Haryana Thunders were crowned Pro Wrestling League 2026 champions after a gripping, back-and-forth final against Delhi Dangal Warriors at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Sunday night.
In a summit clash that went down to the very last bout, Haryana Thunders emerged winners by a 5-4 scoreline. With the scores locked 4-4 after eight bouts, it all came down to the final women’s 62kg clash, where Paris 2024 Olympics silver medallist Iryna Koliadenko delivered a masterclass under pressure.
Her emphatic technical superiority victory over Anjli sealed a dramatic 5-4 victory and the PWL 2026 title for Haryana Thunders.
Among the individual awards, Turan Bayramov of Delhi Dangal Warriors received the Player of the Tournament award after winning all seven of his bouts in the men’s 57kg category, accumulating a total of 59 points in PWL 2026.
Chandermohan from Punjab Royals was the highest point scorer of the tournament.
Indian wrestler Neha Sangwan (Haryana Thunders) won the Player of the Match in the final for keeping the final alive till the last bout, while Ronak (Delhi Dangal Warriors) won Fighter of the Match for his impressive performance in the men’s 125 kg category.
Impact Player of the Match was claimed by Akshay Dhere (Haryana Thunders) for his strong performance in the 57kg men’s category.
The championship night opened with Delhi drawing first blood through undefeated Turan Bayramov in the 74kg men’s bout, as he raced to an early lead against Parvinder and controlled proceedings for an 8-2 win.
Haryana responded immediately in the 76kg women’s category, where U20 world champion Kajal Dhochak edged past European champion Anastasiya Alpyeyeva 3-1 to level the tie.
The momentum shifted again in the 65kg men’s bout when Delhi captain Sujeet Kalkal produced a stunning late surge to defeat World Championships silver medallist Tömör-Ochiryn Tulga 8-6.
Haryana answered through their talisman and multiple-time world champion Yui Susaki, who showcased her pedigree with a dominant technical superiority win over Saarika to make it 2-2.
Delhi regained the lead in the 86kg men’s bout as Asian Championship bronze medallist Vafaeipour Hadi Bakhtiar overpowered Ashraf Ashirov 11-0, before Haryana struck back through Akshay Dhere, who overwhelmed Delhi’s Amit Kumar by technical superiority in the 57kg men’s contest.
The heavyweight clash then proved pivotal, with Ronak producing a commanding performance to defeat Anirudh Gulia 12-2, putting Delhi 4-3 ahead.
Haryana refused to relent and Neha Sangwan kept the final alive by pinning Anjali in the 57kg women’s bout to level the scores once more at 4-4.
With the championship hanging in the balance, Iryna Koliadenko rose to the occasion in the decisive 62kg women’s bout. Using her experience and composure, the Olympic medallist took down Anjli through relentless turn-and-exposure sequences, closing out a 16-0 technical superiority victory to seal the title for Haryana.
The Pro Wrestling League returned this year after a seven-year-long hiatus. Six wrestling teams competed for the title.
Bouts, results and scores:
Bout 1: Men’s 74kg – Turan Bayramov (Delhi Dangal Warriors) beat Parvinder (Haryana Thunders) 8-2.
Bout 2: Women’s 76kg – Kajal Dhochak (Haryana Thunders) beat Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Delhi Dangal Warriors) 3-1.
Bout 3: Men’s 65kg – Sujeet Kalkal (Delhi Dangal Warriors) beat Tumur Ochir Tulga (Haryana Thunders) 8-6.
Bout 4: Women’s 53kg – Yui Susaki (Haryana Thunders) beat Saarika (Delhi Dangal Warriors) by technical superiority (15-0).
Bout 5: Men’s 86kg – Vafaeipour Hadi Bakhtiar (Delhi Dangal Warriors) beat Ashirov Ashraf (Haryana Thunders) 11-0.
Bout 6: Men’s 57kg – Akshay Dhere (Haryana Thunders) beat Amit Kumar (Delhi Dangal Warriors) by technical superiority (16-0).
Bout 7: Men’s 125kg – Ronak (Delhi Dangal Warriors) beat Anirudh Gulia (Haryana Thunders) 12-2.
Bout 8: Women’s 57kg – Neha Sangwan (Haryana Thunders) beat Anjali (Delhi Dangal Warriors) by fall (8-2).
Bout 9: Women’s 62kg – Iryna Koliadenko (Haryana Thunders) beat Anjli (Delhi Dangal Warriors) by technical superiority (16-0).
