Hawk shrugged off the attack effortlessly and slammed his shoulder into Kyle's chest, nearly sending him flipping backward. Animal tagged himself in, and right away, the Road Warriors showcased exactly why they had become champions so quickly.
Perfect timing.
Perfect communication.
Every tag was seamless.
Every double-team move looked like it had been rehearsed a hundred times.
On the other hand, the NPJW team was struggling to sync up.
More than once, Bob reached out for a tag, only for Kyle to completely ignore him, insisting on going solo even though he was clearly losing the battle.
Ross shook his head in disbelief.
"That's frustration already."
Kyle Crews pointed toward the ring.
"And it's unnecessary. Bob keeps trying to help, but Kyle just wants all the glory."
Eventually, Kyle found himself cornered by the Road Warriors.
Animal pounded him with heavy forearms before tagging Hawk back in. The two worked together flawlessly, isolating Kyle and cutting the ring in half, leaving him with no chance to escape.
After taking several more brutal hits, Kyle finally managed to break free just long enough to dive toward his corner.
Bob eagerly reached out his hand.
Kyle glanced at him but chose to ignore it. Instead, he turned back to Hawk and charged in.
The crowd groaned, and Ross let out a sigh.
"That may have been the worst decision he could have made."
Kyle's attack was doomed from the start.
Hawk flattened him with a devastating clothesline and dragged him back toward the Road Warriors' corner.
Only then did Kyle crawl back toward Bob.
This time, Bob was ready and accepted the tag.
The veteran rushed in with urgency, pushing Hawk back with a series of hard forearms before knocking Animal off the apron. For the first time, NPJW was starting to gain some momentum.
Bob looked over at Kyle.
"Get in here!"
Kyle hesitated but eventually stepped in.
Bob tried to set up a double-team move, but Kyle charged ahead before Bob had even finished his sentence.
Their movements collided in a chaotic clash.
Instead of teaming up to take down Hawk, Kyle ended up crashing right into Bob.
In that split second, the chance slipped away as Hawk made his escape while Animal was still recovering.
The Road Warriors quickly regained their footing.
Bob shot a furious look at Kyle, "What were you thinking?"
Kyle fired back, "I had him right where I wanted him!"
"No, you didn't!"
Their argument raged on as Hawk slowly got back to his feet behind them.
Ross could hardly believe his eyes. "They're actually arguing in the middle of the match!"
Kyle Crews buried his face in his hands, exclaiming, "This is just unbelievable."
Bob grabbed Kyle by the shoulder, trying to snap him back to reality. Kyle pushed him away, and Bob's patience finally hit its limit.
He slapped Kyle hard across the face.
The sound echoed through the Golden Arena.
The crowd gasped in shock.
Kyle froze for a brief moment before retaliating with a punch. Bob quickly countered with one of his own.
In an instant, the two NPJW partners were brawling instead of wrestling.
In the VIP section, Yoichi shot up from his chair, nearly toppling it over.
"You idiots!" he yelled.
His assistant quietly lowered his head, opting for silence.
Vince simply crossed his arms, his expression saying it all.
The Road Warriors exchanged amused glances, clearly entertained by the chaos. After all, they had witnessed a similar scene just a week ago.
Animal seized Kyle from behind and tossed him out of the ring while Hawk pulled Bob away.
The champions wasted no time.
They executed their devastating tag team finisher on Bob before Hawk hooked his leg.
The referee began the count.
One.
Two.
Three.
The bell rang.
Ross jumped up from his chair, exclaiming, "The Road Warriors do it! IRW extends its lead to two victories!"
Kyle chuckled as Hawk and Animal raised the championships high, "They hardly had to wrestle the last few minutes! NPJW just beat themselves."
Back in the VIP section, Yoichi slammed his fist against the armrest in frustration.
His assistant cautiously leaned in closer.
"Sir..."
"Fire them," Yoichi cut in, his tone icy.
His assistant blinked in surprise.
"Both of them."
Flora gaped at Yoichi, disbelief etched on her face. Next to him, Zach seemed like a saint by comparison.
James shook his head, feeling a wave of disgust at Yoichi's rashness.
A few seats away, Vince caught every word.
He simply turned to Yoichi and slowly shook his head.
There was no satisfaction in his gaze.
Only pity.
A promotion that tossed wrestlers aside after a single loss was never going to inspire loyalty.
Meanwhile, down below, the Road Warriors stood tall on opposite turnbuckles, championships held high as nearly fifty thousand fans cheered for another point for IRW.
Promotion Wars had kicked off in the best way possible for Vince Maston.
---
The energy in Golden Arena was still buzzing, even after the Road Warriors had made their exit, hands raised in victory. They slipped behind the curtain to a thunderous standing ovation, while Bob Orton and Kyle Sanders walked back in silence, pointedly avoiding eye contact.
The scoreboard now read two wins for IRW and none for NPJW.
In the VIP section, Yoichi sat rigidly in his chair, his fingers tapping nervously against the armrest. The cocky grin he had worn before the show was nowhere to be found. Two matches had been fought, and two had ended in defeat.
Next to him, his assistant adjusted his glasses with a quiet determination.
The silence stretched between them for a few moments. Finally, the assistant let out a soft sigh.
"...We're in trouble."
Yoichi shot him a sharp look, but deep down, he knew he couldn't argue.
He was all too aware.
If NPJW lost just one more match, Promotion Wars would be all but over. Even if the remaining matches played out, IRW would have already built an unassailable lead.
Across the way, Vince sat calmly, his eyes glued to the ring, showing no signs of celebration. He had learned long ago that in wrestling, everything could flip in a heartbeat.
Zach Sachman leaned back in his seat, clearly enjoying the show.
"This has been quite the spectacle," he remarked.
James Wilson nodded in agreement, though his gaze remained fixed on the entrance. "The next match is the game-changer."
Ross Bartley turned to the camera with a serious expression.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we now transition to what could be the most crucial contest of the evening."
Kyle Crews nodded eagerly. "Champion versus champion."
Ross continued with a flourish, "Representing IRW... the IRW Heavyweight Champion..."
A familiar violin melody filled the arena, soon joined by powerful drums.
"...Eddie Prince!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Eddie stepped onto the stage, the IRW Championship gleaming proudly over his shoulder. Just a few months ago, many in the crowd had seen him as the guy who took Mason Brooks out of the game, but tonight was a different story.
The cheers that filled the Golden Arena were loud and enthusiastic, though a few scattered boos still came from the die-hard fans of the former champion.
Eddie paused for a moment, taking in the vast arena before lifting the championship high above his head.
The cheers swelled even more.
Ross grinned.
"What a change we've seen in Eddie Prince over these last few months."
Kyle agreed, nodding his head.
"When he first snagged that title, half the crowd was hoping someone would take it from him."
Ross added, "Tonight, they're counting on him to keep IRW alive in this Promotion War."
Eddie made his way to the ring, high-fiving fans along the way before climbing through the ropes. He carefully took the championship off his shoulder and handed it to the official, then retreated to his corner.
Ross glanced back at the entrance. "And now..."
His voice dropped a notch, "...representing NPJW..."
A slow, heavy traditional Japanese melody began to fill the arena.
"...the undefeated NPJW Heavyweight Champion..."
The curtain parted.
"...Yokozuna!"