The Revanta Mumbai Garuda were crowned champions of the first-ever Pro Wrestling League as they stormed to a 7-2 victory in the final against the Haryana Hammers. After the third bout, the Mumbai were behind 1-2 but they went on to win the remaining six to record an emphatic victory.
They had been unbeaten throughout the league stages and asserted their superiority in the final fixture of the tournament. The likes of Odunayo Adekuoroye, Odikadze Elizbar and captain Adeline Gray have been the pillars of strength for the Garuda while their Indian contingent of Sakshi Malik, Amit Dhankar and Rahul Aware have also impressed with some solid performances.
Speaking to the press after the match, captain Adeline Gray expressed her happiness at her team’s win and the fact that she could lead a team of such high-quality wrestlers to victory. She said that her team were the best in the tournament and rightly deserved to be standing on the podium after the final.
She spoke about how the tournament has been a long road for her as well as her team, as they played three matches in the last four days of the competition. It was tough but in the end, the reward was worth the struggle for the three-time world champion.
Gray stated that nerves had a big part to play in the final and that there was always pressure to perform but deep down, she knew that her team will pull through and go on to win. The American grappler has convincingly won every bout of her in the tournament, including some crushing victories against a few Indian wrestlers in her weight category.
When asked about her opinion on the Indian grapplers and how her one-sided wins reflect on Indian wrestling as a whole, she said that barring a few stellar names, most of them were a work in progress and with proper development, they can surely blossom into world beaters.
She stated that her dominating wins did not mean that the Indian wrestlers were bad since she had won by even bigger margins in other global tournaments and that she is used to demolishing opponents on the mat.
Gray praised Haryana Hammers’ veteran grappler Geetika Jakhar, saying that she is one of the best opponents she has ever fought against and that the 10-0 scoreline in the final does not reflect the intensity of the bout.
Lastly, she threw light on how important the coach’s role was in the Garuda’s success and said that it was only thanks to his efforts that the team was ready for every challenge in front of them.
A reporter asked the skipper about the team’s celebration plans for tonight, to which Gray replied with a beaming smile, “We have already done our shopping and bought a sari and a few bindis. Can’t wait to wear them at the party!”
