Alberto Del Rio, currently known as Alberto El Patron in AAA, is on a media tour to promote the new Combate Americas MMA promotion which he’ll be doing commentary for on NBC Universo (formerly mun2). Along the way, he gave an interview to Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden in which he spoke of various topics, including the somewhat controversial one of voluntarily unmasking when he signed with WWE. Del Rio is a second generation wrestler, the son of the legendary Dos Caras and nephew of not only Mil Mascaras, but also El Sicodelico. He was carrying on his father’s legacy as Dos Caras Jr. when he signed with WWE. Snowden asked him about making the change, and here’s what he had to say:
In Mexico we see the business in a different way. But when I moved here to the States and started to work for WWE, I saw quickly the differences between one place and the other.
Here you have to be able to communicate, to tell the audience what you are feeling, your emotions. If you’re feeling pain, if you’re happy, if you’re frustrated. It helps you sell your character even better.
As far what his father and uncles thought, he said:
They did approve my decision. Before doing it, before removing the mask, I asked them. Especially my dad. I asked my dad if he was good with the idea of me doing that. Because if he would have disagreed, I wouldn’t have done it. Ever.
All my decisions are based on what my father says, because he has been with me since the beginning of my career. The beginning of my life. For me, it’s really important what my dad has to say.
When I asked him, he was totally cool with the idea. He said “You belong with the most important wrestling company in the world. And removing the mask is going to take you to the place where you deserve to be. So be it.”
I did it and the rest is history.
In the full interview, Del Rio talks about his MMA career (where he usually wore his mask!), working for Combate Americas, CM Punk’s MMA prospects, and more.
– Regarding the Camp WWE adult cartoon, the episodes that were shot had to be redone because Hulk Hogan had to be taken out. In the past, CM Punk had to be removed as well.
– Rachel Ellering, daughter of WWE Hall Of Famer Paul Ellering, is currently training at the Lance Storm Wrestling Academy. Ellering is a bronze modelist in powerlifting and is a big pro wrestling fan. Below is a recent photo:
* September 11th in Edmonton drew 4,000 fans (Roman Reigns tour)
* September 12th in Gainesville for NXT was sold out
* September 12th in Huntsville, AL drew 3,000 fans (Randy Orton tour)
* September 12th in Calgary drew 3,000 fans (Reigns tour)
* September 13th in Tupelo, MS drew 3,500 fans (Orton tour)
* September 13th in Jonesboro, AR drew 1,200 fans (Reigns tour)
* September 14th in Memphis for RAW drew 7,500 fans
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan is currently in Dubai doing promotional appearances for the upcoming WWE 2K16 video game. Bryan was interviewed on 104.4 Virgin Radio Dubia this week and spoke about wanting John Cena to turn heel, the possibility of Kurt Angle returning to WWE, a funny CM Punk story and more. Here are some highlights:
– Bryan would love to see John Cena turn heel, noting that Hulk Hogan’s heel turn back in 1996 kicking off a new boom period for the industry.
– He put over New Day as “amazingly entertaining” heels. They’re currently his favorite act in WWE, while Cesaro is his favorite wrestler.
– Bryan would love to see Kurt Angle return to WWE for one final sendoff at WrestleMania and doesn’t know why WWE hasn’t been interested in bringing him back for a short run. He thinks Angle could have great matches against Seth Rollins or Roman Reigns.
– He told a funny story about working with CM Punk in Russia against the Wyatt Family. The Wyatts were beating down two babyfaces and Punk and Bryan ran down to make the save. Punk asked Bryan if he wanted to fight the Wyatts right then and there, setting up Bryan to respond, “YES!!” Bryan responded with an uninspired “yeah” and Punk told him, “you’re an idiot.”
Bryan also talked about if he expects to wrestle at WrestleMania 32, which heel he thinks would make a good babyface, never having a sip of alcohol in his life and more.
There are those within TNA who insist that they have big announcements coming soon in regards to their future on television and on Destination America.
Additionally, for whatever this is worth, there have been consistent rumors in the past three weeks about someone who used to be involved with TNA returning to the promotion to work with them once again.
According to those “in the know,” the person that is returning to TNA could be coming back in a big role.
