Bajrang Punia Breakdown, Part 3: Bajrang Rises
Photo by Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
The final entry in The Fight Site’s official series on Indian star wrestler Bajrang Punia. We’ll be looking at the emergence of a new and improved Bajrang as he battles through his 2018-2020 campaigns to establish himself as one of 65 kg’s top title contenders and a legitimate pound for pound talent.
2018
After finishing 2017 with a runner-up finish at the U-23 world championships to top Russian talent Naachin Kuular, Bajrang began training under his new coach Emzarios “Shako” Bentinidis. And where better to see if the star of Indian wrestling would shine brighter under the tutelage of Shako then at the Indian Pro Wrestling League? Facing Bajrang would be Soslan Ramonov, a 2x World/Olympic champ fresh off titles at the Nusuev tournament and military worlds, who had wins over European champion Ilyas Bekbulatov of Russia and reigning 3x world champion Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan. Bajrang fought hard with the Russian champion and held his own but his pressure ultimately fed into Ramonov’s strong reattack series and after being snapped into a front headlock, the Indian star was pinned with a cradle by the Russian Olympic champion.
In a recovery match after Ramonov, Bajrang disposed of Harphool Harphool, a 2016 61 KG commonwealth champion, with ease.
Bajrang would enter the Asian championships as the returning champion, but would enter a beastly field that included Daulet Niyazbekov, a Kazakh 2x Asian champion, Younes Emami of Iran, a 60 KG junior world bronze medalist from 2017, Nyam Ochir Enkhsaikhan of Mongolia, a 2014 world bronze medalist, Daichi Takatani, a 2014 senior and junior world rep for Japan, and returning runner-up Seung Chul Lee of South Korea. Cruising into the quarterfinals, the returning champion Bajrang would face Takatani in what was a rematch of their 54 KG cadet world semifinals match 7 years in the making.
The speed and low level attacks of Takatani were too much for Bajrang to overcome and he would be sent into repechage after Takatani defeated Younes Emami of Iran for bronze.
Bajrang’s rematch against Emami from U-23 world’s was somehow capable of surpassing the original barn burner of a match, with both men showing excellent attacks, defense, and fighting spirit. But it would be the elder Bajrang pulling away to take a convincing 10-4 win over the young Iranian talent in the first of their many matches in 2018.
Bajrang would win his first Commonwealth Games championship title with a win over Daniel Charig of Wales, after coming up short 4 years prior to David Tremblay of Canada.
Bajrang would enter the prestigious Tbilisi GP with a talented roster of opponents, including old foe U-23 world bronze medalist Younes Emami of Iran, Katai Yeerlanbieke of China, 2017 International Ukrainian Tournament runner-up Gor Ogannesyan of Ukraine, 2017 Russian national runner-up Murshid Mutalimov, and 3x European champ Cengizhan Erdogan of Turkey. Beginning with a quarterfinal match against Ogannesyan of Ukraine, Bajrang would be put in an early deficit as the counter-oriented Ukrainian capitalized on Bajrang’s pressure. Bajrang recovered and took control of the match, breaking Ogannesyan on his way to a 14-4 win and a rubber match against Younes Emami of Iran in the quarterfinals. In a neck-and-neck match, Bajrang would use his pressure to capitalize on a late leg attack on the Iranian talent to take a 3-1 win and a spot in the semifinals.
In the semifinals, Bajrang would meet the returning Russian national runner-up Murshid Mutalimov. In another tightly contested, razor thin match, Bajrang advanced to the finals with a 6-5 win over Mutalimov.
Mehran Nasiri of Iran, a relative unknown whose best finish prior had been bronze at the 2016 university world championships at 61 KG, had a spectacular run to the finals upsetting 2x U-23 European bronze medalist, Shota Phartenadze of Georgia and 3x European champion, Cengizhan Erdogan of Turkey. Unfazed by the red hot Nasiri, Bajrang would overcome an early first period deficit to go ahead and to take a 9-3 win off the strength of his second period comeback.
