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Punjab Royals vs Maharashtra Kesari PWL Highlights: Punjab Takes 5-4 Victory Over Maharashtra
Punjab Royals clinched a hard-fought 5-4 win over Maharashtra Kesari in Noida, sealing a crucial victory on a dramatic night of Pro Wrestling League action that went down to the final bout. The result strengthens Punjab's position heading into the knockout stage, while Maharashtra narrowly missed the chance to consolidate their hold at the top despite a late surge.
Punjab set the tone early through dominant performances in the women's bouts. Meenakshi opened the scoring with a commanding win at 57kg, before Priya Malik wrapped up her 76kg contest in under two minutes to give Punjab a strong early cushion. Chandermohan's clinical shutout in the men's 74kg category further tilted the tie in Punjab's favour, as Maharashtra struggled to respond in the opening half of the night.
Maharashtra Kesari fought back through their heavyweights and middle-order wrestlers. Robert Baran delivered a controlled win in the 125kg bout to put Kesari on the board, while Atish Thodkar followed it up with a gritty victory at 57kg to keep their hopes alive. The momentum briefly swung Maharashtra's way again when Manisha Bhanivala edged a tight women's 57kg bout, setting up a tense final stretch.
The turning point came in the penultimate match, where Ana Godinez produced one of the most dominant performances of the evening. Her 11-0 win over Bilyana Dudova sealed the tie for Punjab at 5-3, prompting early celebrations in the stands and leaving Maharashtra needing pride more than points in the final bout.
Vazgen Tevanyan ensured Kesari ended the night on a high, overpowering Anuj Kumar 12-0 in the men's 65kg category. While the win narrowed the final scoreline to 5-4, it was not enough to deny Punjab Royals a vital team victory.
In summary, Punjab Royals combined early dominance with composure under pressure to edge past Maharashtra Kesari, while Maharashtra showed depth and resilience but were undone by a decisive penultimate bout.
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Jan 26, 2026, 11:01 pm IST
Vazgen Tevanyan Signs Off in Style Despite Narrow Maharashtra Defeat
The final bout of the night in the men's 65kg category saw Vazgen Tevanyan finish strong against Anuj Kumar. Vazgen took early control with a takedown to move ahead 4-0 and steadily widened the gap, entering the power minute with a commanding 10-0 lead.
As the evening drew to a close, Vazgen maintained his dominance to secure a 12-0 win, ensuring Maharashtra Kesari ended the night with pride. However, the victory came too late to change the overall result, as Maharashtra suffered a narrow 5-4 defeat to Punjab Royals at the Noida Stadium.
Jan 26, 2026, 10:49 pm IST
Ana Godinez Dominates Dudova as Punjab Royals Seal the Night
The penultimate bout of the night proved decisive as Ana Godinez delivered a commanding performance against Bilyana Dudova. With Punjab needing a win to wrap up the tie, Godinez set the tone early with a powerful takedown to race to a four-point lead. She stayed firmly in control throughout the bout, extending her advantage to 7-0 going into the final minute.
Godinez showed composure and authority, pairing solid defence with sharp attacks before sealing the contest with another aggressive takedown to complete an 11-0 win. The result confirmed Punjab Royals' victory on the night, pushing the tie score to 5-3 and leaving Maharashtra Kesari's camp dejected as Punjab fans began celebrating even before the final bout.
Jan 26, 2026, 10:31 pm IST
Cricket meets Wrestling as Akash Chopra drops in for PWL
Former cricketer and YouTube sensation Akash Chopra visits Noida Stadium to witness Maharashtra Kesari and Punjab Royals lock horns!
Jan 26, 2026, 10:30 pm IST
Manisha Bhanivala Delivers Timely Win as Maharashtra Stay in the Hunt
The seventh bout of the night carried huge importance for Maharashtra Kesari, who needed back-to-back wins to strengthen their grip at the top of the table. In the women's 57kg category, Manisha Bhanivala faced Rajnita Jangra in a tight contest.
The bout stayed evenly poised early on at 1-1, with neither wrestler giving much away. Heading into the power minute, Manisha picked up a crucial point, and Rajnita was unable to find a response. The win kept Maharashtra's hopes alive and moved them a step closer to consolidating their position at the top.
Match score: Mahrashtra Kesari 3-4 Punjab Royals.