Bret Hart took part in a Q&A session on Twitter and Periscope this week to discuss a bunch of topics, including Hulk Hogan’s racism controversy, CM Punk’s WWE departure, the Hart Foundation and more. Here are some highlights:
– Kevin Owens is one of his favorite wrestler, period. He’s a hard worker, a great heel and looks like a wrestler. Bret doesn’t agree with people who say he’s fat. He’s stocky and solid and resembles great big men like Bam Bam Bigelow.
– Bret loves CM Punk and says wrestling hasn’t been the same since he left. He was the best of the last generation and raised the bar for everyone. He was innovative, had a great sense of psychology and stood up for all the right things. Punk did what needed to be done and Bret has nothing but respect for him.
– Bret hopes Hulk Hogan never returns to WWE. Hogan should stay in Tampa in his little world of idol worship of himself. He feels bad for Hulk because he doesn’t remember him being a racist, but in his experience, a vast majority of white southern wrestlers “tend to be a little racial all of the time” and the n-word was used frequently whenever there wasn’t a black guy in the room. He’s glad Hulk got busted.
– Roddy Piper was the guy he kept in touch with the most from his wrestling days and it’s very sad he’s gone. He talks to Steve Austin, CM Punk, the Bella Twins and Natalya & Tyson Kidd. Most of his friends from his era are gone.
– Bret thinks Cody Rhodes is the best technical wrestler today. He also put over Goldust. He likes Seth Rollins a lot, but can’t forgive him for breaking John Cena’s nose and said you can’t call yourself a great wrestler when you’re making big mistakes like that.
– He thinks The Sharpshooter is the best finisher in wrestling history.
– Bret named Tyson Kidd as a very underrated wrestler.
– His best match ever was the Iron Man Match with Shawn Michaels at WresteMania 12 and thinks his match with Steve Austin the following year was a “work of art.”
In the Dr. Chris Amann lawsuit case against Colt Cabana (Scott Colton) and CM Punk (Phil Brooks), the lawyers for Colton and Brooks have filed a motion to throw the case out, with the claim in the case of Colton being that he was acting as a media member doing an interview, and in the case of Brooks, that he never specifically named the doctor who was mistreating him.
During the interview there actually were two mentions of Amann, however he was never specifically named in connection with Brooks talking about the negligent treatment of a staph infection he had been dealing with. Brooks only ever referred to the person attending to him in those instances as “Doc,” without mentioning an actual name.
Regardless, the judge ruled that the case would continue and ordered both sides to go into “discovery.”
UFC contender Cathal Pendred took a shot at CM Punk’s striking abilities, based on a short clip of Punk sparring shown on FOX Sports 1, which ultimately led to a pretty vicious “Twitter War” between the Irish contender and the WWE Superstar turned UFC prospect.
On Tuesday, Pendred, an Irish fighter who is friends with one of UFC’s biggest stars — “The Notorious” Conor McGregor — took to social media to mock the striking abilities of Punk, writing, “CM Punk on the pads making me look like Muhammad Ali,” in response to the clip that shows Punk hitting pads at the Roufusport Gym in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Punk, never one to back down from a verbal exchange, fired back at Pendred on Twitter, alluding to the fact that Pendred may have been on the positive end of a few “gift decisions” from UFC judges in the past.
“Ali wasn’t a boring twat. Sweet emojis,” wrote Punk in response to Pendred. “Focus more on you, maybe you’ll win a fight without a gift from the judges.”
Pendred then pulled the veteran card, replying to Punk’s response by reminding him that he has actually won 17 cage fights, compared to Punk’s zero.
“I’ve actually won 17 professional fights,” said Pendred. “How many have you won?”
Finally, Punk, who refused to back down, shared his belief that Pendred might not be the most exciting, crowd-pleasing fighter on the UFC roster.
“Zero, but I know you’re supposed to put the guy you’re fighting to sleep, not the audience.” wrote Punk, who concluded by writing, “F*ck off.”
CM Punk recently spoke with Rolling Stone, where he explained why the MMA training he has been doing in preparation for his upcoming UFC debut is becoming frustrating.