Finishing off July with a trip to the Yasar Dogu, Bajrang moved up in weight to 70 KG. His first victory came via 12-2 tech fall over 2016 university world champ, Meirzhan Ashirov of Kazakhstan, in the round of 16. A rematch of his loss from the repechage of the 2017 world championships and the returning Yasar Dogu champ, Turkey’s Mustafa Kaya, was to be Bajrang’s biggest tests of the year so far. Things looked grim after an initial Kaya flurry put him up 4-0, threatening a repeat of Paris. But in his most impressive match of the year, Bajrang overcame Kaya and broke him, tech falling the talented Turk 15-4 to make the semis against Younes Emami. Emami had become wise to the tactics of Bajrang and leading a back and forth high scoring match 10-8, looked well on his way to beating the Indian star. But Bajrang’s run to the Yasar Dogu title was not to be denied and he scored a last second takedown to win 10-10. A forfeit from Yarygin bronze medalist Andrey Kviatkovski of Ukraine gave Bajrang his third international title of the year.
Looking to improve upon two past runner-up finishes down at 61 KG at the prestigious Commonwealth and Asian Games, and already successful with a title at the Commonwealth Games, Bajrang would take the mat in Jakarta with a looming matchup against Japanese hammer, Daichi Takatani. With three technical superiority wins to make the finals, Bajrang would get his wish to avenge his loss to Daichi Takatani.
Punia’s improvement was on full display, using a strong crotch lift to get exposure off Takatani’s low shots and using his underhook series to set up his snatch single, as well as a strong front headlock to defeat Takatani 11-8 and make it four straight international titles going into the world championships in Budapest.
At the 2018 World Championships, after an opening round 9-4 win against Ukrainian transfer Roman Asharin of Hungary, put Bajrang into the round of 16 in a rematch of the 2017 Asian championships finals against Seung Chul Lee of South Korea. Garnering a 4-0 shutout over Lee, Bajrang would face a surging Tulga Tumur-Ochir in the quarterfinals, who was fresh off a huge upset win over returning world runner-up Magomedmurad Gadzhiev of Poland. Controlling the match throughout, Bajrang had to fend off a late charge from Tumur-Ochir to hang on to win 5-3 and book a spot in the semifinals against returning world bronze medalist Alejandro Valdes Tobier of Cuba.
In one of the most tightly contested matches of the world championships, Bajrang was able to defeat the Cuban dynamo off the strength of a snatch single leg and an inside trip off a front headlock coupled with his trademark forward pressure.
Facing Bajrang in the world finals was Japan’s breakout star, Takuto Otoguro. A cadet world champion at 54 KG in 2015, Otoguro had seen limited international action since then but had made major noise upon his senior level debut, defeating past world champion Logan Stieber of the United States at the world cup and tech falling top ten ranked Daichi Takatani to win the world team spot. At only 19 years old, Takatani had tech falled his way through to the semifinals where he met with 2016 61 KG world bronze medalist Akhmed Chakaev of Russia. In an unbelievable 15-10 match, the young phenom prevailed over the Russian veteran to make the world finals.
An early stepout for Otoguro would put him in the lead in the first 15 seconds. With a well timed snapdown and short drag Otoguro got a head outside single leg and, popping his hips through it on a claw finish, was able to get a pivotal 4 point feet to back takedown on Bajrang, going up 5-0 within the first 30 seconds of the match. A renewed sense of urgency was kindled in Bajrang, picking up his hand fighting and forward pressure to compensate for the speed advantage of Otoguro. Pressuring into Otoguro, Bajrang was able to time Otoguro pushing back in to score off a reverse hook shuck to cut Otoguro’s lead to 5-2. Otoguro, seeking to regain momentum of the match shot a double leg on Bajrang. Bajrang sprawled, stopping Otoguro’s attack and bringing him up an over under and punching through a right underhook to throw it by to a head inside single - the score now stood at 5-4 Otoguro. Bajrang’s forward pressure would continue, but Otoguro timed another beautiful snapdown into a double leg to go up 7-4. Bajrang retaliated immediately with a knee pull single, shelving it and driving it through to make the score 7-6 Otoguro. The period would end with Otoguro holding a 7-6 lead.
