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PWL Semi Final: Delhi Dangal Warriors Take Victory in Round 8 to Secure Final Fight Against Haryana Thunders
Delhi Dangal Warriors booked their place in the Pro Wrestling League final after a gripping semi-final against Maharashtra Kesari, winning a dramatic tie that swung repeatedly before Delhi sealed qualification in the penultimate bout. With the outcome decided, Delhi later forfeited the final round, choosing to conserve energy ahead of Sunday's title clash against Haryana Thunders.
The decisive moment came in the men's 74kg bout, where Turan Bayramov raced to a 5-0 lead before Yash mounted a late comeback to level the scores. With the bout ending 5-5, Turan was awarded the win on technical criteria, enough to mathematically send Delhi into the final.
Earlier, Delhi stayed alive through one of the matches of the night. A visibly injured Shubham Kaushik produced a stunning comeback in the men's 57kg bout, clawing back from a heavy deficit to beat Atish Thodkar after a failed challenge swung the result Delhi's way. That win halted Maharashtra's momentum just as they looked set to pull away.
Maharashtra had controlled large portions of the tie. Champion Manisha Bhanvala delivered a dominant technical win at 65kg, while Robert Baran powered past Ronak in the heavyweight bout. Nishu and Anastasiya also contributed crucial wins to keep Kesari firmly in contention.
Delhi's campaign was anchored by composure under pressure. Anjli set the tone with a dominant opening win, while Hadi Vafaeipour delivered in a tense 86kg bout to swing momentum back in Delhi's favour.
With the semi-final secured, Delhi forfeited the final 65kg bout between captain Sujeet and Vazgen Tevanyan, ending the night with eyes firmly on the championship match. The win sets up a high-stakes final against Haryana Thunders, as Delhi chase the PWL crown.
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Jan 31, 2026, 11:07 pm IST
Delhi Forfeit Final Bout as Focus Shifts to PWL Final
In the final bout of the night - the men's 65kg contest - Sujeet and Vazgen Tevanyan were set to face off, but Delhi Dangal Warriors chose to forfeit the round. With qualification already secured, Delhi opted to conserve their key wrestlers and energy, turning their full attention to the PWL final showdown tomorrow.
Delhi Dangal Warriors 5-4 Maharashtra Kesari
Jan 31, 2026, 10:58 pm IST
Turan Bayramov Sees Delhi Through to Final with 74kg Win
In the men's 74kg bout, Turan Bayramov surged into an early 5-0 lead, keeping Delhi Dangal Warriors on course to close out the tie in the seventh round. Yash mounted a late push for Maharashtra Kesari, clawing back points to level the bout at 5-5 heading into the power minute.
With scores tied, Turan was declared the winner on technical criteria, enough to seal the round and confirm Delhi's qualification for the final. The result sends Delhi Dangal Warriors into the championship clash, where they will face Haryana Thunders for the PWL crown.
Delhi Dangal Warriors 5-3 Maharashtra Kesari
Jan 31, 2026, 10:45 pm IST
Hadi Vafaeipour Delivers Under Pressure to Put Delhi Ahead
In the men's 86kg bout, Hadi Vafaeipour edged past Amit in a tense, momentum-shifting contest. Hadi opened the scoring before Amit replied and nudged ahead by a point going into the power minute.
The decisive phase belonged to Hadi. He surged forward to force a push-out, briefly taking his tally into double figures, only for a successful Maharashtra challenge to overturn the score. Unfazed, Hadi repeated the move moments later to restore his advantage. Amit struck back with a late takedown, closing the gap in the final seconds, but a successful Delhi challenge swung the points back, sealing an 11-9 win and handing Delhi Dangal Warriors a crucial lead.
Delhi 4-3 Maharashtra
Jan 31, 2026, 10:43 pm IST
Anastasiya Edges Past Harshita to Level Semi-Final
In the women's 76kg bout, Harshita made the early running, steadily building a 4-0 lead with sustained attacks. Midway through the contest, Anastasiya swung momentum by forcing a push-out, picking up a point and quickly adding to it. Despite Harshita's pressure bringing the scores level at 5-5 around the four-minute mark, Anastasiya stayed composed in the closing exchanges, pulling clear to secure a 7-5 win and tie the tie at 3-3.