“I’m always a little bit frustrated, because it’s just repetition to get muscle memory down so I’m not making the same mistakes,” said Punk. “I think it’s a lot harder than people realize. You’re re-learning this entirely new skillset and trying to condition your body to do things it wouldn’t normally do. It’s challenging and it’s fun.”
The former WWE Superstar who referred to himself as “The Best in the World” also spoke about another frustrating topic — dealing with behind-the-scenes politics at his former place of employment, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
“For the longest time [in] what I did, the competition wasn’t that clean-cut. It didn’t matter if you were the best. There’s slimy backstage politics, there’s always somebody trying to undercut you. To me, there’s something romantic about just you and another guy locked inside a cage and the better man wins. In that time and space, nothing else matters. I definitely think it can be fucking scary, but I like embracing the things that scare me.”
Finally, Punk explained why having his wife — former WWE Diva AJ Lee (April-Jeanette Mendez-Brooks) — has made his transition from one career to another so easy.
“That’s the whole reason I asked her to marry me,” said Punk. “We were friends on the road for so long and she knew everything about me. I would tell her every stupid thing I ever did, and it’s come back to bite me in the ass in certain respects, but there’s no secrets, and I’d have it no other way.”
The following are highlights of a brand new CM Punk interview:
On his reaction to the Hulk Hogan racism controversy:
“I don’t really have a comment on it. Like I said, though, stuff that you say can come back and bite you in the ass. Everybody gets what they deserve in the world. Hopefully he issued a sincere apology and we can all move on from it. We all have said stupid things, and I don’t think you should judge somebody on what they said a long time ago. But some of the stuff is harsher than other things. It is what it is.”
On WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan, who popularized Diego Sanchez’s “Yes!” chant to the WWE audience, supporting Punk’s MMA aspirations:
“I thought it was pretty cool. Everybody in WWE whether they admit it or not are big fans of the UFC. Like everything else, they are 10 years behind the curve on everything, but they are slowly warming up to MMA. Now it’s all Ronda Rousey. But a couple of years ago when I mentioned her they told me the sport was despicable. Everything they are doing now is something I told them five years ago. They live in a bubble. When you are on the road this much, you are “all in” and nothing else matters; I lived in a bubble. They built this empire and they are the best at what they do. But they still have no [bleeping] idea what goes on outside their bubble.”
For more of the interview, including the best part where CM Punk talks about possibly returning to WWE after he is done fighting in the UFC, click here.
Former WWE Superstar turned UFC fighter CM Punk recently spoke with Ted Gruber of RedEyeChicago.comto promote his professional MMA debut, which he’s hoping will take place before the end of the year. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
If He’s Sick Of People Asking Him About Returning to WWE:
“Yes and no. It irks me a little bit because I think it’s the same people that are asking it. But at the same time you have to roll with the punches because it comes with the territory. It’s probably what I’m most known for, and there are fans out there that miss me in that venue. I am not one to draw in the past and I’m sailing on.”
His Reaction To Hulk Hogan’s Racism Controversy:
“I don’t really have a comment on it. Like I said, though, stuff that you say can come back and bite you in the ass. Everybody gets what they deserve in the world. Hopefully he issued a sincere apology and we can all move on from it. We all have said stupid things, and I don’t think you should judge somebody on what they said a long time ago. But some of the stuff is harsher than other things. It is what it is.”
“I thought it was pretty cool. Everybody in WWE whether they admit it or not are big fans of the UFC. Like everything else, they are 10 years behind the curve on everything, but they are slowly warming up to MMA. Now it’s all Ronda Rousey. But a couple of years ago when I mentioned her they told me the sport was despicable. Everything they are doing now is something I told them five years ago. They live in a bubble. When you are on the road this much, you are “all in” and nothing else matters; I lived in a bubble. They built this empire and they are the best at what they do. But they still have no [bleeping] idea what goes on outside their bubble.”
Former NXT Champion Kevin Owens recently spoke with talkSPORT’s Gorilla Position podcast about possibly facing Brock Lesnar.
“I think there’s only one answer for me right now, and it is Brock Lesnar. I think a lot of people want to see it,” said Owens.
