New Delhi: The Pro Wrestling League (PWL), halted after four seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is set for a major revival in January 2026. This time, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will directly oversee all financial transactions with wrestlers and franchises to ensure greater transparency and avoid the payment-related issues that marred earlier editions.
WFI officials confirmed that wrestlers who participated in the protest against former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will face no bias and may freely register for the upcoming players’ auction.
Earlier, the league was operated by ProSportify under a yearly royalty agreement, but disputes erupted when several wrestlers claimed they had not received their TDS records for years. The WFI also alleged that it had not received the contracted royalty payments. In June 2022, WFI reached a settlement with ProSportify, taking complete control of the PWL by paying Rs 30 crore.
The league’s new promoter and chairman, Dayaan Farooqui, formalised the partnership with current WFI President Sanjay Singh.
“ONO Media now holds all commercial rights. We have learnt from our past experiences, and this time the WFI will manage all payment systems directly,” Singh said during a press briefing, adding, “Any wrestler who wishes to participate is welcome—there will be no discrimination.”
Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has faced allegations of sexual harassment, was present at the event. He clarified he has no official involvement in managing the league.
“I’m here because I was invited. I may not hold a position in the federation anymore, but I remain a sports enthusiast,” he said. Responding to questions on whether he still influences decisions from behind the scenes, he remarked, “Many things do happen behind the scenes,” before insisting that Sanjay Singh’s election victory was legitimate.
League Structure: One City, Six Teams
PWL CEO Akhil Gupta shared preliminary details of the 2026 season, noting that the process of finalising the six franchise owners is ongoing.
“For the comeback season, all matches will be staged at a single venue in Delhi. From the following year, we plan to expand to other cities. Discussions with corporates for franchise ownership are underway, and invitations to leading international wrestlers have already been sent,” Gupta said.
The league will run for 18 days, featuring six teams made up of nine wrestlers each—five Indians and four foreign athletes—including four women per team. Competition will be held across nine Olympic weight categories in men’s freestyle and women’s wrestling, with Greco-Roman excluded from the format.
Brij Bhushan recalled being advised in earlier editions to avoid inviting elite global wrestlers to protect the chances of Indian athletes, but he chose not to follow that approach.
“When you compete with Olympians and world champions, the mental barrier disappears. That exposure has helped Indian wrestlers tremendously. Today, they don’t fear competing against athletes from Japan, Russia or Iran,” he said, adding that the upcoming season will also feature top international names.
Each franchise will operate with a budget of Rs 2 crore, and the exact start date of the 2026 season will be announced shortly.
