Pro Wrestling League 2026: Dinesh Dhankhar caps Punjab Royals’ victory over Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals
(Courtesy : Pro Wrestling League)
Ana Godinez of Punjab Royals was named Player of the Match.
Punjab Royals produced a stirring comeback from a 3–1 deficit to register a 6–3 victory over Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals in a dramatic Day 6 encounter of the Pro Wrestling League 2026 at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night.
The turning point came in the women’s 57kg contest, where Rajnita Jangra levelled the tie with a fall, before Chandermohan swung the momentum in Punjab’s way in the 74kg contest.
Meenakshi then sealed the match with a dominant technical superiority win, completing a decisive surge that saw Punjab win five consecutive bouts.
All four women wrestlers for Punjab Royals emerged victorious, with Ana Godinez winning by fall and Priya Malik delivering a shutout on points.
Godinez was named Player of the Match, while Rohit Rahal earned Fighter of the Match honours in one of the most competitive ties of PWL Season 5, which featured five contests decided by fall or technical superiority.
All matches of the Pro Wrestling League are telecast LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 4 and Ten 5, with streaming available on Sony LIV.
Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals struck first through Mukul Dahiya in the 86kg men’s bout, where he overwhelmed Georgia’s Tariel Gaphrindashvili with relentless offense to win by technical superiority.
Punjab responded immediately in the 62kg women’s contest as Commonwealth silver medallist Ana Godinez showcased complete control, scoring repeatedly through takedowns and exposure sequences before sealing the tie by fall to level the tie.
Momentum swung back to Tiigers in the 65kg men’s category, where Rohit Rahal produced one of the standout moments of the evening.
After conceding an early push-out, Rahal turned the bout emphatically in his favour, dominating with a flurry of takedowns before transitioning seamlessly into a fall against Paris Olympic medallist Islam Guseinov.
Tiigers extended their advantage in the 57kg men’s category as captain and Paris Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat delivered a high-scoring performance to defeat Chirag Chhikara 17–7, putting Tiigers 3–1 ahead.
Punjab Royals began their resurgence in the 76kg women’s bout through Priya Malik. Wrestling with discipline and composure, Malik kept Jyoti Berwal under constant pressure, drawing an activity point in the first period before taking full control in the second period with successive takedowns to register a commanding 10–0 shutout and keep Punjab firmly in the contest.
The tie was brought level in the women’s 57kg category, where national champion Rajnita Jangra delivered a sharp and controlled performance.
Also Read: Pro Wrestling League 2026: Full schedule, fixtures, results, squads, live streaming details
She struck early with a takedown, added another takedown and a turn-and-exposure sequence in Period 2, and secured a decisive fall to make it 3–3 and shift the momentum decisively.
Punjab took the lead for the first time in the 74kg men’s contest as Chandermohan produced one of the most competitive ties of the match.
A high-value exposure sequence in Period 1 gave him a clear advantage, which he consolidated in the second period despite resistance from National Games champion Naveen Malik, securing a 15–9 win to put Punjab ahead 4–3.
The decisive blow came in the 53kg women’s category, where Meenakshi dominated from the opening whistle. She capitalised on early passivity, followed it up with successive takedowns and turns, and accelerated in the second period to close the contest by technical superiority, handing Punjab their fifth straight win and sealing the match.
Punjab closed the night in style through captain Dinesh Dhankhar in the 125kg men’s contest. In one of the highest-scoring heavyweight contests of PWL 2026, Dhankhar edged world championship medallist Oleksandr Khotsianivskyi 7–6, securing the sixth win for his team and underlining Punjab Royals’ emphatic comeback.
Tomorrow, on Day 7 of PWL 2026, UP Dominators will take on Maharashtra Kesari at the Noida Indoor Stadium, with the contest scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM.
Match 8 Results:
Bouts Results
Bout – 1: 86KG(Men)Mukul Dahiya (Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals) defeated Tariel Gaphrindashvili (Punjab Royals) by Technical Superiority (18-2)
Bout – 2: 62KG(Women)Ana Godinez (Punjab Royals) defeated Sarika Malik (Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals) by Fall (12-1)
Bout – 3: 65KG(Men)Rohit Rahal (Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals) defeated Islam Guseinov (Punjab Royals) by Fall (10-1)
Bout – 4: 57KG(Men)Aman Sehrawat (Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals) defeated Chirag Chhikara (Punjab Royals) (17-7)
Bout – 5: 76KG(Women)Priya Malik (Punjab Royals) defeated Jyoti Berwal (Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals) (10-0)
Bout – 6: 57kg(Women)Rajnita Jangra (Punjab Royals) defeated Alina Filipovych (Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals) by Fall (7-0)
Bout – 7: 74KG(Men)Chandermohan (Punjab Royals) defeated Naveen Malik (Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals) (15-9)
Bout – 8: 53KG(Women)Meenakshi (Punjab Royals) defeated Jyoti Sihag (Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals) by Technical Superiority (17-1)
Bout – 9: 125KG(Men)Dinesh Dhankhar (Punjab Royals) defeated Oleksandr Khotsianivskyi (Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals) (7-6)
Final Team Score: Punjab Royals 6 – 3 Tiigers of Mumbai DangalsHere is the Points Table formatted cleanly as a table, with no wording changed:
| # | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Bouts Won | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UP Dominators | 3 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 4 |
| 2 | Punjab Royals | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 4 |
| 3 | Haryana Thunders | 2 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 4 |
| 4 | Delhi Dangal Warriors | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 2 |
| 5 | Maharashtra Kesari | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| 6 | Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 |
Who won the match between Punjab Royals and Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals?
Punjab Royals defeated Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals 6–3 after a dramatic comeback.
Where was the match played?
The match was held at the Noida Indoor Stadium, Noida.
Who was named Player of the Match?
Ana Godinez of Punjab Royals was named Player of the Match.
How did Punjab Royals turn the match around?
Punjab Royals came back from a 3–1 deficit by winning five consecutive bouts, led by strong performances from their women wrestlers.
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Alex graduated in mass communication in 2016 and has been covering global sports for Khel Now since then. He is covering sports tech, igaming, sports betting and casino domain from 2017.