Pro Wrestling League 2026: Punjab Royals emerge winners on opening day

Punjab Royals emerged as the winners on the opening day of the fifth edition of the Pro Wrestling League 2026 at the at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Thursday. They registered 5-4 win over UP Dominators to secure two points.

The opening tie witnessed a total of nine bouts with Punjab Royals dominating the days proceeding. Chandermohan of Punjab Royals was judged the player of the match for his dominant performance in the opening bout of the match, while Nisha Dahiya from UP Dominators was judged the fighter of the match for her 22-4 victory by technical superiority over Punjab Royals captain Ana Godinez.

Punjab sealed the day to their name with 3-0 win in the 125 kg category, when Dinesh Dhankhar defeated UP Dominators’ Jaspooran Singh in the eigth tie of the match. Earlier, Chandermohan, Roksana Zasina, Chirag Chhikarra, and Priya Malik won their respective bouts for Punjab. Antim Panghal won the last bout for UP Dominators due to a walkover from Punjab Royals’ Hanshika Lamba. Nisha Dahiya, Mykhailov Vasyl, and Vishal Kali Rama also won their respective bouts for UP Dominators.

Punjab Royals got off to a strong start as Chandermohan (Men's 74kg) outlasted UP Dominators’ Arman Andreasyan from Armenia in a physical contest. The opening period remained on an even footing at 2–2, with Andreasyan capitalising on Chandermohan’s passivity to collect points and following it up with a well-timed takedown. Chandermohan, however, stayed tactically alert and successfully overturned a challenge decision, ensuring the bout remained finely balanced heading into the break.

The momentum shifted decisively in the second period as Chandermohan exploded during the Power Minute (the last minute of the bout where the wrestlers will be awarded double the point scored), scoring two successive turns for eight points. Andreasyan was unable to continue after sustaining an injury, handing Chandermohan a 12–5 victory.

UP Dominators struck back in the second bout of the match (86kg Men) through Mykhailov Vasyl, who edged past Tariel Gaphrindashvili 5–3. After a cautious first period that ended 1–0 in Tariel’s favour, Vasyl timed his attacks well in the closing stages. A crucial four-point through turn exposure in the closing minute (power minute) proved decisive, swinging the bout in UP Dominators’ favour.

Polish wrestler Roksana Zasina (57kg Women) showcased her experience to secure a 13–6 win over Bridgette Marie Duty from the USA. Zasina built early momentum with multiple turn over in the opening minute, weathered a brief resurgence from Duty in the third minute and then sealed the contest with dominant scoring in the final minute to earn Punjab Royals a valuable win and take 2-1 lead.

Punjab’s Chirag Chhikara (57kg Men) controlled proceedings against Rahul Deswal to register a 10–5 victory. Chirag dominated the first period with repeated turnovers. Although Deswal mounted a fightback in the second period through push-outs and a turn, Chirag closed the bout strongly with a four-point exposure in the Power Minute.

UP Dominators Nisha Dahiya (62kg Women) delivered one of the most dominant performances of the match, overpowering Punjab Royals captain Ana Godinez 22–4 by technical superiority. Nisha raced to a 12–0 lead in the first period and added further takedowns and exposures in the second, sealing the bout emphatically and keep UP Dominators in the match.

Vishal Kali Raman (65kg Men) continued UP Dominators’ surge with a commanding 14–3 win over Islam Guseinov. Vishal scored repeatedly through takedown in the opening minute and finished strongly in the Power Minute, underlining his technical control throughout the bout to make the scoreline between UP Dominators and Punjab Royals even at 3-3.

Punjab Royals’ Priya Malik (76kg Women) maintained her composure to defeat Mansi Lather 5–1. Priya established control early with a takedown and passivity point before adding a decisive exposure in the second period to close out the contest.

Heavyweight Dinesh Dhankhar (125kg Men) ensured Punjab Royals stayed in command and secured the match, defeating Jaspooran Singh from UP Dominators 3–0. A first-period takedown and a passivity point in the second period were enough to seal a disciplined win and give Punjab the match with the match scoreline of 5-3.

The final bout saw UP Dominators’ Antim Panghal (53kg Women) awarded victory by forfeit against Hansika Lamba, bringing the tie to a close and ending the match.

The second day of the Pro Wrestling League will be a double header between Maharashtra Kesari and Delhi Dangal Warriors starting at 6:00 PM, followed by Punjab Royals taking on Haryana Thunders in the second match of the night.