PWL 2026: Haryana Thunders beats Punjab Royals to storm into Pro Wrestling League final

Table-topper Haryana Thunders asserted dominance on Punjab Royals with a comeback victory, securing a spot in the Pro Wrestling League 2026 final, at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Friday.

The Thunders, trailing 1-3, began their comeback just before the halfway mark, and then triumphed 5-4, with World Championship silver medallist Tumur Ochir Tulga winning the fifth and decisive bout.

“We will not be able to recover from this shock anytime soon. The team had worked very hard,” Bhupesh Kumar, the head coach of Punjab Royals, told ANI after the semifinal. “We had planned on winning the finals, but today was not for us… Next time we will definitely win.”

The Royals struck first in the 57kg men’s bout as Chirag Chhikara beat Rohit, but Parvinder restored parity in the 74kg men’s contest against Chandermohan.

Captain Dinesh Dhankhar dragged the contest back into the Royals’ favour in the 125kg heavyweight category, beating Anirudh Gula 8-6 in a dramatic Power Minute exchange of takedowns. And Priya Malik widened the lead with a win in the 76kg women’s category, beating Kajal Dhochhak by fall in just 99 seconds.

The Thunders started their comeback from here, with Ashirov Ashraf defeating Sandeep Mann 5-1 in the 86kg men’s category, while Paris Olympic silver medallist Iryna Koliadenko beat Ana Godinez by fall, levelling the contest at 3-3.

Neha Sangwan swung the contest in the Thunders’ favour for the first time when she outclassed Rajnita Jangra 9-2 in the 57kg women’s contest — one that included a four-point takedown in the Power Minute.

Tulga then edged Anuj Kumar 2-1 to guide the Thunders into the final, while Yusi Susaki of the Royals got a consolation win in the last bout, beating Meenakshi in the 53kg women’s category.

Delhi Dangal Warriors will take on UP Dominators in the second semifinal at the same venue on Saturday.

Published on Jan 31, 2026