Pro Wrestling League CEO Vows to Surpass IPL's Impact on Indian Wrestling

PWL, India's premier franchise-based professional wrestling league sanctioned by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), made its return in 2026 after a seven-year hiatus and concluded its reimagined fifth season with resounding success, reaffirming its status as one of India's most high-profile sporting properties.

Speaking to ANI, Akhil Gupta said the Pro Wrestling League has the potential to create an even bigger impact on wrestling than the IPL did on cricket, particularly in terms of growth and popularity.

Notably, since its launch in 2008, the IPL has transformed cricket in India on an unprecedented scale. The league has unearthed young talent, provided domestic players with exposure alongside international stars, and significantly boosted the popularity and financial growth of Indian cricket. Today, the IPL stands as the biggest and most influential T20 league in the world.

Akhil Gupta pointed out that cricket in India had already become hugely popular after the country's historic 1983 World Cup triumph, with the IPL later taking the sport to another level. Gupta, a cricket fan himself, added that wrestling is an even bigger sport because of its unpredictable nature, where matches can change dramatically in the final moments, and no result is certain until the very end.

"We will do even bigger than IPL. But when I say this even bigger, it's in percentage terms. Cricket was always famous after 1983. Cricket was always big after 1983. IPL has made it even bigger. Wrestling is a very big sport. To tell you the truth, I am a very big cricket fan myself. But when I saw wrestling with my own eyes, I realised that this game is even bigger. Why? The game changes every 10 seconds. In cricket, you can recognise halfway through where the game is going. In wrestling, you never know about the last 1 minute. You are winning 5-0. If you fall behind in the last 1 minute, you will lose it," he said.

The 2026 PWL season culminated with Haryana Thunders being crowned PWL 2026 champions, taking home the coveted trophy along with a Rs 1.5 crore prize purse. Runners-up Delhi Dangal Warriors finished a competitive campaign with Rs 75 lakh in prize money.

Gupta said the Pro Wrestling League is helping young Indian wrestlers gain invaluable exposure by allowing them to train and interact with top international stars and Olympic medallists.

He cited the example of Kajal Dhochak spending a month alongside Olympic medallist Yui Sasaki of Japan in the Haryana Thunders team, learning techniques and gaining confidence. Gupta added that several other Indian wrestlers also benefited from training with elite athletes like Tiigers of Mumbai Dangals' wrestler Aman Sehrawat, and described this exchange of knowledge and experience as the league's biggest success ahead of major events like the 2026 Asian Games.

Gupta said, "After PWL, a lot of new wrestlers will come, a lot of new wrestlers will come and train with international players. And there are good chances we get a little higher on the medal tally as well. The Asian Games are coming. For example, Kajal (Dhochak) was in the Haryana team. She was with Yui Sasaki for one month. Yui Sasaki is not a common name. Where do you get this kind of exposure when you are spending time with an Olympic medallist?"

"Similarly, a lot of other talents were spending time with Aman Sehrawat. So the local talent, apart from them, even the international talent, Yui Sasaki, was telling how to apply techniques. I saw that Yui Sasaki became the coach for these girls during the league. Now, the proud moment is that they will be contesting against her. So that gives a confidence level. I think that's the biggest win for us," the PWL CEO added.

- ANI