To quote the late John Lennon, “All we are saying is give peace a chance.”

As of press time, negotiations between the World Pool Association (WPA) and Matchroom to remedy the mess that has embroiled professional pool since October 2024 were still ongoing, although both sides (at least privately) expressed optimism that a deal was imminent.

How big a deal is this? When I try to imagine the remainder of 2025 with the top players in the world divided in two, I guarantee it would be difficult to watch. With players like Shane Van Boening, Fedor Gorst, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Jayson Shaw all competing in one country, while Josh Filler, Albin Ouschan, Naoyuki Oi and Max Lechner battling each other in a different part of the world, pool would lose much more than consistency. It would lose credibility.

Additionally, it would divide players and fans in ways much more damaging than simply where and with whom the pros are competing. Pool fans on social media were ruthless in their discussions of WPA events vs World Nineball Tour (WNT) events. And anyone who was in St. Augustine, Fla., for the International Open in November — for which the WPA granted special dispensation to its players in good standing — could not have missed the animosity among many of the players.

Given the growth in both WNT and WPA tournaments over the past year, with an even larger number promised for this year, it would be painful to see the players have to make choices that none want to make.

Thankfully, the cold war that we lived through from Barry Hearn’s December 2022 announcement that Matchroom would no longer seek WPA sanctioning for its events, through the actual bans announced following the WNT Hanoi Open in October 2024, eventually caused cooler heads to prevail, with the two sides deciding to rekindle meaningful talks in December 2024.

Of course, the negotiation road has had its twists and turns, as most do. But the key is that neither side has threatened to walk away from the table, reinforcing how seriously both are taking the situation. In fact, it was that optimism that resulted in all players being cleared for the recent WNT European Open.

And because both entities are so different in terms of business model and hierarchy, the hurdles present unique challenges.

As a privately owned business, Matchroom can make decisions without red tape or interference. It is not a democracy. The WPA, on the other hand, is simply a board that must answer to its various international federations, with varying agendas and points of importance.

At the heart of the negotiations, of course, is an agreement to have all Matchroom events sanctioned or ratified so that players loyal to and/or obligated to a WPA federation can participate without penalty. Once an agreement is reached, the WPA must convince its federations to lift the bans imposed in October, affecting more than 200 players.

Of course, to lift those bans, the WPA federations will want something in return. One of the demands will most certainly be more federation spots to nominate players to the World Pool Championship. In 2024, the WPA received an allocation of four spots in the 128-player field from Matchroom, hardly enough to placate federations who hold national championships and receive government monies in the name of creating champions.

Regardless, it seems apparent both sides have finally realized the importance of at least peaceful coexistence. My guess is that both sides couldn’t avoid noticing the frustration and disenchantment on the faces of the players they both profess to champion.

It’s about time!