“I was there the night he made his debut on Raw for WWE,” Owens continued. “I was in the crowd, like the fifth row. I remember being blown away immediately by this guy, I was on board right away. I bought Brock Lesnar T-shirts and Brock Lesnar hats. My parents got a dog that summer, I named him Brock.”
Owens concluded, “Seriously, he was a blonde Lab, he was huge: ‘That’s Brock!’ I used to do the F5 when I was on the indies because of how much I admire him so I’d love to be the one to put an end to him.”
Former TNA Wrestling star Gunner recently appeared on The Pancakes & Powerslams podcast to talk about a number of subjects. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On if he had any issues with pay in TNA: “There were a couple of times where some pay got messed up when it may have come in a couple days late. I was always paid – to the most part – on time, pay was never kept from me, or anything like that. I know I talked to a few guys who hadn’t been paid in 30-45 days, and I said, well if that’s the case, you have to man up and say something, because in our contract it says we have to be paid in a certain amount of time after the shows. For the most part, I was paid on time, and paid right.”
On working with Vince Russo: “I always enjoyed working with Vince. I never had any issues. Sometimes his ideas were all over the place, but for the most part, he would ask you for your input. “What do you think about this, bro? What do you think about this?” He gave you a lot of leeway to do your own thing.”
On CM Punk saying “Thanking God is a weird thing to do”: “I don’t think it’s weird. We all have our different views. I’ve got buddies, like Ken Anderson, he’s an atheist, but we’re like best friends. We talk about religion all the time, and he knows that my faith is a huge part of what I do. It keeps me strong, and always has, since I was in the marine corps and when I went through war. I don’t think it’s weird at all. It’s no more weird than anybody else’s beliefs.”
There was a new development in WWE doctor Chris Amann’s legal battle against CM Punk and Colt Cabana, with Judge Janet Adams Brosnahan dismissing Punk & Cabana’s motion to dismiss all or a portion of Dr. Amann’s complaint.
Amann is alleging slander and libel stemming from comments made by the two defendants last November on Colt Cabana’s Art of Wrestling podcast. Amann is seeking $1 million in damages related to claims that his negligence resulted in CM Punk almost dying from an undiagnosed staph infection.
Here’s what’s next, courtesy of the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court:
– Punk and Cabana have until August 24th to file a formal answer to Dr. Amann’s complaint and/or file their plea in response to the suit.
– Dr. Amann has until August 31 to file any amendments to the case, issue a formal response to the defendant’s statements or respond to whatever Punk & Cabana file on Aug. 24.
– On October 9th, Judge Brosnahan scheduled a conference for both parties and their attorneys to evaluate where things stand after the August filings. the standing of the case after both sides make their filings in August. The results of this conference will determine whether or not this goes to trial.
MVP recently appeared as a guest on the Kevin Gill Show, where he spoke about a number of noteworthy topics. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On CM Punk in UFC: “I think it’s awesome. I respect the fact that it’s something he want’s to do and something that he pursues and is pursuing. That’s not a joke. You don’t step in that cage half assed. I compete in Jiu Jitsu, i do tournaments, I grapple. But I don’t get elbow smashed in the face. I have immense respect… Punk and I have always been cool going back to the indies and I dig the fact that he is doing something so totally out of the box… and well it’s really not that out of the box, except for the fact that he doesn’t have that life tip of grappling or standup behind him. From a business standpoint, what a great move for Dana White! Awesome. You’re gonna get brand new eyes on the product, that probably weren’t watching before, in the case of professional wrestling fans, and you create that curiosity factor. Even people who are (like)”I Just wanna see this”… and what if he wins? What if he is good? What if he does discover his second nature? I’m proud of the dude. Go for it! Live your life!”
On Dusty Rhodes: “Every time he saw me he always had a hug and a kiss for me. Which is weird. Cuz i’ll give a bro hug, but i’m not into dudes kissing me. But with Dream, I didn’t flinch, I didn’t wince, it felt like a hug and a kiss from dad. He actually introduced me a few times as his darkest son. He would say ‘come over here baby, and give me some sugar.. This is my darkest son right here…'”
On positive mental attitude: “I remember the day I got out of prison. I went in when I was 16, I came home when I was 26. I did 9 and half years in the Florida state prison system. I had this new attitude. Never again in life will I have a bad day, I’ll just have days I can make better. My worst day out here, is better than my best day in prison. The day I got out, I had spent over a third of my life in prison. It allowed me to see the world from a different perspective and say, Ok: Going forward these are the eyes I wanna look through: of positive mental attitude. I applied that, and of course, life is about peaks and valleys and when you hit those broke, hungry, starving wrestler trying to make it… some of those valleys kinda suck.. but when you get to those peaks, you enjoy them that much more.”
