Kezhaseluo-o Pienyü of Kohima village is the new King-of-the-Ring in the Vuto Hyundai presents NagaWrestleMania-9 (King Of The Ring Series 2022) organised by 3E Nagaland under the aegis of Nagaland Wrestling Association (NWA).
In the finals of the NagaWrestleMania Series-9 King-of-the-Ring Series played under lights at Hockey Ground IG Stadium Complex Kohima, Kezhaseluo-o defeated his opponent Kezhavizo, winning the match by 2 bouts to zero.
The Champion Kezhaseluo-o saying a prayer after his victory. (Credit: 3E Live telecast on PPV screenshot)
Kezhaseluo-o Pienyü, who yesterday bagged the Heavyweight Championship Title, took full advantage of his height, weight and strength to press and push down his opponent in similar style in both the bouts.
The Champion Kezhaseluo-o saying a prayer after his victory. (Credit: 3E Live telecast on PPV screenshot)
Coached and mentored by former Naga Open Wrestling Champion Kezhalelie Keretsü, 24-year-old Kezhaseluo-o Pienyü, who is 6’3” tall and weighs 125kg, won the belt and cash prize of Rs 1,20,000.
The Champion with his coach Kezhalelie Keretsü.
Speaking to Nagaland Tribune, Kezhalelie Keretsü, Managing Director of Boutlords said: “I feel so happy that a club member of ours has won. I am over the hills right now. We started training almost three months back. To know that our players worked so hard and it paid off, I feel satisfied. Since this was a championship with participants from abroad and other states, we gave extra effort.”
According to him, Kezhaseluo-o winning the series did not come as a surprise for the Boutlords managing board because he practiced well and was dedicated.
He also added that it is also a great feat for him and he now should be inducted into the hall of fame because he has won heavyweight category and the king of the series in the same year.
In the first semi-final match, Kezhavizo Thevo was up against Atuo Tevo. Both the wrestlers were evenly matched in terms of height, body weight and strength. In a match where both players tried to apply attacking tricks to the other, Kezhavizo came out victorious to reach the finals.
The second semi-final match pitted NagaWrestleMania heavy weight champion 2022 Kezhaseluo-o Pienyü and light weight champion 2022 Kevizhakho Suokhrie. Both the players are known to be aggressive players.
Read more: NagaWrestleMania: Kezhaseluo-o Pienyü wins Heavyweight Championship on Day-2
NagaWrestleMania: Kevizhakho Suokhrie wins Lightweight Championship on Day-1
In the 1st bout, Kezhaseluo-o attacked but on the verge of fall, Kevizhakho made an excellent flip, dragging his opponent to the mat. It turned out that Kezhaseluo-o fell down a fraction earlier than Kevizhakho.
In the 2nd bout, an aggressive Kezhaseluo-o attacked his opponent, who defended well. However, Kezhaseluo-o attacked and won the bout.
In the 3rd bout, Kevizhakho appeared to be the more aggressive one, while Kezhaseluo-o was more cautious. He waited till Kevizhakho made an attacking move using his leg. However, Kezhaseluo-o was ready and countered the attack with a strong hold and put down his opponent.
In the play-off for the 3rd and 4th place, Atuo Tevo of Kidima Village caused an upset by defeating Kevizhakho Suokhrie of Jotsoma Village.
Quarter-Final Matches:
