Star-studded Pro Wrestling League begins today

The star-studded Pro Wrestling League (PWL), featuring top grapplers from around the world, begins here on Thursday, with the Delhi side taking on their Punjab counterparts in the inaugural match at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

The tournament, which has a prize purse of Rs 15 crore with the winners bagging Rs 3 crore, will see six teams — Dilli Veers, Haryana Hammers, Punjab Royals, Uttar Pradesh Warriors, Bengaluru Yodhas and Mumbai Garuda — vie for top honours in the inaugural year.

Mumbai will play against the UP Warriors in the capital on Friday while Haryana and Bengaluru will clash on Saturday. Delhi team has the likes of Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan, the silver medallist of this year’s World Championships who will fight in men’s 65kg and Commonwealth Games gold winner and Asian Games bronze medallist Vinesh Phogat among women.

The Hammers boast of several formidable grapplers in their squad including Cuba’s Livan Lopez Azcuy (74kg) who bagged bronze at 2012 London Olympics and World Championships last year, 2013 World Championship silver medalist and former Asian champion Amit Kumar Dahiya (57kg) and reigning world champion and current world number one in the women’s section Oksana Herhel (58kg) of Ukraine.

Punjab also has a strong squad including reigning world champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili of Georgia. Former Asian Games silver medalist Jargalsaikhan Chuluunbat (125kg) of Mongolia and former Commonwealth Games champion Mausam Khatri (97kg). Mumbai will have the services of three-time world women’s champion Adeline Gray (69kg) of the US.