Booking Glory-Chapter 77: Tempting Offer?

"Ummm, sorry, I am a bit lost here. Can you tell me what this is all about? And what exactly is the venture you both spoke about?" Rob asked butting in.

He knew that it was the right time to see what these two old foxes wanted with him.

Steven and Mr. Wagner looked at each other and smiled a bit. It was clear to Rob from their expression that he had passed whatever test they two had set up for him disguised as a conversation.

"Well, I think it is time we tell you why we wanted to meet with you," Mr. Wagner said pouring whiskey into three glasses and handing it out.

Rob took the glass of whiskey and looked at the duo curiously.

"I think so too," Steven said sipping his drink. "Well, you must know Rob that I am leaving AWF by the end of this month. And I have plans on what to do next. Big plans. Me and Willy here are discussing it non-stop recently."

"I am a businessman, Rob. When I see something, I always think about the profits and losses associated with it. One of my biggest dreams is to start a wrestling promotion." Mr. Wagner said cutting in.

"Not just some mediocre promotion, a true top promotion like AWF is currently. I have had this plan for years actually. However, the time never seemed right. But, now, with Steven moving out of AWF, I think it is the right time for me to get into this industry," Mr. Wagner said smiling a little.

Rob felt his brain freeze for a second. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The business tycoon Willy Wagner entering into the wrestling industry would send huge shockwaves throughout the pro wrestling world. Especially, if he was partnering with someone like Steven Rush.

Rob licked his lips not knowing what to say. He knew that this would be a huge game changer in the industry and a lot of people will be running around like headless chickens if this news was released outside.

"Actually, I have always been hounding Steven to start a promotion. In fact, in the last few years, I have asked him more than a dozen times if he had any such idea. Unfortunately, Steven didn’t have any idea about leaving AWF. But now, things have changed and Steven is finally willing to join me," Mr. Wagner said as if he didn’t notice Rob’s state of mind.

"Actually, I never thought you were serious. I mean, you have a lot of business to take care of. And running a wrestling promotion involves a lot of work. So, I never figured you to step in seriously," Steven said sipping his drink.

"That is where you are wrong, my friend," Mr. Wagner shook his head. "I have always known how much potential this business has. As I said I am a businessman, I don’t understand the intricacies of the pro wrestling community. However, that doesn’t make me blind to the amount of money this business could rake in."

"So, you are after the money?" Steven asked with mirth shining through his eyes. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Who isn’t?" Mr. Wagner chuckled. "But, I am not completely into just money. As you know, I am a fan myself. So, while my priority is money, I also care about taking this business to the next level. Like International PPVs, making wrestlers household names, transitioning this sport from niche market to mainstream market."

"All right, all right, you don’t need to convince me. I am already on board. The person you need to sway is over there," Steven laughed and pointed to Rob.

Rob didn’t know how to respond to these men. Initially, it was just shock. But, when he thought about the kind of things Willy Wagner’s money could do, backed with Steven Rush’s clout, Rob was already sure that this would be a great success. But, the question was whether it would be suitable for him.

"Ah! yes, indeed," Mr. Wagner smiled amicably and turned towards Rob. "So Rob, what do you say? Do you think you would like working for us?"

"Mr. Wagner... I..." Rob wasn’t entirely sure how to reply.

On one hand, he would get the platform he had always dreamed about if he agreed to the offer. With just a nod, he would join a bigger platform that potentially had more reach and more stars to work with.

On the other hand, he wasn’t exactly looking for a big platform now. After his interview with AWF, he understood that big promotions didn’t need him that much compared to promotions like LWC. And he was currently doing fine with LWC right now.

Will it be wise to leave something that is going well and chase after something that might not turn out as well as he imagined? He knew that bigger promotions will immediately target and suppress this new promotion once word got out.

They will withhold wrestlers by binding them with bigger contracts and create more trouble for the promotion in general by booking the same venues, time, and place. They will split the fans before a fan base could even be formed.

Will it be smart to get stuck in such a quagmire this early in his career?

