AN: Almost all IRW wrestlers are here.
--
The vibe in the IRW locker room had completely shifted in just a few hours.
What had once been a tense atmosphere filled with anxiety was now alive with laughter bouncing off the concrete walls.
A few wrestlers were still sprawled on benches in their full ring gear, utterly wiped out but sporting huge smiles. Others had already showered and slipped into their casual clothes. The floor was a chaotic mix of water bottles, discarded tape, towels, and gear bags.
In one corner, a TV mounted on the wall was on a loop, replaying the highlights from Promotion Wars, with each jaw-dropping moment sparking fresh cheers from the crew.
As soon as Vince walked through the door, the chatter faded to silence. The wrestlers instinctively turned their focus to their boss.
Then, in an instant, the room erupted into thunderous applause.
Vince couldn't help but grin, raising both hands to calm the crowd. "Alright, alright. Save some of that energy. You've already used enough of it tossing NJPW over the top rope."
The guys roared with laughter.
While Victor and Stone Cold Steve Austin were still out in the arena mingling with the fans, nearly everyone else was crammed into the locker room.
Vince scanned the room, taking in the bruised but triumphant faces around him.
"I'll keep this brief," he said, his voice brimming with pride.
"You all achieved something today that no one thought a so-called 'regional promotion' could ever do. You stepped into another company's territory, fought under their lights, in front of fifty thousand hostile fans... and you absolutely crushed it."
The room erupted again. Someone banged a steel locker door in approval, while another let out a loud whistle.
Vince chuckled with his roster before continuing, scratching the back of his neck. "I have to say... seeing Yoichi's reaction out there made this entire event worth it."
Another wave of laughter swept through the room. Mark, casually leaning against the doorframe, let out a chuckle. "I heard he totally lost it."
"Lost it?" Vince scoffed. "The guy looked like he was about to explode. He straight-up accused me of cheating."
A few wrestlers exchanged confused looks. Hogan Hornet raised an eyebrow and asked, "Cheating? How's that?"
"Well, in his mind, the idea of us winning fair and square was just out of the question," Vince explained. "Then he went all dramatic and threatened to kill me."
Andre the Giant's eyes widened in disbelief. "He really said that to you?"
"Yep, word for word. But before I could even respond, three security guards tackled him to the ground before he could take a step toward me."
Road Warrior Hawk erupted into a hearty laugh. "Man, I would've paid good money to see that!"
"You and me both," Brocke added, a huge grin plastered on his face.
"But wait, here's the best part," Vince said, raising a finger to build the suspense.
"Just five seconds after he gets back up, his assistant rushes over and hands him a ringing phone. Yoichi starts grumbling, saying it's probably the insurance company calling about the venue."
The guys were already chuckling, waiting for the punchline.
"It wasn't the insurance company," Vince said with a grin. "It was his dad."
This time, the locker room completely lost it. Several wrestlers doubled over, howling with laughter.
Vince shook his head, soaking in the moment. "I've never seen someone's confidence disappear so fast in my life. It was a sight to behold."
As the laughter began to fade, Vince's face shifted to a more genuine expression. "Alright, jokes aside... each and every one of you earned this moment tonight." His gaze fell on the towering figure of Andre.
"Andre."
The young giant immediately stood a little taller.
"You made an incredible first impression out there. Honestly, you looked like a seasoned pro."
Andre awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks turning a noticeable shade of pink. Even though he towered over every alpha male in the room, he suddenly seemed quite bashful. "I... thank you, boss. I was really nervous."
Road Warrior Animal chuckled, slapping his knee. "Well, you sure didn't look nervous to the poor guy you tossed over the top rope right into the third row!"
As laughter erupted again, Andre looked genuinely mortified. "I did apologize to him afterward..."
"You did," Vince replied with a warm smile. "And honestly, that just made the whole thing even better." He then turned his attention to the legendary tag team. "And congratulations to our Tag Team Champions."
Hawk and Animal nodded with pride. "We've only had these belts for a week," Hawk said, "and we're already out here taking down champions from other promotions."
"Not a bad start at all," Animal chimed in.
"It's only going to get better from here," Vince assured them.
Finally, Vince's gaze landed on Eddie Prince. Unlike the rest of the jubilant roster, the world champion was sitting quietly, not celebrating at all.
He was perched on a distant bench, head down, with the IRW Championship resting heavily on his lap.
Vince made his way over, stepping away from the crowd, and stood in front of him. "You alright, Eddie?"
Eddie forced a tight, unconvincing smile. "I will be."
"You don't sound like it."
Eddie let out a deep sigh, his fingers gliding over the gold plates of the title. "I trained like crazy for this, Vince. I knew Yokozuna was a beast of a man. I spent weeks in the ring working on counters with Andre. I honestly thought I was ready."
He tightened his grip on the leather strap. "And yet, I still got pinned. As the guy who's been carrying this promotion... that stings."
The locker room fell silent, the celebratory atmosphere fading out of respect for their champion.
Hogan Hornet strolled over and plopped down next to Eddie, giving him a friendly nudge with his shoulder.
"Hey, kid, you lost to a literal mountain of a man."
Eddie managed a weak, self-deprecating chuckle. "A loss is still a loss, Hogan."
Hogan shook his head. "Remember the first day Vince took over this company? You marched right into his office and said you'd walk if you didn't get the respect you deserved."
"You demanded a title shot. You earned it because you outworked everyone in this place. You took down Mason. You defended that belt against anyone who challenged you. And now you're going to let one setback erase all of that?"
Eddie stayed quiet, staring at the floor as he absorbed Hogan's words.
Vince crossed his arms and stepped into Eddie's line of sight.
"Hogan's spot on, Eddie. You want to know why I took that big risk on you in the first place? Because you were driven. You out-trained everyone. You wanted to show the world who you are, and you did just that."
Vince pointed at the belt resting in Eddie's lap.
"That championship didn't just land there by chance. You earned every bit of it. Tonight? It was just one match against one of the toughest, most unpredictable opponents you'll ever face. You'll learn from this. You'll adapt. And next time? You're going to tear him apart."
Eddie stared quietly at the gold for a few more seconds before a genuine smile finally broke across his face.
He looked up at Vince, then at Hogan. "...Thanks. I needed to hear that."
Hogan slapped him hard on the back, nearly knocking the wind out of him. "That's the champion I know! Now clear that face up."