Pro Wrestling League 2018

India’s Pooja Dhanda stunned World and Olympic champion Helen Maroulis to set up Punjab Royals second straight title triumph at the Pro Wrestling League. The 2013 and 2017 Commonwealth champion, Pooja, who had beaten Helen in the league stage too, repeated her feat in the sixth bout of the day that sealed Haryana Hammers' fate.

World Championship gold medallist Zurabi Iakobishvili showed his class in the next clash, to win 4-0 and clinch the championship for Punjab Royals 5-2 in front of a packed house. Earlier, Anastasija Grigorjeva and Koumba Laroque had won two fights for the Royals while Vladimir Khinchegashvili and Khetik Tsabolov the other two for the Hammers to lock the nine-bout tie at 2-2 after four clashes.

Reigning Olympic champion Vladimir got the Hammers off to a winning start, scoring a comprehensive 4-0 victory over India's Naveen Kumar in the 57-kg competition. Georgia's Vladimir lived up to his reputation, dominating the opening period and racing to a healthy 4-0 lead straightaway. After the breather, he used all his skills and strength to ward off the Indian and comfortably defend his lead to put his team ahead in the nine-bout duel.

The Royals drew level in the second bout, through 2017 World Championship bronze medalist Anastasija Grigorjeva. In an intense fight, she steamrolled India's Sarita Mor 7-2 in the 62-kg women's contest. In the battle of super heavyweights, Punjab's icon player Geno Petriashvili wrestled with a plan to send his side 3-2 up. Geno cruised to an 11-0 lead in the opening round and comfortably won the bout. He has remained unbeaten through the entire league