Maharashtra Kesari clinched a thrilling 5–4 victory over UP Dominators in Match 9 of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) 2026 at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.
Harshita Mor’s stunning fall in the women’s 76kg category proved decisive, sealing Maharashtra’s win and lifting the team to second place on the points table with four points and 14 bout wins. Despite the narrow defeat, UP Dominators retained the top spot with four points, courtesy of a superior tally of 20 bout wins. Harshita was named Player of the Match, while UP’s Tapsya Gahlawat earned the Fighter of the Match award.
Pro Wrestling League: Maharashtra Kesari vs UP Dominators
The Dominators made a strong start to the tie through Mykhailov Vasyl in the men’s 86kg bout. After conceding an early push-out, Vasyl asserted complete control with a series of takedowns and turn-and-exposure sequences to register a dominant 15–3 win over Amit. The lead was doubled in the women’s 57kg contest, where Tapsya Gahlawat produced a spirited comeback against Manisha Bhanvala, turning the bout during the Power Minute to edge a high-scoring contest 12–9.
Maharashtra Kesari began their fightback through captain Robert Baran in the heavyweight category. Baran imposed himself with timely takedowns and a decisive exposure late in the bout to defeat Jaspooran Singh 10–2. Momentum continued to swing Maharashtra’s way in the men’s 74kg contest, where Yash wrestled with patience and control, using push-outs and activity points before sealing a 5–2 win with a late takedown to level the tie.
The hosts moved ahead for the first time in the 65kg men’s bout as Tevanyan Vazgen edged Vishal Kaliraman 4–3 in a closely fought contest, scoring the decisive takedown in the closing moments. Maharashtra extended their advantage in the men’s 57kg category, where Atish Thodkar outlasted Rahul Deswal 15–13 in a high-intensity encounter marked by relentless scoring exchanges.
UP Dominators kept the tie alive through Nisha Dahiya in the women’s 62kg bout. Dahiya delivered a composed performance, opening with a sharp takedown and neutralising Dudova Bilyana Zhivkova’s attacks to secure an 8–1 victory and reduce the margin to a single bout.
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The turning point arrived in the women’s 76kg contest. Trailing on points after conceding multiple exposures, Harshita Mor showed remarkable composure to capitalise on a late opening against Ojo Damola Hannah, executing a decisive fall in the closing phase to swing the tie firmly in Maharashtra Kesari’s favour.
UP Dominators picked up a consolation win in the final bout as Antim Panghal defeated Paris Olympic medallist Guzman Lopez Yusneylis 5–0 in the women’s 53kg category, but the result came too late to alter the outcome.
Thursday is a rest day for PWL 2026. League action resumes on Friday when Haryana Thunders take on Maharashtra Kesari at the Noida Indoor Stadium.
