The much-anticipated player auction for the upcoming Pro Wrestling League (PWL) season is set to witness intense bidding wars, with Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat emerging as the most expensive domestic wrestler. The 21-year-old sensation has entered the auction pool with a commanding base price of Rs 18 lakh, placing him in the elite bracket alongside global stars.
Star-Studded Top Bracket Features Olympic Champions
Sehrawat shares the top-tier base price of Rs 18 lakh with Japan's two-time Olympic gold medallist Yui Susaki and the formidable Yusneylis Guzman Lopez. This valuation underscores Sehrawat's meteoric rise and consistent performances for India, having secured medals at both the Olympic Games and the Asian Games in recent seasons. His recent ban by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for weight management issues at the World Championships has been lifted, clearing his path for the league.
In the men's domestic category, World and Commonwealth Games medallist Deepak Punia and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Naveen have been listed with a base price of Rs 10 lakh each. Notably, top Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal has set a relatively modest base price of Rs 7 lakh, which could spark a bidding frenzy among franchises.
International Powerhouses and Indian Contenders
The foreign men's category is headlined by a strong contingent from Europe and Eurasia. Reigning world champions and Olympic medallists dominate the higher slabs. Russia's former world and European champion Abasgadzhi Magomedov enters at Rs 10 lakh. He is joined in this bracket by Armenia's world championship medallist Arman Andreasyan and Hungary's 2023 world champion Iszmail Muszukajev, who also placed fifth at the Paris Olympics.
Other premium overseas names include Armenia's multiple-time world and European medallist Arsen Harutyunyan and Russia's reigning world and European champion Usmanov Akhmed, both listed at Rs 10 lakh and expected to attract fierce bidding.
On the women's side, world championship medallist Antim Panghal, one of India's most consistent performers, has been assigned the highest base price among Indian women at Rs 10 lakh. Anshu Malik, who is striving to mount a strong comeback, has also placed herself in the Rs 10 lakh bracket. National Games champion Swati Shinde and former world championship silver medallist Pooja Gahlot are among the other top Indian contenders likely to draw significant interest.
League Schedule and Competing Franchises
The Pro Wrestling League auction is scheduled for January 3. The league itself will be held from January 15 to February 1. Six franchises are set to battle for supremacy in the upcoming season:
- Haryana Thunders
- Tigers of Mumbai Dangals
- Punjab Royals
- Maharashtra Kesari
- Delhi Dangal Warriors
- UP Dominators
The stage is set for a thrilling auction where franchises will strategize to build winning squads, blending India's rising talents with established international superstars.