On first time match with Matt Cross at the Gathering of the Juggalos: “I know some of the boys that have been there. I’ve heard stories about it which is why I’ve always wanted to go. Just the stories i’ve heard.. YEAH Sign me up, I want to check that out. I’m looking forward to it. I’m up for the challenge. I know that M-Dogg Matt Cross is a pretty impressive athlete, and with his ability and my ability I’m sure we’ll put on a great show. Those fans are there to have a great time, we’re gonna have a good time!”
– WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback’s family was sitting at ringside during the WWE live event in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday evening. The family of the I-C champion witnessed their son defeat Bray Wyatt in singles competition in the opening match, and saw him again as he made a run-in to make the save after the main event later in the show.
– As reported earlier, there was some confusion due to the ring attire, pre-match promo and the work style during the match against Jack Swagger used by WWE performer Brad Maddox on Saturday night that led fans to believe he was CM Punk making an unannounced, surprise appearance. We can confirm that Punk was not at the show, as you can clearly tell in the photo of Maddox below, although one could see how lesser educated fans could make that mistake.
There was some confusion at the WWE live event in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday evening regarding whether or not CM Punk made a surprise appearance at the show.
The confusion comes from the fact that former WWE on-air performer Brad Maddox, who worked the show, came out sporting a new look, one that apparently resembled that of CM Punk’s former on-air appearance.
At one point during the show, enough people in the crowd mistaked Maddox for Punk, so a light “CM Punk! CM Punk!” chant broke out, although it didn’t last very long.
Despite reports to the contrary, Maddox did not come out to Punk’s theme song, as was reported on social media all Saturday evening.
Another reason fans thought Maddox was Punk was because of a promo he cut prior to the match where he made the statement that “people forgot who he was.” Additionally, Maddox’s in-ring style could appear like a Punk wrestling style, as Maddox used a lot of kicks and more of a MMA style in the ring.
CM Punk has once again trashed Hulk Hogan over his alleged love for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
Punk was doing coverage during yesterday’s Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup victory parade for CSN Chicago and blasted Hogan for appointing himself as a spokesperson for the Lightning when he doesn’t even know their team captain’s name.
When Hogan’s name came up and Punk was told Hogan is a big Tampa Bay Lightning fan, Punk disagreed.
“No he’s not,” Punk said. “That’s the problem I have with that. If I’m a Lightning fan, I’m embarrassed they hitched their wagon to a guy like that. Doesn’t know Stamkos’s name, the captain’s name. Icing to him is something he eats three times a day.”
“My love for hockey supersedes anything else and I would just like to see people tune in and understand the game and appreciate the game for what it is. You put something on there like that, it kind of lowers it a little… If I’m a Lightning fan, I want someone to better represent my team. They’re a hell of an organization. That paints them in the wrong light.”
In the past year, TNA has reportedly made a legitimate attempt to sign multiple top-tier former WWE Superstars, such as Edge, Alberto El Patron and CM Punk. Apparently the promotion is currently focused on trying to sign one major talent that recently officially parted ways with the company.
According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, TNA is in the process of making a big play for former WWE Champion Rey Mysterio.
TNA reportedly tried to sign Mysterio just this past week, as both Dixie Carter and John Gaburick spoke with him about the possibility of signing with the company.
According to one source, both TNA executives tried to push the idea that they could get Mysterio’s merchandise into stores and assist him in getting television and film work.
Additionally, Carter and Gaburick gave Mysterio the impression that they would build TNA around him as the company’s long sought after Hispanic star. They reportedly told him that the deal would be a non-exclusive deal, as he would still be allowed to work for other promotions on days that do not conflict with TNA’s schedule.
For what it’s worth, the belief is that Mysterio will still be signing a contract to officially join Lucha Underground in the near future.
