The name of Mike Tyson is forever inscribed in the history of world boxing. This greatest athlete needs no introduction. You can endlessly compliment him as an athlete, but there were events in Mike’s life that negatively affected his reputation and career. But, perhaps, everything is happening as it should be. We all go through lessons that make us better. Tyson, who at the age of 20 became the youngest boxer in history to win the heavyweight championship, was sentenced in February 1992 to six years in prison for rape. At the peak of his career, Tyson was an unparalleled phenomenon in the ring with an extraordinary combination of speed, timing, footwork, and power

 

Lennox Lewis vs Mike Tyson rematch was on, then off again

As World Boxing News first reported, Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson were on a collision course for a second fight.

The former undisputed heavyweight champion held some interest in a rematch with Tyson when exhibitions were all the rage last year.

Lewis, who defeated Tyson in a mega-money battle in 2002, has resisted several calls to come out of retirement. But Lewis would have been all ears to Tyson if the money on the table was big enough.

Tyson even announced the fight for September 2021 when talking to several outlets.

Known as “The Pugilist Specialist”, Lewis last fought against the future heavyweight king Vitali Klitschko in 2003. However, following a controversial stoppage win, Lewis hung up his gloves despite calls for a Ukrainian return.

Lewis correctly backed Klitschko and his brother Wladimir to be the future when stepping away.

He also stated: “I am proud that I have the luxury of ending my career on my terms.

“This should serve as a real-life example for other boxers and professional athletes.

“Boxers, like all athletes, must realize how important it is for them to understand every aspect of the business dealings that surround them.

“I am excited about the future of boxing. I know Vitali Klitschko is disappointed that we won’t be facing each other in the ring again.

“But the challenge before him now is the same challenge that I faced years ago; to become the best heavyweight of his generation.

“I look forward to watching Vitali, Corrie Sanders, and other boxers compete for that honor.”

RETIREMENT

After signing off his February 2004 speech, Lewis concluded by mentioning opponents linked to facing him again.

“A special thank you to each of the men I’ve fought.

“This includes boxers like Ray Mercer, Evander Holyfield, and Mike Tyson, who brought out the best in me in the defining fights of my career.

“And thank you also to all the other men who entered the ring to exchange blows with me.

“They are part of my story, and their names will go down in history in the record book next to mine.”

 

LENNOX LEWIS & MIKE TYSON RETURN

Seventeen years later, Lewis posted a picture of an old pair of gloves boasting Tyson’s name.

The caption read: “Do you want me to dust these off?”

The Londoner also stated that ‘the transformation always begins here’ when showing a picture of him wrapping his hands.

Hearing Evander Holyfield state he could make $100 million to face Tyson in an exhibition rematch spiked interest for Lewis.

Facing either Holyfield or Tyson again was worth a lot of money to the 55-year-old.

 

 

The scenario came after Mike Tyson fought Roy Jones Jr. in a tester event. The headliner sold over one million Pay Per Views.

Those numbers held predictions of opening the floodgates to the Lewis generation. A golden era in which the 1988 gold medalist was the top dog.

It never happened when the Tyson vs. Jones one-off got shown up by a shocking fight between Vitor Belfort and Holyfield.

Gladly, the situation seems to have quietened down, and Lewis can go back to relaxing.

Nobody expected Lennox Lewis to ever fight again, even with the Tyson comeback. As the man himself said, it would take a lot of money for him to put down his pipe and slippers.

A former Formula One driver has revealed he has been diagnosed with an enlarged aorta and requires open-heart surgery.

The condition is asymptomatic and is usually diagnosed after undergoing an aortic aneurysm test using an ultrasound.

The ex-F1 driver, who once partnered seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton during the fledgling years of his career, has revealed that he has had to put his rally car season on hold and has been travelling to different countries to seek medical advice for the condition.

Speaking to Finish outlet Iltalehti, Heikki Kovalainen, 42, revealed that he had been diagnosed with the hereditary illness several months ago and will now undergo life-saving surgery.

‘At the end of last season, I decided to have a thorough physical examination at the doctor’s,’ the former Renault, McLaren and Lotus driver said.

