Noida, Jan 29 (NationPress) The Delhi Dangal Warriors dramatically clinched their spot in the semifinals with a narrow 5-4 victory over the Punjab Royals during a thrilling final league encounter of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) 2026 held at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Thursday. This stunning win allowed Delhi to finish in second place, eliminating any doubts about technical interference on their path to the final four.

The pivotal moment for Delhi came during the eighth tie, where Turan Bayramov, named the Player of the Match, delivered a dominant performance against U23 Asian Champion Chandermohan, leveling the contest at 4–4 and securing Delhi's position in the semifinals. Prior to this, Ana Godinez, recognized as Fighter of the Match, kept Punjab in the running with a high-stakes victory in the women's 62kg clash, pushing the match to a nail-biting finish.

Punjab Royals, who had already secured a spot in the semifinals with six points, started strong in the women's 76kg category with Priya Malik narrowly defeating Anastasiya Alpyeeva 2–0 in a tactical battle. In response, Delhi made a remarkable comeback in the men's 86kg category, where Vafaeipour Hadi Bakhtiar overwhelmed Sandeep Maan with relentless attacks, achieving a commanding 20–7 victory to level the score.

Delhi then took the lead with Sujeet Kalkal's composed 10–1 victory over Anuj Kumar in the men’s 65kg bout, followed by Shubham Kaushik, who delivered a clinical 9–0 shutout against Chirag Chhikara, extending Delhi's lead to 3–1. Punjab responded with Rajnita Jangra, who dominated Karla Godinez Gonzalez in the 57kg women's bout to bring the score to 3–2.

In the 62kg women's match, Ana Godinez showcased her exceptional skills, building a significant lead with a five-point throw in the first period. Despite some resistance from Anjli in the second period, she held her nerve to finish with an 11–7 win, leveling the team score at 3–3.

Punjab then took the lead for the first time since the match began with Meenakshi's dominant performance over Saarika in the women's 53kg contest, which ended with an injury stoppage, putting Punjab ahead 4–3.

With the pressure on Delhi, Turan Bayramov rose to the occasion. In the 74kg men's bout against U23 Asian Champion Chandermohan, Bayramov absorbed early pressure before unleashing a series of takedowns and exposures, securing an 18–8 victory to level the match at 4–4 and guarantee Delhi's advancement.

The final bout concluded with a forfeit in the 125kg men's category, awarding Ronak the victory and sealing a 5–4 win for the Delhi Dangal Warriors.

This result guarantees Delhi's place in the semifinals, finishing in second with six points and 24 bout wins, while Punjab Royals also progress, having confirmed their spot earlier with six points, finishing fourth in the league stage with 23 bout wins.

On Friday, the table-topping Haryana Thunders will face off against Punjab Royals in the first semifinal of Day 14 of PWL 2026.