Florida. Check back later tonight for full spoiler results.
– CM Punk will be leading Comcast Sportsnet’s coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup parade in Chicago this morning. Go to CSNChicago.com for more.
– Chyna continues to lobby on Twitter for a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.
– WWE’s latest 5 Things list looks at “screwjobs that shook sports entertainment.”
Former WWE Champions Hulk Hogan and CM Punk have been exchanging trash talk on Twitter since Monday night. Punk and Hogan are supporting opposing teams in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, with Punk’s Chicago Blackhawks taking on Hogan’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
Punk took offense to comments Hogan made about the Blackhawks, calling Hogan a hack and saying, “Shut the f*ck up or I’ll wreck you.”
Here’s their latest exchange:
Like I said the Blackhawks are in a whole lot of trouble,they should take their puck"punk" and go home,CM can show them the way brother HH
Global Force Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett recently appeared on The Roman Show to discuss a number of GFW-related topics. Below are some of the highlights from the interview..
On building brand awareness with GFW: “As you know my family comes from the professional wrestling business over 70 years. One thing I learned from my father and grandfather and my career is that you really have to create brand awareness and in 2015 that isn’t easy to do.”
On CM Punk possibly working with GFW: “CM Punk is headed in his career. I don’t like to comment on hypotheticals, what ifs. I have a lot respect for CM Punk win or lose, he already won because he is following his passion off MMA.”
On Owen Hart going into the WWE Hall of Fame: “That’s not something I would answer or discuss it is solely on upon one man’s decision and that’s WWE’s CEO Vince McMahon, a brilliant marketer. It is his decision. It doesn’t matter what hall of fame he goes in. It goes without saying Owen Hart whether he gets inducted or not its truly irrelevant. I remember, the fans remember, the family remembers the great human being he was and it supersedes the wrestling.”
WWE Superstar Darren Young recently appeared on SIRIUS/XM radio personality Sam Roberts’ podcast to talk about a number of subjects, including the internal reaction in WWE to the news that he was a homosexual, particularly how former WWE Superstar CM Punk handled the news.
“Him and I had like a love/hate relationship,” Young said of Punk. “He was a little rough around the edges, but to be honest with you, one thing about Punk if I could talk about him for just a second, when he had his match with Brock Lesnar in 2013 that was a couple days after I made my announcement to TMZ.”
Young continued, “After this brutal match with Brock Lesnar, he was all iced up and I hadn’t seen him since I made my announcement. So he came up to me in catering and told me to stand up in front of people. I stood up and he gave me a hug. He said, “I’m proud of you and if you ever have any problem with anyone in the locker room, you let me know. I have your back.”
Check out Darren Young’s full appearance on the Sam Roberts podcast above.
The Chicago Tribune has a new article up on Vince McMahon’s induction into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Hall Of Fame, and during the interview, McMahon spoke about CM Punk.
When asked if he is tired of the “CM Punk! CM Punk!” chants in Chicago from WWE fans, McMahon simply replied, “No. No.”
McMahon also spoke about WrestleMania possibly being held in Chicago.
“I wouldn’t say Chicago is out of the running. We can do colder environments. We went to (MetLife) Stadium (in New Jersey). People wear coats to football. Why won’t they were jackets and so forth to Wrestlemania? They will.”
McMahon concluded, “Chicago will definitely be in the running in the future.”
Samoa Joe was Jim Ross’ guest on this week’s Ross Report podcast, available now at PodcastOne.com.
Joe spoke to JR about a variety of topics, including the possibility of getting back in the ring with some of his old rivals, including AJ Styles, Christopher Daniel and CM Punk.
When asked about Punk, Samoa Joe said Punk’s desire to get back in the ring is much stronger than than he’s let on since his abrupt departure form WWE late last year. Joe said:
“You know, Punk. For everything it is we’ve still… I know he very much wants to have one last one, one last go. I’m sure he’d love for it to be 100 minutes or 90 minutes but we’ll see how that goes.”
Joe and Punk had a legendary feud back in Ring of Honor a decade ago. While the chances of Punk ever returning to WWE seem like a long shot at best, these are some interesting comments from Punk’s longtime friend.