A former McLaren Formula One driver has revealed he has been diagnosed with an enlarged aorta and will undergo open-heart surgery

Heikki Kovalainen revealed that he will undergo life-saving surgery for the hereditary condition

The Finnish driver (left) raced alongside Lewis Hamilton during the fledgling years of his Mclaren career

‘The idea was to check that no bigger problem was found, but then this was revealed.’

He added: ‘It’s a hereditary disease that I can’t do anything about. It’s good that it was discovered now. Usually, this problem is asymptomatic, except when it first occurs.’

The Finish race car driver had 112 entries during his Formula One career that spanned from 2007 to 2013.

During that time he won just once on the circuit, claiming victory at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix, while finishing on the podium four times during his career.

He would partner up with Hamilton after both drivers moved to drive for McLaren during the 2008 season, helping the British driver become the ten-youngest Formula World Champion.

Kovalainen’s final race in Formula One came back in 2013 at the Brazilian Grand Prix, but would continue to pursue a career in motorsport, moving to race in the Japan Rally Championship.

However, Kovalainen admitted his disappointment at putting his rally season on hold following his diagnosis, revealing he had plans to participate in several races across Europe with the new Yaris WRC2 car.

Kovalainen, 42, stated that the ‘probabilities were on his side’ and was aiming to get back to ‘living a normal life’

Kovalainen has been competing in rally car driving since finishing his Formula One career

The 42-year-old, admitted he was disappointed at having to put a hold on his rally car season

‘This health problem is sad, because big things had been agreed for this season. The intention was to defend the championship in Japan with the new Yaris WRC2 car. In addition, it was planned to participate in some EC and WC asphalt rallies in Europe,’ he said.

‘My team is aware of my situation. I have been promised that as long as I get back into driving condition, the agreed things will be implemented.’

Kovalainen

‘The probabilities are on my side. However, if it happens that I can’t continue racing despite the operation, then so be it.

‘My primary goal is to get back to a normal life.’

Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You ‘feud’ and ‘row that sparked it’

Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton were said to have locked horns over I Will Always Love You when The Bodyguard was released in 1992

When Dolly Parton released I Will Always Love You in 1974, it scored a respectable number one in the country charts.

But when Whitney Houston covered it for 1992 blockbuster movie The Bodyguard almost two decades later, it took over the world, spending a massive 10 weeks as the UK’s number one record.

And according to reports at the time, the track sparked a bitter feud between the Whitney and Dolly after the latter allegedly reneged on a promise not to perform it while Whitney’s version was still in the charts.

Furthermore, it was claimed the women argued over who the song – and its success – truly belonged to.

Whitney Houston scored a global hit with a cover of Dolly’s track in 1992

Dolly apparently promised not to perform I Will Always Love You while Whitney’s version was in the charts

“There was a tabloid story saying that Whitney and I were in a big feud, she said it was her song and I said it was mine,” Dolly told CNN in 2003.

However, Dolly insisted there was no bad blood, arguing that she was just thankful for all the royalties it made her.

“I was so flattered, so honored and so lucky that she did it, because the song didn’t sound like that when I had it,” she said.

The pair went on to become friends and Dolly was devastated when Whitney suffered a heart attack and drowned in a hotel bathtub in 2012 after years of cocaine abuse.

Promoted Stories

And hearing the song playing at Whitney’s televised funeral was almost too much for Dolly to bear.

Dolly wrote the track for her mentor after going solo in 1973 (
Image:
Getty)
“[It] just shattered me to hear that song played under those conditions,” she told ABC’s Nightline.

“I thought my heart was gonna stop. It just pierced me like a knife. I can’t explain that feeling, to think that that was so final for her, and that that was my words and my feeing – I would forever be so connected to her.”

Back in 1992, Dolly had no idea her track had been chosen for the film, and almost crashed her car when she heard Whitney singing it on the radio.

“They started out with it a cappella, and I thought, ‘That sounds familiar.… And it didn’t hit me,” Dolly told CMT in 2011.

“It was just one of those things where [you think], ‘What is that?’ And then all the sudden, when she started singing ‘I will always love you,’ I just about wrecked the car.”

Whitney’s co-star Kevin Costner was the one who originally plumped for the song after their first choice, What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted, was used in Fried Green Tomatoes.