Otoguro would extend his lead to 9-6 15 seconds into the second period off the strength of a quick high crotch, but while finishing a leg lace on the edge of the mat that Punia defended, Otoguro appeared to suffer an ankle injury. A failed challenge from Bajrang’s corner resulted in a 10-6 Otoguro lead. Otoguro would get in another high crotch, transition it to a head inside single, and drive Bajrang out of bounds to take an 11-6 lead. An extended Bajrang shot was stuffed by Otoguro who then used it to get Bajrang into a front headlock, then into a head outside single and claw that he used to drive Bajrang out of bounds to go up 12-6. Bajrang stuffed a series of Otoguro shots, shoved him out of bounds on a reattack, and caused a passivity call against Otoguro, making the score now 12-8. Otoguro paused, his earlier ankle injury still affecting him and, after coming back to the center, was promptly double legged off his feet by Bajrang, who had mistakenly believed the ref had called the match back to action. With a worsening injury and a rejuvenated and offensively potent Bajrang, it would appear the tides were turning against Otoguro even with his 12-8 lead over the Indian stalwart. But Otoguro was not to be denied, and upon restart would dart in on a head inside single, scoring as Bajrang tried to expose him with the crotch lift, with Otoguro turning Bajrang for exposure after completing the takedown to go up 14-8. A head inside single from Bajrang was stuffed by Otoguro and, while Bajrang worked to elevate it and bring it off the mat, Otoguro procured a crotch lock and posted on his head, rolling Bajrang through for another set of exposure to go up 16-8. Another passivity call against Otoguro made the score 16-9 and with short time, Otoguro darted in on a low single and hanged on for the remaining time, winning one of the centerpiece matches of the whole world championships to take home the 65 KG world title at only 19 years old.
2019
After his loss to Otoguro, Bajrang doubled up on two professional league series - the Deutsche Ringerliga (DRL) and the Indian Pro Wrestling League. In his most successful season with the Indian Pro Wrestling League, Bajrang took wins over outstanding competition such as 3x world champion, Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan, and returning Yarygin bronze medalist and 70 KG world 5th, Andrey Kviatkovski of Ukraine.
Proceeding to the finals of the Deutsche Ringerliga (DRL), Bajrang competing for VfK Schifferstadt against Germania Weingarten. Across from him would be an old foe in Alejandro Valdes Tobier of Cuba who had put together an absolutely spectacular run while competing for Germania Weingarten, defeating the likes of Olympic champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili and Russian national champion Ilyas Bekbulatov. Bajrang, not deterred by the success Valdes Tobier had absolutely dominated the dynamic Cuban breaking him to get a 17-2 win and helping Schifferstadt to a 15-7 over Germania Weingarten. A week later in part two of the final, in a major contribution to Schifferstadt’s title winning performance over Germania Weingarten, Bajrang would again control Valdes Tobier in an 11-4 win.
The Dan Kolov tournament would see Bajrang run through a gauntlet of underrated past and present Russian talent in the form of Eduard Grigorev, Iulian Gergenov, and Belarus’s Nyurgun Skryabin, a champion at the 2016 Yarygin and bronze medalist at the 2016 Russian nationals. Jordan Oliver, a 2x NCAA champion at the prestigious Oklahoma State University and one of America’s brightest talents in the always stacked 65 KG weight, would be Bajrang’s main test - a dangerous wrestler capable of ending a match at any moment. Bajrang went down early after an Oliver double leg but came back and absolutely dominated the match with his foot stomp single and crotch lift exposure techniques, dominating the American 12-3 to take home gold.
Looking to earn his second Asian championships title with the momentum of his Dan Kolov win, Bajrang pushed past strong competitors like Sirojiddin Khasanov and Peyman Biabani on his way to the finals against Sayatbek Okassov of Kazakhstan. After an early single leg and exposure from Okassov, Bajrang would have to mount another one of his trademark comebacks to win. True to form, Bajrang would defeat Okassov 12-7 to take his second Asian championships title.
Next on the agenda was travel, as Bajrang embarked on his first Russian tour. To Dagestan specifically, a wrestling hotbed that lays claim to the world’s best, most dominant athletes. While completing a training camp in the wrestling capital of the world, Bajrang competed at the illustrious Ali Aliev tournament. Starting off with a 14-4 tech fall win over Meirzhan Ashirov of Kazakhstan, Bajrang would win a shutout match, 4-0 over returning Alans runner-up Kurban Shiraev in the quarterfinals. A tighter match would ensue as the Indian star would be faced with 2017 Russian national bronze medalist Islam Dudaev, but Bajrang would prevail 8-4, setting up an intriguing styilistic matchup in the finals against 2017 61 KG Russian nationals runner-up, Viktor Rassadin. Rassadin, presenting the same length, speed, and head outside single and high crotch that Otoguro had used to stifle Bajrang in Budapest. Rassadin even took an early lead off the aforementioned attributes. Down 7-3 at the end of the first, Bajrang, having learned from the lessons of the past, maintained his pressure and wore Rassadin down with his underhooks and front headlock, scoring off his strong foot stomp single and crotch lift exposures to rattle off 10 points with a late stepout from Rassadin. This victory gave Punia his third international title of the month with a 13-8 win.
