The last four teams will battle it out for a spot in the grand finale of the Pro Wrestling League 2015. Mumbai Garuda, Bengaluru Yodhas, Haryana Hammers, and Punjab Royals have equal chance of getting their hands on the coveted trophy for the first time.
The league, featuring the best amateur wrestlers from around the world, sees Mumbai Garuda and Bengaluru Yodhas pitted against each other in the first semi final clash of the tournament at the IGI Indoor Stadium at the national capital on Christmas day.
The Mumbai side are simply unstoppable, as they have been unbeaten in all their five games in the competition so far. The side, led by USA's Adeline Gray, eked out a close win against Haryana Hammers in Bangalore last night only, to finish atop the table in the league phase.
Bengaluru Yodhas, meanwhile, finished fourth at the end of the league phase, with two wins from their five games.
On-paper, Mumbai Garuda look like a gigantic challenge for Bengaluru Yodhas today, but one has to understand the fatigue factor. Gray and his teammates were locked into a tough battle with Team Haryana just less than 24 hours back, and on top of that, a close-to-three hour flight from Bangalore to Delhi also doesn't give them much time to rest.
Bengaluru Yodhas, meanwhile, played their last game on Wednesday, and they have got the much-needed rest in between.
Nevertheless, the likes of Gray, Giorgi Sakandelidze and Ritu Phogat, will no doubt give an immense challenge to the Team Bengaluru wrestlers. Bajrang Punia and Narsingh Yadav remain massive names for the Bangalore side, and the duo, coupled with the other wrestlers, will no doubt be looking for an emphatic statement today.
The seven best wrestlers from each team face off against each other, belonging to the same weight category.
Mumbai Garuda vs Bengaluru Yodhas is scheduled for a 7 pm IST start.
Where to watch the action
Viewers in India can catch the Hindi feed of the matches on Sony Max and Sony Pal, while the English feed is available on Sony Six / Six HD.
The online streaming is also available on SonyLiv.