“They were just in a panic at the last minute. And so they asked me about the song. I sent it. I didn’t hear anything more,” Dolly recalled.

Kevin Costner was the one who plumped for the song
The 9 to 5 singer originally wrote the track in 1973 for her mentor, Porter Wagoner, after quitting as the assistant on his show to go solo.

He thought she was making a mistake, so she penned the song over night and sang it to him the next morning, reducing him to tears.

“It’s common knowledge we loved and hated each other,” she told Times Free Press. “I was with Porter seven years and promised to stay for five. He was a hard-nosed businessman. I had my own dreams. I stood up for myself. We fought quite a bit.

Whitney’s cover made Dolly millions
“When we first broke up, it was hard for him and me. I wrote the song ‘I Will Always Love You’ for him because he wouldn’t listen to what I was trying to say.”

For Whitney’s part, she always refused to take credit for the hit, insisting that it was Dolly’s writing that made it what it was.

She told Rolling Stone in 1993: “I think Dolly Parton is a hell of a writer and a hell of a singer. I was so concerned when I sang her song how she’d feel about it, in terms of the arrangement, my licks, my flavor. When she said she was floored, that meant so much to me.”

Inside Dolly Parton’s mysterious marriage and the secret tattoos that cover her body

For years haters have been claiming Dolly Parton’s marriage to rarely-seen Carl Dean is a sham, but the singer says it’s anything but…

Rumours about Dolly Parton have been doing the rounds for years – her husband doesn’t exist; her marriage is a sham; she’s actually gay; she’s covered in tattoos and has had a slew of affairs.

But Dolly’s rarely-seen husband Carl Dean is very much the real deal, having hidden quietly in the background of Dolly’s glitzy life since their first meeting outside Nashville’s Wishy-Washy laundromat when she was just 18.

Carl, then 21, caught her attention by joking that she was going to get sunburn in her revealing outfit.

And he knew from the second they met that Dolly, 73, was The One.

It was love at first sight for Dolly and Carl

“My first thought was I’m going to marry that girl,” Carl once said. “My second was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin.’ And that was the day my life began.”

She signed with Monument Records soon after and married Carl in a small ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia in 1966, with only her mother as a witness.

But fame wasn’t something Carl wanted or enjoyed and he instead chose to live a quiet life on their sprawling farm, running his paving firm until his recent retirment.

The couple tied the knot in 1966
“Listen, he’s a homebody and doesn’t like to go out in public,” Dolly previously told The Mirror.

Promoted Stories

“We have a farm and he’s more than happy keeping the fields mowed, the barns painted and working away on his farm equipment.”

In fact, the singer – whose 1973 song Jolene was inspired by a woman trying to steal Carl – describes her husband as a “loner”.

“He doesn’t particularly care about being around anybody but me. He’s just always asked me to leave him out of all this. He does not like all the hullabaloo,” she explained.

Over the years she’s been accused of having affairs with everyone from Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds and her lifelong friend and personal assistant Judy Ogle.

The speculation only intensified when Dolly once innocently admitted that they had shared the same bed.

Dolly and Carl renewed their vows on their 50th wedding anniversary
“But I have never in my life had a ­relationship with a woman or had a desire to be with a woman,” she previously said.

Weighing in on why she believes the rumours started, Dolly continued: “We both went through high school together. She went into the military and when she came out of the army she never married. She dates and she has had several boyfriends. The fact that they never see my husband, they make it out that we are in a relationship.

“It doesn’t upset me but it upsets and embarrasses Judy and her family. I say to her which would you prefer – being called an old maid or a lesbian? She says lesbian every time!”

Dolly says her husband is happy to stay in the background (
Image:
Getty Images)Don’t Miss
As for the affair rumours with some of Hollywood’s biggest leading men, Dolly admits she’s “never met a man I didn’t like”, and explained that she has an “open” relationship with Carl – but not in a physical sense.

She explained: “He’s not jealous and I’m not jealous of him. He knows I flirt. He flirts too. Yes, it’s an open relationship, but not sexually and I would kill him if I thought he was doing that. He would shoot me too. At the end of the day we love each other madly.”

To keep the love alive, she makes sure her off-duty clothes are still “cute and sexy” and says Carl is a hopeless romantic who likes to shower her with gifts.