When opportunity knocks, you best answer, and that’s exactly what Bajrang did as he accepted an invitation to compete against 2x NCAA champion and recent U.S. open winner, Yianni Diakomihalis. Diakomihalis, only a sophomore at Cornell, had just concluded an ultra impressive run at the U.S. Open defeating 2017 world team representative Zain Retherford in the finals and prior to that had posted a 10-3 win over 2016 Olympic 5th place finisher Frank Molinaro, as well as teching past Bajrang foe, Jordan Oliver. A 2x cadet world champion as well, Diakomihalis, a freestyle savant with one of the most deep offensive skillsets in the game, is a true student of the game and had seen the past success opponents had against Bajrang by preventing him from establishing his preferred collar ties and underhooks, and targeting his leg with low level attacks. In an absolute shootout of a match, it was Diakomihalis that would come out the victor, using his strong scrambling ability and low shots to score a 10-8 win over Bajrang.
A return to the Tbilisi GP would see Bajrang pick up his second straight Tbilisi GP title over Asian championships bronze medalist, Peyman Byabani of Iran. Like their match at the Asian championships, Bajrang took a controlled but low scoring match to bring home gold and his fourth international title going into the world championships as the top ranked wrestler in the world.
Starting in the round of 32, Bajrang would defeat Krzysztof Bienkowski of Poland to make a round of 16 match opposite 2017 European bronze medalist and 2015 149 LB NCAA runner-up for Edinboro, David Habat of Slovenia, winning 3-0 to book his spot in the quarterfinals. Son Jong-Chol of North Korea is all that stood between Bajrang and the semifinal berth that would guarantee him a spot in the Tokyo Olympics, and Bajrang was surely up to the challenge, disposing of his opponent easily to the tune of an 8-1 score.
The semis see Bajrang matched against a hometown favorite and old foe in the form of 3x Asian champion, Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan. In what had been a tight match that was still in Bajrang’s control, a flurry on the edge of the mat that saw Niyazbekov attempting to score off a fireman’s carry and Bajrang throw him for exposure was incorrectly scored 4 for Niyazbekov. After this poor scoring display, Niyazbekov repeatedly fouled and fled from Bajrang in order to hold onto the win while the judges did nothing.
Niyazbekov was able to get the 9-9 win and calls of illegitimate officiating benefitting the Kazakh wrestlers in their home country in order to get Olympic representation were rampant. Recovering from this controversy, Bajrang had to contend with the dangerous Tulga Tumur-Ochir for bronze and after a huge throw by Tumur-Ochir that looked to have Bajrang dead to rights, Bajrang clawed and fought back to win 8-7 and conclude his 2019 with a world bronze medal.
2020
In a year that has been truncated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bajrang competed only twice at the Dan Kolov and at the Asian Championships. Taking gold at the Dan Kolov, Bajrang avenged a past loss to 2015 61 KG world bronze medalist, Vasyl Shuptar of Ukraine, and knocked off top U.S. competitors Joey McKenna and Zain Retherford. A rematch of the last year’s finals against a dominant Jordan Oliver, Bajrang was be pushed to the limit in a 4-3 win.
A dominant run to the finals that saw 3 tech fall wins set up a rematch of the electrifying 2018 world finals against Takuto Otoguro of Japan. Otoguro came out on fire and took the match to Bajrang, giving him no real openings and taking a commanding 10-2 match to take home his first senior Asian championships title.
With word being that there is potentially a world championship at the end of the year that is dependent on the state of the COVID-19, Bajrang ( currently ranked #3 at 65 kilograms) could have the potential to continue to cement his name as one of the best 65 kilogram wrestlers in the world and bring home gold to India.