Bayramov brilliance powers Delhi Dangal Warriors into PWL 2026 semi-finals

Noida: Delhi Dangal Warriors booked a semi-final spot after edging past Punjab Royals 5–4 in the thrilling final league fixture of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) 2026 at the Noida Indoor Stadium.

Delhi sprang a surprise on Punjab with a decisive victory that confirmed their second-place finish and eliminated any reliance on technical calculations for a place in the last four. The turning point came in the eighth bout, where Player of the Match Turan Bayramov (in top pic) delivered a commanding display to overpower U23 Asian Champion Chandermohan, drawing the contest level at 4–4 and effectively sealing Delhi’s semi-final berth.

Earlier, Fighter of the Match Ana Godinez had kept Punjab in the hunt with an impressive win in the women’s 62kg category, ensuring the tie remained fiercely contested until the very end.

Punjab Royals, already assured of a semi-final berth with six points, began the tie strongly in the 76kg women’s category as Priya Malik edged Anastasiya Alpyeeva 2–0 in a disciplined tactical contest. Delhi responded emphatically in the 86kg men’s category through Vafaeipour Hadi Bakhtiar, who overwhelmed Sandeep Maan with relentless offense to register a commanding 20–7 win and bring the tie level.

Delhi then surged ahead as captain Sujeet Kalkal delivered a composed 10–1 victory over Anuj Kumar in the 65kg men’s tie, before Shubham Kaushik followed up with a clinical 9–0 shutout against Chirag Chhikara to extend Delhi’s advantage to 3–1. Punjab pulled one back in the 57kg women’s category through Rajnita Jangra, who dictated proceedings against Karla Godinez Gonzalez to claim a 5–1 win.

Fighter of the Match Ana Godinez after winning the Player of the Match Award

The momentum swung again in the 62kg women’s bout, where Ana Godinez produced one of the standout contests of the night. Godinez opened up a decisive lead with a massive five-point throw in the first period and, despite resistance from Anjli in the second period, held her nerve to secure an 11–7 win and level the team score at 3–3.

Punjab then moved ahead for the first time since the opening contest as Meenakshi dominated Saarika in the 53kg women’s contest, forcing an injury stoppage after building a commanding lead to make it 4–3 in Punjab’s favour.

With Delhi’s semi-final hopes hanging in the balance, Turan Bayramov delivered when it mattered most. Facing U23 Asian Asian champion Chandermohan in the 74kg men’s bout, Bayramov absorbed early pressure before unleashing a scoring burst of takedowns and exposures across both periods, powering to an emphatic 18–8 victory to draw Delhi level at 4–4 and confirm qualification.

The final bout was decided by forfeit in the 125kg men’s category, handing Ronak the win and sealing a 5–4 triumph for Delhi Dangal Warriors.

With this result, Delhi secure their semi-final berth and second place finish with six points and 24 bout wins, while Punjab Royals also advance, having already confirmed qualification earlier with six points. They finished fourth in the league stage with 23 bout wins.

Tags : Delhi Dangal Warriors, Punjab Warriors, Wrestling, PWL, Turan Bayramov