From picking her buttercups to writing her poems, the couple recently marked their 50th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows.

As for the key to their longevity, Dolly says they love to make each other laugh.

“The humour has kept us together over the years,” she said.

“Carl has a crazy, warped sense of humour. He is extremely funny and I suppose I am pretty funny too.

“Even if we get p**sed off with each other, we have never said anything that we would regret if one of us died. We usually laugh our way out of it.”

Dolly always keeps her arms covered
Another long-standing rumour about Dolly is that she’s secretly covered in tattoos.

Indeed, she always wears long sleeves which has only served to fuel the gossip.

Jennifer Saunders once said she’d seen Dolly’s mysterious inkings over dinner is Los Angeles.

“It was 9.30 in the evening, which meant that the restaurant was empty, because that’s what happens in LA, everyone goes home, no one stays out drinking late,” Jennifer once recalled.

“And so the restaurant was empty and she just opened her jacket and showed us, can I say, the most beautiful tattoos.”

She recently opened up about her secret tattoos (
Image:
KeystoneUSA-ZUMA / Rex Features)

She uses her inkings to cover her scars (
Image:
KeystoneUSA-ZUMA / Rex Features)
And earlier this year Dolly finally confirmed that she does indeed have a secret collection of pretty pastel-coloured tattoos which she uses to hide her scars.

She told CNN: “If I have to get a scar for any reason, I never can kind of get rid of that purple look. So I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to kind of decorate these with some flowers or little butterflies or whatever.’”

Dolly Parton’s ‘affairs’ and the Hollywood hunk she ‘couldn’t wait’ to jump into bed with

Dolly Parton has made no secret of her love for the opposite sex but admitted one ‘affair of the heart’ left her feeling suicidal

“I love to flirt, and I’ve never met a man I didn’t like,” Dolly Parton once famously declared of her passion for the opposite sex.

Despite having been married to husband Carl Dean for more than 50 years, the pneumatic country singer has made no secret of her eye for the fellas.

And it’s that honesty that has fuelled rumours of numerous ‘affairs’ over the years with everyone from Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds and her lifelong friend and personal assistant Judy Ogle.

The speculation only intensified when Dolly once innocently admitted she had shared a bed with Judy.

Dolly Parton has denied being anything other than friends with her assistant Judy Ogle (
Image:
Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

But while Dolly, 74, says she’s never ‘had a ­relationship with a woman or had a desire to be with a woman’, she has, however, fallen for other men.

Describing her marriage as ‘open’, in the early eighties the Jolene singer was left suicidal after an ‘affair of the heart’ ended badly.

If you’re a fan of Mirror Showbiz you’ll love OK! Magazine and its latest special offers.

For a limited time only you can get 13 issues for just £13 delivered direct to your door – making it just £1 a copy!  Or you can sign-up for 14 days free access to the magazine’s tablet app.

To sign up simply visit ok.co.uk/subscribe Offer valid until Tues April 28, 2020. Or get the magazine on your digital device with the tablet edition free for 14 days on iOS or Android.

“I was sitting upstairs in my bedroom one afternoon when I noticed in the nightstand drawer my gun that I keep for burglars. I looked at it a long time…” she wrote in her book Dolly on Dolly, Interviews and Encounters with Dolly Parton.

“Then, just as I picked it up, just to hold it and look at it for a moment, our little dog, Popeye, came running up the stairs.

Dolly was linked to actor Sylvester Stallone after they appeared in Rhinestone together (
Image:
Corbis via Getty Images)
“The tap-tap-tap of his paws jolted me back to reality I suddenly froze. I put the gun down. Then I prayed. I kinda believe Popeye was a spiritual messenger from God.”

As for the affair rumours with some of Hollywood’s biggest leading men, Dolly has explained that while her relationship with Carl might be ‘open’ – actually getting physical with other people is off the cards.

“Men are my weakness. Short, fat, bald or skinny – I’ve had crushes on some very unusual men but Carl knows I’ll always come home and I’m not having sex with these people – I’m just flirting and having fun,” she previously told the Daily Mail.