"Don’t be in a rush to give us your answer, young man," Mr. Wagner interrupted Rob quickly. "Listen to our offer first and then decide whether it would suit you. There is no harm in listening, is there?"

Rob knew that whatever Mr. Wagner was offering must be enticing enough for him to make it hard to refuse. A businessman like Mr. Wagner must know that basic aspect. However, he was also curious to know what they were offering.

"First and foremost, your weekly salary will be far beyond what you are getting these days at LWC. I can guarantee you that. You don’t need to worry about the monetary aspects at all," Mr. Wagner smiled at Rob.

"Next, you must understand that we aren’t going to create a mid-tier or low-tier promotion. We are going to create a promotion that rivals AWF. So, naturally, there will be as many shows and PPVs as AWF puts out."

"That means more bonuses apart from your weekly pay. It also means you will have more opportunities to showcase your talent to the world. That too at the top level," Mr. Wagner said smiling.

"Um, Mr. Wagner, can I know what my role will be if I am willing to join?" Rob asked looking at the duo.

The duo exchanged a glance with each other and Steven nodded at Mr. Wagner. Mr. Wagner turned to him and started speaking.

"Initially, you will be brought in as a color commentator. I have listened to some of your commentary clips that Steven shared with me. I think the idea of creating an on-air rivalry is a really good one," Mr. Wagner said smiling.

"If you join, we will try to bring in Dallas Moonbyte as well. I can feel that you both have good chemistry between you both. This way the commentary team will be built focused on you. And Dallas Moonbyte is also a long-time favorite of mine, so..." Mr. Wagner shrugged as if that explained everything.

"You want me as a commentator?" Rob asked not being able to believe what he was hearing.

"That is only at the beginning," Steven chimed in seeing Rob’s reaction to their offer. "We need to establish a stable foothold at first. But, once we are done with that, we can start experimenting with new ideas like the ones you proposed."

Rob frowned when he heard Steven’s words. He felt as if the duo was joking. Why would he join them if he was going to be only on the commentary team? He was a booker at heart and these men think they could sway him by offering a commentary gig. This was beyond ridiculous.

"Rob, you must know that these kinds of offers aren’t your everyday thing. You need to capture this moment as much as possible to advance in your career. Who knows, a few years down the line you would even be allowed to book the main event. For someone who is young as you are, that is a great accomplishment," Steven persuaded from the side.

"Don’t think being in LWC is something to be proud of. LWC may look big to you, but it is inconsequential in the grand scheme of this industry. Most of us do not even pay attention to your programs. However, a promotion like what we are going to build will give you the much-needed popularity boost," Steven said seeing Rob’s frown grow.

"Rob, at the end of the day, LWC is just a small pond. If you need to grow, you need a bigger platform and a more influential promotion. What number does LWC do currently? Let me tell you, those numbers are not even worth mentioning in AWF. That is the level of difference we are talking about here," Steven stressed the last two sentences as if he was making a point.

"Young man, let me give you some advice. In order to be the best, you need to mingle with the best and compete with them. A race driver who drives around street races will never be considered the best racer in the world," Mr. Wagner said from the side.

"And as for the amount you will be earning, I can guarantee you here and now, that it will be, at the minimum, double what you are earning in LWC, if not more. With that money, you can buy luxurious houses and drive sports cars within a few years," Mr. Wagner said throwing in the final bait.

Rob felt really offended that these two men thought that just that bit of money will be able to change his mind. He would have considered a bit if they were offering him a booker position.

A commentary position, on the other hand, was the farthest thing he had on his mind right now. He wasn’t stupid enough to give up his dreams for temporary gains. That would be foolish.

As for that promise about giving his ideas a try after they stabilized, who knew when these two will get their company to stabilize? It might take a year or two, or even worse, a few years.

And there wasn’t any guarantee that they would use his ideas. Even if they used it, will he be given a booker position? That seemed entirely unlikely as well. Right now, he was in charge of the entire women’s division. He would be a fool to give up that kind of power for some money.

