PWL to begin with clash between UP and Punjab

The Pro Wrestling League (PWL) will return on Thursday with the opening tie between UP Dominators and Punjab Royals offering a series of compelling match-ups.

All eyes will be on Antim Panghal, the two-time Under-20 world champion and Asian Games bronze medallist, as she will take on Punjab Royals’ Meenakshi in the women’s 53kg.

Antim’s pace and tactical awareness will be up against Meenakshi’s strength.

In the women’s 62kg category, Ana Godinez (62kg), the Commonwealth Games silver medallist, facing Nisha Dahiya, an U-23 world medallist, stands out as a bout that could swing the teams’ momentum.

Godinez’s international experience and positional strength will be tested against Dahiya’s counter-wrestling and mat control.

The heavyweight division is expected to be another decisive battleground.

UP Dominators’ Jaspooran Singh (125kg), the 19-year-old Asian Championships silver medallist, could come up against Punjab’s Akash.

Men’s middleweights also offer technical intrigue, with Vasyl Mikhailov (86kg), a European champion from Ukraine, possibly locking horns with Punjab Royals’ Bagomedov Ada, a world-level performer in the same category.

Their bout would be a test of international pedigree and tactical discipline.

In the 74kg category, Armenia’s Arman Andreasyan, a world championship medallist, could face Chandermohan, a consistent domestic performer, in a contest that highlights the difference international exposure can make at the elite level, while also giving Indian wrestlers a chance to benchmark themselves.

Beyond individual bouts, the league’s revised format — two three-minute rounds with double points awarded in the final minute of the second round — adds another layer of strategy, ensuring that no lead is safe and late surges can decisively alter outcomes.

Published on Jan 14, 2026