“He’s not jealous and I’m not jealous of him. He knows I flirt. He flirts too,” she reveled in a separate interview. “Yes, it’s an open relationship, but not sexually and I would kill him if I thought he was doing that. He would shoot me too. At the end of the day we love each other madly.”

Dolly ‘couldn’t wait’ to jump into bed with Burt Reynolds (
Image:
Handout)Don’t Miss
There was one A-list heartthrob who she couldn’t wait to get up close and personal with though, and that was Burt Reynolds.

The pair played lovers in 1982’s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and their chemistry sent unfounded rumours of a real-life affair flying, with Dolly teasing: “I couldn’t wait to jump into bed with Burt ­Reynolds… in the movie, not in real life.”

And Burt admitted the attraction was mutual, once quipping: “I got to work with her for so long that ­eventually I was looking at her face.”

Dolly has been married to Carl for more than 50 years
So what did Carl – who met Dolly outside Nashville’s Wishy-Washy laundromat when she was just 18 – make of it all?

“Carl never cared about that,” Dolly previously told The Mirror. “Lord, they had me sleeping with everybody – I’d have never got anything done.”

Keeping everyone guessing, she cheekily added: “And the ones I did sleep with, they don’t know about.”

Dolly Parton is known for her good-natured wit and easygoing way with people, but shock jock Howard Stern managed to get her dander up with one of his many public displays of questionable taste.

The year was 2008, and Stern edited the audiobook version of Parton’s memoir, My Life and Other Unfinished Business, to make it appear as if she was making racist comments and speaking poorly of other musicians, including her friend and collaborator Linda Ronstadt. The country icon responded with an uncharacteristically strongly worded public statement.

“I have never been so shocked, hurt and humiliated in all my life,” Parton said. “I cannot believe what Howard Stern has done to me. In a blue million years, I would never have such vulgar things come out of my mouth. They have done editing or some sort of trickery to make this horrible, horrible thing.”

Tim McGraw’s battle with Curb was especially nasty. Curb sued the singer in 2011, claiming breach of contract. He counter-sued to get out of that contract, which he claimed was slanted and unfair. In 2013 McGraw prevailed when a judge threw out the last of Curb’s arguments, and he has gone on to a very successful career with Big Machine.

Rick Diamond, Getty Images

“If there was ever going to be a lawsuit, it’s going to be over this,” she added.

Stern played the whole thing off as just more of his usual brand of dark humor, saying, “It’s an absurd bit. … It’s obviously parody and it’s funny as hell.”

He later said that he was honored that Parton even knew who he was. The country legend did not end up filing suit against the radio host, but we wouldn’t hold our breath waiting for her to appear on his show any time soon.

The Real Story Behind Dolly Parton’s Hidden Tattoos

Dolly Parton once revealed her husband ‘fantasizes’ about ‘threesome’ with Jennifer Aniston

Dolly Parton’s husband fantasized about having ‘threesome’ with Jennifer Aniston (Theo Wargo/Getty Images/Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images and Instagram/@dollyparton)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Throughout her prolific Hollywood career, Jennnifer Aniston has garnered numerous fans whose devotion to the star ranges from profound admiration to erotically fantasizing about her. However, in her illustrious career, the ‘FRIENDS’ alum has caught the attention of a very unlikely admirer. As it happens to be, this admirer is the husband of Dolly Parton, Carl Thomas Dean, whom she married in 1966.

The ‘Rainbowland’ star once told Jimmy Fallon on his talk show that her husband crushes on Aniston so much that he probably even “fantasizes” about a “threesome.” Parton, while talking about Aniston said, “I love her to death,” before adding hilariously, “My husband is crazy about her, and he was more excited that I was going to do a movie with her than he was that I got the chance to write all this music. I think he fantasizes, like, a threesome.”

Seeing the audience and the host (of course!) laughing hysterically, Parton said, “I’m serious!” to which Fallon in his characteristic manner said, “Carl, hey, . .Carl, go to bed!” ‘He’s Alive’ crooner further said, “I’m serious! He does,” before divulging an intimate secret, “I mean he can’t even get it out to pee, much less get it up for three.”

‘I could do, like, a two and a half’

Quite naturally, Dean had a say on the matter. Later, in an interview with E!, the Grammy-winning musical sensation said, “My husband, he thought it was a hoot,” before speaking about his reaction, “And he said, ‘Well, maybe I couldn’t do a threesome, but I think, if it is Jennifer, I could do, like, a two and a half’,” reports W Magazine.

