sangwan, a wrestler from India, turned things around during the women’s 57kg match. She pinned down Anjali using a fall move, tying the score at 4-4. That moment kept her team in the running. Her sharp focus and timing won her the top player title for the final game. Because of her effort, one last round would decide who took home the crown.
When the championship came down to one match, everyone watched the 62kg women’s bout closely. Not backing down when it mattered most, Iryna Koliadenko stayed sharp, piling on turn after turn until Anjli had no answer. A shutout win by tech fall – 16 to nothing – gave Haryana Thunders their fifth point, just enough for a narrow team win. Cheers erupted instantly, spreading fast through teammates and supporters packed in the stands.
Individual honours and tournament highlights
Even though Delhi missed out in the final, Turan Bayramov took home top honors by going undefeated across seven matches at 57kg and racking up 59 points through PWL 2026. Chandermohan from Punjab Royals ended the season as the leading scorer, a sign of how strong the competition really was.
A standing ovation went to Ronak from Delhi Dangal Warriors after he dominated the 125kg men’s match, though it was Akshay Dhere of Haryana Thunders who edged into spotlight by locking down a key victory through technical points in the 57kg class. His precision made the difference when momentum shifted fast.
A Successful Return For The Pro Wrestling League
That winter, the Pro Wrestling League roared back – six squads ready, seven years gone like dust. Crowds crammed into Noida’s indoor hall, noise bouncing off ceilings as top grapplers, some with global hardware on their shelves, locked limbs under bright lights. Matches sharp as blades kept pulses up, proof of how deep roots have grown in India’s soil.
Midway through their journey, Haryana Thrones lifted the trophy by leaning on steady performers when it mattered most. Fans found themselves pulled back into the fold as the closing match unfolded – proof that this league still pulses with raw energy, hinting at what might come without promising too much.
