PWL 2026: UP Dominators and Haryana Thunders register dominating wins

UP Dominators produced a dominant performance to register a convincing 7–2 win over Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals in Match 4 of the Pro Wrestling League 2026, on Saturday evening at the Noida Indoor Stadium.

Two-time U20 World Champion Antim Panghal once again underlined her stature in the women’s 53 kg contest with a commanding win that effectively sealed the contest for UP.

Khelo India University Games gold medallist Jaspooran Singh was named Player of the Match for his composed heavyweight performance.

In contrast, Paris 2024 bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat earned the Fighter of the Match award for his bright moment for the Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals.

Antim Panghal, Captain of the winning UP Dominators, said, “My bout went well, my opponent was strong, and it was a good contest. I executed my preparation exactly as planned, though there’s always room to improve after reviewing the bouts. As team captain, we were prepared for any outcome of the toss. Every player fought well, adapted smartly, and the team delivered a solid performance to secure the win.”

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals captain and Fighter of the match, Aman Sehrawat, said, “We came into the match with clear expectations, and individually, my bout went as planned. As a team, however, we couldn’t perform to the level we had targeted. It was our opening game, and the pressure of a big crowd played a role. We had strong confidence in our key weight categories, but today wasn’t our day. We’ll regroup and come back stronger in the next matches.”

UP Dominators set the tone right from the opening bout as Jaspooran Singh controlled a tactical 125kg contest against Oleksandr Khotsianivskyi, staying active to draw activity points and adding a decisive push-out for a narrow 3–1 win.

The early advantage was consolidated in the 76kg women’s bout, where UP’s Mansi Lather edged past Jyoti Berwal 2–1 through superior movement and positional awareness.

Momentum continued firmly in UP’s favour when Abhimanyu Mandwal delivered a composed 4–0 shutout in the 74kg men’s bout, before Vishal Kali Raman from UP Dominators showed composure under pressure to edge a tight 3–2 contest in the 65kg category, extending the lead to 4–0.

Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals finally found a response through skipper Aman Sehrawat, who showcased his class and experience with a dominant technical superiority win over Sagar Sharma to pull one point back for Tiigers.

However, that resistance was short-lived as Antim Panghal took control in the 53kg women’s bout, accelerating in the second period with relentless exposure sequences to secure victory by technical superiority and effectively clinch the match and two points for UP Dominators.

Nisha Dahiya followed up with an emphatic fall win in the next bout, while Tapsya Gahlawat delivered a comprehensive 9–0 win to stretch the margin further.

Mumbai closed the night with a consolation win in the 86kg men’s bout, where Mukul Dahiya defeated Mykhailov Vasyl 15–2, but the overall outcome was beyond doubt as UP Dominators sealed a dominant 7–2 result.

Susaki creates a record with a 57-second win on technical superiority

Japanese legend Yui Susaki delivered a breathtaking performance to power Haryana Thunders to a commanding 6–3 victory over Delhi Dangal Warriors in Match 5 of the PWL 2026.

The multiple-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist created history by registering a technical superiority win in just 57 seconds, the fastest such victory in the league's history.

With this, Haryana continued their unbeaten run to move to the top of the PWL 2026 points table with four points. Susaki was declared the Player of the match for her performance, while Turan Bayramov of Delhi Dangal Warriors was declared Fighter of the match.

Speaking after the match, Haryana Thunder's captain Yui Susaki said, “Today’s bout was a good contest, and I’m satisfied with my performance. I aimed to win decisively, either through a pin or technical superiority, and I was able to execute my plan well. Overall, the team also performed strongly, and the effort shown by everyone was encouraging.”

Delhi Dangal Warriors captain Sujeet Kalkal remarked, “We expected to win, but a few bouts at the start didn’t go our way. They were tough, closely fought matches, not one-sided losses, but today simply wasn’t our day. We learn from defeats, regroup as a team, and will come back stronger in the upcoming matches.”

Haryana set the tone early through Kajal Dhochhak in the opening 76kg women’s category. In a high-intensity contest, Kajal edged past Anastasiya Alpyeeva 6–5, holding her nerve after building a narrow cushion in the second period to withstand late pressure from the Delhi wrestler and hand Haryana the early lead.

The momentum gathered pace in the 57kg men’s bout, where Ankush Chandram produced a commanding display, asserting control from the outset to overpower Shubham Kaushik 13–3 and extend Haryana’s advantage to 2-0.

The defining moment of the match arrived in the 53kg women’s contest.

Multiple-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist Yui Susaki delivered a masterclass in speed, precision, and relentless attack, overwhelming Saarika with a flurry of takedowns and exposure sequences.

Racing to a 16–0 technical superiority win in just 57 seconds, Susaki not only sealed the contest decisively but also established a new league record, putting Haryana firmly in command at 3–0.

Haryana continued to dominate the mat in the heavyweight category, where Anirudh Gulia outwrestled Ronak with authority, combining activity, takedowns, and turn sequences to register a comprehensive 13–0 shutout.

The match was effectively sealed in the 57kg women’s contest as Neha Sangwan produced another ruthless display, overwhelming Canadian Karla Gonzalez by technical superiority to secure Haryana’s fifth win and the full two match points.

Delhi finally found a response in the 65kg men’s category, where captain Sujeet Kalkal showcased composure in a tactical contest against Tumur Ochir Tulga.

After conceding an early activity point, Kalkal stayed aggressive in the second period to draw successive activity points and edge a narrow 2–1 victory, pulling one back for Delhi.

However, any hopes of a late rally were quickly shut down as Iryna Koliadenko delivered a dominant performance in the 62kg women’s category, controlling proceedings throughout to defeat Anjli 13–0 and restore Haryana’s firm grip on the tie.

Delhi added further respectability to the score line in the 74kg men’s tie, where Turan Bayramov stayed on the front foot, shifting gears with takedowns to close with an authoritative 8–1 win, and give Delhi their second win of the match.

The final bout of the match in the 86kg men’s category was decided without contest, as Delhi Dangal Warriors were awarded the win following a forfeit by Haryana Thunders.

With a 6-3 win, Haryana Thunders moved to the top of the PWL 2026 points table with four points from two matches, reinforcing their status as early title contenders.