‘My mouth just dropped’

To Parton’s hilarious quip, the ‘Murder Mystery’ alum replied back gaily. She shared her first reaction with USA Today, “My mouth just dropped,” before adding endearingly, “And then I laughed my (butt) off. That’s Dolly. “

Speaking highly of the septuagenarian’s sense of humor, Aniston said, “It was hilarious, I think it’s flattering. And that’s Dolly’s sense of humor,” and added, “No one in the world can get away with saying anything like that about their partner on live television, except Dolly. I mean, that is a quote.” However, she accepts, “That was just talk-show fodder.”

‘I like talking to her on the phone’

The 2018 Netflix movie ‘Dumplin’ initiated a beautiful friendship between the country music legend and Aniston. Aniston personally asked Parton to compose songs for the movie which she happily obliged, thus giving the world a wholesome friendship. They not only shared a meal together in Aniston’s house, but they were also pen pals. Aniston, once said of the letters that Parton used to send her, “They’re beautiful, all on stationary with this Dolly (letterhead). She’s so old-fashioned.” However, the ‘Horrible Bosses’ star liked to chat over the telephone, “I give her a phone call back after she writes. I like talking to her on the phone.”

Dolly Parton Said Her Husband Is Baffled By the Amount of Money She Wastes

Dolly Parton and her husband, Carl Dean, have been married for decades, but she said they approach life in markedly different ways. Parton is far more outgoing and enjoys the spotlight her career brings her. Dean keeps his life so private that many people don’t even know he exists. Their spending habits are also quite different. Parton said Dean hates to spend money and finds her purchasing habits shocking.

Dolly Parton’s husband found her spending habits baffling

While Parton and Dean have a private relationship, she has spoken about him and the way their marriage functions. According to Parton, she and Dean are virtual opposites. One of their points of disagreement is the way they like to spend money.

“Carl would rather have his body hair painfully pulled out than spend money,” Parton wrote in her book Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business. “I call him Scrooge. He’s so tight he squeaks when he walks.”

Dolly Parton | Richard E. Aaron/Redferns

She said that this is not how she likes to use her money. This shocks Dean.

“In great contrast, I can’t get rid of the stuff quickly enough,” she wrote. “He’s always said to me, ‘I could take the money you waste and have more than Donald Trump.’”

She shared some of her money-saving habits

One of Parton’s most iconic Dollyisms is, “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.” Still, she said she tries not to spend too much on her appearance.

“I really like to earn money but I love to spend it, too. I spend it on things that I feel like that’s needed,” she said on the talk show Skavlan. “I’m not the kind of person that will go out and spend like three or four thousand dollars on a coat or one outfit. You know, like some people do.”

She said that she doesn’t see a need to spend thousands of dollars on the clothes she wears in her everyday life.

“I’m OK with buying off the rack. Maybe spruce it up a little bit. Dolly-ize it a little bit. It doesn’t matter to me,” she said. “I know I look like a material girl, but I’m really not. I’ve got clothes that I’ve worn for years that I still wear. I just wear what I’m comfortable in, and I just kind of live my life that way.”

Dolly Parton said wealth hasn’t changed her husband all that much

Parton has been wealthy and famous for the majority of the years she has been married to Dean. She said that their money hasn’t changed him much.

“Here is this man with all of the money and material things he could ever want or need, and he still loves to dig around in dumps for what he calls ‘treasures,’” she wrote. “I don’t mind. I’ll sit in the camper for hours and read or write while he’s roaming around. Carl’s mother told me that he always loved the dirt, and he still does.”

Dolly Parton | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

She’s grateful he has separate interests.

“He’s very much a loner, and of course that suits my lifestyle perfectly,” she wrote. “We see each other often, but we are not in each other’s face all the time. I often sit up late at night writing, as I am with this book, while he’s snoozing away. Then he’ll be up and gone before I get up.”

Parton and Dean have been married since 1966.

As The Witcher prepares for its fourth season, it has already made a risky decision that will greatly benefit the show with its new lead actor.