Jan 26, 2026, 10:12 pm IST
Atish Thodkar Holds Off Chirag Chhikara to Keep Maharashtra Alive
In the men's 57kg bout, Atish Thodkar delivered a composed performance to secure a crucial win over Chirag Chhikara. Atish made a fast start, opening the scoring with a big throw to collect four points and then extending his lead to six, giving Maharashtra Kesari hope of staying in the contest.
Chirag responded with four points of his own, but Atish stayed in control to end the first round ahead at 8-4. The intensity picked up in the second round as both wrestlers traded attacks, with Atish stretching the margin to 12-8 going into the power minute.
Chirag closed the gap with a quick flip to make it 12-10, setting up a tense finish. In the final exchanges, Atish's defence held firm, allowing him to see out the bout and earn Maharashtra a much-needed victory.
Match score: Maharashtra Kesari 2-4 Punjab Royals
Jan 26, 2026, 9:54 pm IST
Sandeep Edges Amit in Dramatic 86kg Thriller to Extend Punjab Lead
The men's 86kg bout between Amit and Sandeep turned into a tense, challenge-filled contest. Sandeep held a narrow 1-0 lead after the first round following a cagey exchange. Amit finally got Maharashtra Kesari on the board with just over a minute left, but Sandeep struck with a takedown before the power minute. A successful challenge by Amit overturned those points, swinging the advantage in Kesari's favour.
The power minute remained tight, with the score shifting to 4-3 amid loud crowd support for Amit. Another challenge late in the bout again went against him, pushing the score to 7-4 in Punjab's favour. Amit refused to back down and produced a last-second takedown to level it at 7-7, but Sandeep's final challenge was upheld, handing Punjab Royals a narrow 8-7 win and extending their lead to 4-1.
Jan 26, 2026, 9:30 pm IST
Priya Malik Storms to 10–0 Win in Women’s 76kg Bout
In the women's 76kg contest, Priya Malik produced a dominant performance against Diksha Malik of Maharashtra Kesari.
Priya took control inside the opening minute, racing to six points and feeding off the crowd's support. She maintained the pressure and sealed the bout with another takedown, wrapping up a 10-0 victory in under two minutes for Punjab Royals.
Jan 26, 2026, 9:19 pm IST
Robert Baran Powers Maharashtra Kesari to First Win of the Night
In the men's 125kg bout, Robert Baran came out on top against Dinesh Dhankhar, giving Maharashtra Kesari their first victory of the evening. Dinesh Dhankhar opened the scoring for Punjab Royals, but Baran responded strongly just seconds before the end of the first round, scoring a takedown to move into a 4-1 lead.
The momentum stayed with the Kesari heavyweight thereafter. Baran controlled the centre, added further takedown points during the power minute, and shut down any chance of a Punjab comeback. Dinesh was unable to recover as Baran closed out a dominant 10-1 win to put Maharashtra on the board.
Jan 26, 2026, 8:59 pm IST
Chandermohan Overpowers Yash with Clinical 18–0 Win
In the men's 74kg contest, Chandermohan of Punjab Royals delivered a dominant display against Yash from Maharashtra Kesari.
After a cautious opening with plenty of hand fighting, Chandermohan drew first blood by bringing Yash down to the mat for an early point. He followed it up with a step-out, forcing Yash out of the circle to collect two more points and take control of the bout.
Yash attempted to respond, but Chandermohan countered smartly, turning defence into attack to stretch his lead to five points by the end of the first round. The momentum stayed firmly with the Punjab wrestler, who moved to eight points before the power minute and then made full use of it, quickly piling on points while maintaining top control.
Yash showed resistance with a late leg attack, but Chandermohan calmly rolled him through and added to his tally, sealing a comprehensive 18-0 victory.
Match Score: Maharashtra Kesari 0-2 Punjab Royals
Jan 26, 2026, 8:43 pm IST
Meenakshi Dominates Guzman Lopez to Give Punjab Royals First Points
In the women's 57kg bout, Meenakshi of Punjab Royals delivered a commanding performance against Cuba's Guzman Lopez, representing Maharashtra Kesari.
Meenakshi struck early, scoring two points inside the first 20 seconds, and continued to control the bout with repeated takedowns to extend her lead. Backed by loud chants from the crowd, she finished the first round firmly in charge.
Entering the power minute with a six-point advantage, Meenakshi shut down any chance of a comeback, sealing a clear win and opening the scoring for Punjab Royals.
Maharashtra Kesari 0-1 Punjab Royals
Story first published: Monday, January 26, 2026, 20:36 [IST]
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