But, Rob felt that rejecting these men to their faces would be a bad idea. He didn’t want to hurt their egos and make these two old farts come after him. It would be better if he offered some platitudes and walked away from here first. Later, he could find a way to gently reject these offers.

"Steven, Mr. Wagner, I am genuinely honored to hear such an offer from you. However, as you both know that I am currently acting as a booker for LWC as well. To shift my career so drastically... I don’t know what to say," Rob reminded them of his role as a booker subtly.

He knew that this might come off as a bit provocative, but he wanted to make things clear so that when he rejected they wouldn’t feel it was too abrupt and hold a grudge.

After all, both Steven Rush and Mr. Wagner were powerful men. And powerful men never liked hearing no in his opinion. So, it would be better to subtly prepare them for it, instead of dropping it on them abruptly.

"That being said," Rob raised his hand to forestall Steven’s rebuttal, "that being said, your offer is really a tempting one. I need some time to think about this. I am afraid I can’t give you an answer right at this moment," Rob smiled wanly as if he was really sorry about it.

"Oh," Steven said narrowing his eyes. "Rob, you must understand. A top-tier promotion will never give someone who is young as you the role of a booker. I thought you would have learned something about it by now."

"I completely understand it, Steven," Rob said smiling at him. "But, you also know my passion for booking matches. So, it is hard for me to choose between it. Give me some time. I will get back to you once I have made a decision."

Steven didn’t smile back at him. He merely narrowed his eyes and watched Rob for a few moments before taking a sip from his drink.

"Understandable," Mr. Wagner, on the other hand, wasn’t entirely offended by Rob’s words. "Take your time. We are just discussing things at the moment. We need time to establish a few things as well. But, don’t take too long."

"Thank you, Mr. Wagner," Rob said breathing a sigh of relief inwardly.

He didn’t want things to get awkward between them at this point. He knew that these two men aren’t some gentle souls. They are people who would come after him if they felt insulted. So, he didn’t want to strain things too much.

Right now, his priority was to leave this place without aggravating the situation further. He had already given the two men a route to step back and also made some exit routes for him as well. There was no need to escalate this situation further.

"I am afraid, I have spent more time here than I intended Steven. Our discussion was fascinating and I lost myself in it," Rob smiled awkwardly and rose from his seat. "I will get back to you as soon as I made my decision. Don’t hold any hard feelings," Rob said reaching out for Steven’s hands for a handshake.

"Don’t worry, young man," Steven said smiling. "As I told you, I am not that fragile. I would love to have you in my new promotion so that we could hone your ideas further. Trust me, it will be the right thing for you. You are young yet, you can learn a lot from experienced people like me."

"No doubt about that," Rob shook Steven’s hands smiling brightly, while inwardly cursing him. "Nice meeting you as well, Mr. Wagner."

"Don’t be such a spoilsport Rob. Come, I will walk you to the door," Mr. Wagner said gesturing for Rob to accompany him.

Rob didn’t have any other alternative other than to agree with a smile.

"I wouldn’t trouble you, but if you insist," Rob smiled and gestured back.

"Wait for me, I feel like going for a walk as well," Steven got up and walked up to them.

The trio discussed some light topics and made their way to the door. Rob expected the duo to stop at the door, but they surprised him by coming out as well. Rob didn’t know what to think. So he just shrugged it away.

Just as Rob was preparing to leave, Mr. Wagner caught his hands and shook them. He smiled brightly at him. Steven came up to them in the center and placed a hand on Rob’s shoulders and smiled at him.

Rob returned their smile wondering what this was all about.

"Rob," Steven said softly, "do think about our offer. I can guarantee that you won’t get a better offer any time soon. You need to stop wasting your talent in places like LWC and come up to the big leagues."

"I will keep that in mind, Steven," Rob smiled back. "I will give due consideration to your offer and let you know when I have made my decision."

"That is all we could ask," Mr. Wagner smiled politely.

Rob nodded at them and walked away from them. The duo stood at the top of the stairs and watched Rob walk away. The smile that was on their faces while chatting with Rob was nowhere to be found now.

*****

A/N: Hey folks!

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