Jan 31, 2026, 9:54 pm IST
Injured Shubham Kaushik Stuns Atish Thodkar in 57kg Thriller
The men's 57kg bout produced one of the moments of the night as Shubham Kaushik fought through injury to edge past Atish Thodkar. Shubham opened the scoring with a two-point takedown, but Atish responded strongly, countering and then extending his lead through a pair of roll-throughs to surge ahead 10-2.
The bout turned dramatically in the power minute. Despite visibly limping, Shubham launched a spirited comeback, stringing together quick attacks to close the gap to 6-10 and then level the scores at 10-10 as time expired. A failed challenge from Maharashtra added an extra point in Delhi's favour, handing Shubham a hard-earned win and halting Maharashtra Kesari's winning momentum.
Delhi Dangal Warriors 2-3 Maharashtra Kesari
Jan 31, 2026, 9:40 pm IST
Nishu Withstands Late Saarika Fightback to Win 53kg Bout
In the women's 53kg contest, Nishu kept Maharashtra Kesari in control by racing to a 7-0 lead by the end of the first half against Saarika. Saarika showed grit and mounted a late comeback, scoring repeatedly to close the gap to 6-7 as the bout entered the power minute. However, Nishu held her ground in the closing exchanges and finished on top, securing another crucial win for Maharashtra.
Delhi Dangal Warriors 1-3 Maharashtra Kesari
Jan 31, 2026, 9:37 pm IST
Sara Ali Khan Turns Heads at PWL Semi Finals
Bollywood star Sara ALi Khan made a special appearance at the PWL Semi-Final match between Delhi Dangal Warriors and Maharashtra Kesari.
Jan 31, 2026, 9:35 pm IST
Robert Baran Overpowers Ronak in Physical 125kg Clash
The men's 125kg bout saw Ronak hold a narrow 1-0 lead at the halfway mark before Robert Baran turned the bout on its head. Baran struck with a flurry of scoring moves, quickly collecting four points and then extending his advantage to take firm control as the power minute arrived.
Tempers flared with heated exchanges between the two wrestlers, but Baran stayed focused, shutting down any response from Ronak. He closed out the contest in commanding fashion, sealing an emphatic 11-1 win for Maharashtra Kesari.
Jan 31, 2026, 9:26 pm IST
Manisha Bhanvala Cruises Past Karla Godinez with Technical Win
In the women's 65kg bout, national champion Manisha Bhanvala delivered a dominant display against Karla Godinez. Manisha opened the scoring after an unsuccessful challenge from Delhi, and soon asserted full control with a takedown to move 4-0 clear. The momentum stayed firmly with the Kesari wrestler, who added points in quick succession as Karla struggled to respond.
Manisha continued to pile on the pressure, racing to a 10-0 lead and then methodically pushing towards technical superiority. She wrapped up a comprehensive 15-0 victory with just under two minutes left on the clock, pulling Maharashtra Kesari level early in the semi-final.
Delhi Dangal Warriors 1-1 Maharashtra Kesari
Jan 31, 2026, 8:46 pm IST
Anjli Dominates Dudova to Give Delhi Dangal Warriors Strong Start
In the women's 62kg opener, Anjli set the tone with a composed performance against Bilyana Dudova. Anjli struck first, but Dudova responded quickly to edge ahead before a push-out brought Delhi back into control. Building steadily, Anjli added a clean takedown to move 6-2 clear midway through the bout.
She carried a 7-2 advantage into the power minute and shut down Dudova's attempts to capitalise, maintaining control in the centre. Anjli closed the contest emphatically with a fall, sealing an 11-4 win and handing Delhi Dangal Warriors an ideal start to the semi-final.
Delhi Dangal Warriors 1-0 Maharashtra Kesari
Story first published: Saturday, January 31, 2026, 20:30 [IST]
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