Lance opened a folder and announced, "The outcome will be determined by total match victories."
No one raised an objection.
Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best. The promotion that racked up the most wins would be crowned the victor.
Yoichi nodded right away, his confidence visibly growing.
Vince couldn't help but chuckle.
The guy looked like he was already celebrating a win. Too bad for him, the event was still ahead.
The legal reps started jotting down notes.
Lance pressed on, "The winning promotion will have the right to sign up to five contracted wrestlers from the losing promotion."
That statement finally caught everyone's attention.
Zach sat up straighter in his chair.
Five wrestlers? That was no small deal. It could completely shift the power dynamics between the two companies.
Yoichi thought it over for just a few seconds before giving his nod of agreement.
He clearly anticipated being the one doing the recruiting, not the one being recruited.
Mark shared a knowing glance with Vince.
Neither of them said a word.
Then came the second clause.
"The winning promotion will receive a percentage of the revenue generated by the losing promotion's weekly shows and pay-per-views."
Now the lawyers were really paying attention.
They tossed around numbers and debated percentages until they finally reached a compromise.
The details were carefully noted down.
The third clause stirred up the most debate.
Lance paused for a moment before reading it aloud, "The winning promotion will be granted influence over creative decisions made by the losing promotion."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Yoichi frowned and asked, "What exactly does that entail?"
Vince finally chimed in, "It means the winner gets a say in how the loser runs their shows."
The implications hit home right away.
This wasn't just about winning matches. It was about power.
Real power.
The kind that lets you shape another promotion from the inside out.
Influence booking, mold storylines, impact the future.
In many ways, it felt like handing over a piece of your company's control.
The atmosphere in the room shifted, growing noticeably quieter.
Even Zach seemed taken aback by the boldness of it all.
Flora stole a glance at Vince.
For someone so young, he certainly had big ideas.
Vince shot a smirk at Yoichi, "Just think about it. If you win, you could essentially run the promotion and make them do your bidding."
Yoichi finally cracked a smile.
His assistant looked uneasy. NJPW's lawyers shared the same concern.
But Yoichi radiated confidence, "We're in."
Vince leaned back, a satisfied look on his face.
Across from him, Yoichi appeared pleased. Almost as if he could already see himself at the helm of IRW.
The irony wasn't lost on him.
Because if there was one lesson Vince had learned since stepping into this world, it was that confidence and victory don't always go hand in hand.
Sometimes, they're not even in the same ballpark.
The contracts were wrapped up. The lawyers meticulously combed through every detail.
Then came the signatures.
One by one, the promotion owners added their names to the agreement.
When the final document was signed, everyone grasped the weight of what had just transpired.
This wasn't just another wrestling event.
The winner would gain access to wrestlers.
Revenue.
Creative control.
The loser would have to face the fallout.
As the meeting wrapped up, Zach found himself watching Vince and Yoichi head off in opposite directions.
One exuded calm.
The other radiated confidence.
Yoichi's assistant had felt a knot in his stomach from the very start of the negotiations.
The terms were way tougher than he had anticipated. Each clause seemed crafted not just to declare a victor, but to completely dismantle the loser. Wrestlers could be snatched away. Revenue could be siphoned off. Creative control could be swayed. It was the kind of deal that could shift the power dynamics between two promotions for good.
But Yoichi didn't show even a flicker of doubt.
As soon as the lawyers wrapped up their review of the documents, he signed without a second thought.
His assistant had been itching to speak up. He wanted to warn his boss that pride was leading him down a reckless path.
But he knew better than to try. Once Yoichi made a decision, arguing was usually a lost cause.
Across the table, Vince calmly signed his own copy and slid it over to the lawyers.
The deal was sealed.
Promotion Wars was no longer just a rumor.
It was becoming a reality.
Vince stood up and reached out his hand.
For a brief moment, everyone anticipated a handshake between the two owners. Instead, Yoichi simply glanced at the outstretched hand and turned away.
The rejection was bold.
Vince quietly withdrew his hand, saying nothing.
That reaction piqued Zach Sachman's interest more than anything else that day.
The owner of ACW had spent the entire meeting observing Vince. The tales he had heard didn't quite match the man sitting across from him.
Rumor had it that Vince Maston was aggressive, ruthless, impulsive. Yet throughout the whole negotiation, Vince had hardly said a word until the end.
Most of the conversation had been led by Lance.
Zach found himself pondering whether this made him smarter or just more of a threat.
In the end, he decided it didn't really matter.
If IRW and NPJW were hell-bent on tearing each other apart, then ACW could just sit back and observe the fallout. Someone was bound to come out of the Promotion Wars stronger than before, and Zach planned to study that promotion closely, picking up on whatever strategies proved successful.
In the world of business, pride could cost you dearly.
But profit? That was the real goal.
Finally, James Wilson announced that the contracts were all set, and everyone had officially agreed to the terms.
The lawyers sprang into action, gathering documents and organizing the necessary paperwork.
Yoichi was the first to rise from his chair. The NPJW owner wore a self-satisfied grin.
His assistant, on the other hand, looked like a man who had just witnessed someone leap off a cliff without a second thought.
The snub was intentional, arrogant. Childish, if Zach was being honest.
That reaction intrigued Zach more than the refusal itself. Most promoters would have taken offense. Vince, however, seemed utterly unfazed.
Without uttering another word, Yoichi left, his assistant trailing closely behind.
James watched them exit before turning back to Vince.
Part of him wanted to stick around.
He had a million questions swirling in his mind.
Questions about television. Questions about ratings.
Questions about how Vince managed to make audiences care so deeply about people they had never even heard of just six months prior.
Most importantly, James wanted to grasp why so many of Vince's ideas sounded utterly ludicrous on paper yet somehow thrived in reality.
Unfortunately, this just wasn't the right moment for them to talk.
He opted for a courteous goodbye.
Flora simply nodded before making her exit as well.
Before long, only Vince, Lance, and Mark were left.
As the three of them walked through the arena's corridors toward the parking lot, Mark finally spoke up about what had been nagging at him throughout the meeting.
"You do realize those stipulations are absolutely ridiculous, right?"
Lance chuckled.
Mark, however, didn't share in the laughter, "If we lose, we're basically handing them the keys to the company."
Vince shrugged it off. "Then let's just not lose."
Mark halted in his tracks, "That's your solution?"
"It's a solid plan."
Mark let out a groan while Lance chuckled again.
Vince's confidence was completely sincere. And somehow, that made it even worse.
As they reached the parking lot, Vince turned to Lance.
"Start scouting."
Lance instantly got the hint, "NPJW?"
"What else?"
Vince unlocked his car(which was actually Mark's) and continued, "If we can take five wrestlers after this is all said and done, I want a list ready before the show wraps up."
Mark stared at him in disbelief.
The guy was already strategizing for a win.
Promotion Wars hadn't even kicked off yet.