A commanding display of depth, discipline and star power marked Matchday 2 of the Pro Wrestling League 2026, as Haryana Thunders and Delhi Dangal Warriors registered emphatic victories to open their campaigns in style.
Haryana Thunders stamped their authority early to cruise past Punjab Royals 7-2 in their season opener. The tie was headlined by Neha Sangwan, who earned Player of the Match honours after producing a flawless 8-0 win against Punjab captain Roksana Zasina in the 57kg women’s bout. Priya Malik, the U23 world champion and Asian Championship bronze medallist, was named Fighter of the Match for her gritty performance in the 76kg category.
The contest opened with Haryana edging ahead as Ashirov Ashraf held off a late challenge from Tariel Gaphrindashvili to secure a narrow 6-5 win in the 86kg bout. Punjab briefly restored parity through Chandermohan, who claimed a commanding 13-6 victory over Parvinder in the 74kg bout, making the most of the Power Minute.
That, however, proved to be Punjab’s only moment of resistance. Sangwan immediately swung momentum back with her clinical shutout, before two-time Olympic medallist Iryna Koliadenko extended Haryana’s lead with a dominant 15-2 win over Ana Godinez in the 62kg category.
The closest contest came in the 76kg women’s category, where Priya Malik pushed Kajal Dhochhak to the limit. With scores tied at 2-2, Kajal edged the bout on criteria to push Haryana further ahead. Punjab managed one more point through Dinesh Dhankar, who defeated Anirudh Gulia 7-3 in the heavyweight clash. The tie concluded with former Olympic champion Yui Susaki winning by forfeit against Hanshika Lamba, sealing a comprehensive 7–2 victory for Haryana.
In the earlier tie, Delhi Dangal Warriors opened their campaign with a convincing 6-3 win over Maharashtra Kesari. The standout moment of the match came from 17-year-old Saarika, who stunned Paris 2024 silver medallist Guzman Lopez Yusneylis with a controlled 7-0 victory. Delhi’s Anastasiya Alpyeeva was named Player of the Match, while Maharashtra’s Robert Baran took home the Fighter of the Match award.
Maharashtra struck first as Manisha Bhanvala delivered a disciplined 6-0 win in the 57kg women’s bout. Delhi responded through Shubham Kaushik, who sealed a dramatic 12–10 comeback victory over Atish Thodkar in the men’s 57kg category with a decisive Power Minute takedown.
Saarika’s upset in the 53kg women’s bout tilted momentum Delhi’s way, but Maharashtra drew level again when Dudova Bilyana Zhivkova defeated Anjli 10-2. Maharashtra briefly regained the lead through Robert Baran, who outclassed Ronak 5-0 in the 125kg heavyweight bout.
From there, Delhi took control. Turan Bayramov edged Yash 14-10 in an action-packed 74kg clash, before Anastasiya Alpyeeva delivered a swift fall against Harshita Mor in the 76kg women’s bout to swing the tie decisively. Delhi sealed the contest through Vafaeipour Hadi Bakhtiar’s 5-3 win over Amit in the 86kg category, before captain Sujeet Kalkal wrapped up the night with a composed 6-2 victory in the final bout.
