India’s U23 World Champion Sujeet Kalkal emerged as the standout name in the Category A round of players’ auction in the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) 2026, after being secured by Delhi Dangal Warriors for ₹52 lakh. Delhi Dangal Warriors was among the most active teams in this round, further acquiring Iran’s Hadi Vafaeipour in the men’s 86 kg category for ₹26 lakh, along with Mexico’s Karla Acosta in the women’s 57 kg division.
Major Statements from Teams
Haryana Thunders made a significant move in women’s wrestling by signing Olympic medalist Iryna Koliadenko for ₹44 lakh in the women’s 62 kg category, alongside Azerbaijan’s Ashirov Ashraf in men’s 86 kg.
Maharashtra Kesari focused on depth and balance, securing Asian Games medallist Deepak Punia in the men’s 86 kg category and Manisha Bhanvala in women’s 57 kg. Punjab Royals signed Dinesh Gulia for ₹36 lakh, Priya Malik for ₹29 lakh, and Roksana Zasina across multiple weight categories.
UP Dominators bolstered their roster with Nisha Dahiya in women’s 62 kg at the base price and Rahul Dalal in men’s 57 kg, while Tigers of Mumbai Dangal did not register any picks in this round.
Auction Insights
The auction process remains ongoing. Wrestlers have been classified into four categories: A+ (Marquee), A, B, and C, with base prices set at ₹18 lakh, ₹12 lakh, ₹8 lakh, and ₹3 lakh, respectively. The league operates with a total purse of ₹12 crore, with each of the six franchises allocated ₹2 crore to build squads competing across nine weight categories—five men’s and four women’s.
Earlier in Round 1, women wrestlers garnered major attention, with Japan’s Yui Susaki attracting a record bid of ₹60 lakh from Haryana Thunders. Alongside Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Susaki, World Championship medallist Antim Panghal was snapped up by UP Dominators for ₹52 lakh in the women’s 53 kg category. Puerto Rico’s Ana Godinez fetched ₹46 lakh from Punjab Royals in the women’s 62 kg division, while Delhi Dangal Warriors added depth to their squad by securing Azerbaijan’s Anastasiya Alpayeva for ₹27 lakh in the women’s 76 kg category.
All Category A+ wrestlers entered the auction with a base price of ₹18 lakh, but several names experienced significant escalations. Among the men, marquee signings included Robert Baran of Poland for ₹55 lakh to Maharashtra Kesari and Paris 2024 bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat for ₹51 lakh to Tigers of Mumbai Dangal.
Delhi Dangal Warriors also strengthened their squad with Turan Bayramov from Azerbaijan, while UP Dominators added consistency through Vasyl Mikhailov and Arman Andreasyan.
Each team must assemble a squad of nine to twelve wrestlers, including four overseas grapplers (two men and two women), while mandatorily featuring at least one Category C wrestler. With further bidding rounds still to come, franchises are expected to continue refining their rosters as the PWL 2026 auction progresses.