As Netflix’s The Witcher prepares for the debut of Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia, the show seems to have already made a risky decision that, despite being made too soon, will give the show the ending it deserves.

Netflix’s The Witcher quickly became one of the streaming giant’s most popular TV shows, but it has also been one of its most controversial and divisive. Although it’s based on the series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher has made various changes to the source material that haven’t sat well with fans and new viewers.

The Witcher season 2, in particular, made some controversial changes to Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) and fan-favorite witcher Eskel (Basil Eidenbenz), but season 3 fixed some of these and more and was a lot more loyal to its source novel.

However, The Witcher season 4 is facing the show’s biggest challenge yet with the recast of Geralt of Rivia after Henry Cavill left the series. Season 4 will be Liam Hemsworth’s debut as Geralt of Rivia, and even though it’s yet to be seen how well-received his performance is, The Witcher has already made a risky decision, but it will greatly benefit the show.

The Witcher season 4 might be the series’ final chance to fix the franchise’s failures and save its future, and here’s how this can be done.

The Witcher Season 5 Is Reportedly In Development Ahead Of Liam Hemsworth’s Season 4 Debut

The Witcher season 4 is about to start filming.

The Witcher season 4 is preparing to finally start filming in March 2024, and as the audience waits for the first official look at Liam Hemsworth in full Geralt of Rivia costume, season 5 seems to be already in development.

Months before the release of season 3, Netflix announced that Henry Cavill was leaving The Witcher and Liam Hemsworth had been cast as Geralt of Rivia, taking over the role in season 4. The ending of The Witcher season 3 didn’t do anything to set up the recast, raising more questions about how Hemsworth’s inclusion in the series will go and if Geralt’s different physical appearance will be addressed in the show or not. Most of all, there’s a lot of expectation but also doubt around Hemsworth’s portrayal of Geralt, more so as Cavill was deemed a “perfect” casting by fans of the books and video games.

The Witcher season 4 is preparing to finally start filming in March 2024, and as the audience waits for the first official look at Hemsworth in full Geralt of Rivia costume, season 5 seems to be already in development.

Despite no official renewal announcement from Netflix (yet), The Witcher season 5 is reportedly in the early stages of development (via Redanian Intelligence), following the streaming giant’s initial plan of producing both season 4 and 5 back-to-back, though this was interrupted by the 2023 Hollywood strikes. According to Redanian Intelligence, the writing team of The Witcher started working on season 5’s script after the Christmas holidays.

The Witcher season 5 already being in development wouldn’t be a risky move if the show hadn’t gone through a huge recast, as the series has to see how well or badly received Hemsworth’s Geralt is.

The report also mentions that there will be a pause between the production of season 4 and that of season 5, giving writers plenty of time to come up with the story for season 5. The Witcher season 5 already being in development wouldn’t be a risky move if the show hadn’t gone through a huge recast, as the series has to see how well or badly received Hemsworth’s Geralt is and how well or not his take on the famous witcher will fit with the rest of the characters.

If Hemsworth’s Geralt fails to connect with the audience, interest in a new season of The Witcher will be lost, but even in that scenario, season 5 being in development can be greatly beneficial to the series.

The Witcher Season 5 Means The Show Can Cover Some Of The Books’ Best Stories

There are some big stories that Netflix’s The Witcher hasn’t covered yet.

A fifth season of The Witcher means that some of the biggest stories from the books will be covered, leaving as few loose threads as possible.

As risky as The Witcher season 5 already being in development way before Hemsworth’s debut as Geralt is, it’s good news for the show. A fifth season of The Witcher means that some of the biggest stories from the books will be covered, leaving as few loose threads as possible in the stories of Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri (Freya Allan). The Witcher season 4 is expected to cover the novel Baptism of Fire, so season 5 would have to cover The Tower of the Swallow and, potentially, The Lady of the Lake as well.

The Tower of the Swallow sees Ciri being captured by bounty hunter Leo Bonhart, escaping, and being transported into an alternate reality, while Geralt continues looking for her with the help of Dandelion (Jaskier), Milva, Regis, and Cahir. The Lady of the Lake sees Ciri escaping from the elves and returning to her right dimension thanks to Nimue, and she eventually reunites with Geralt and Yennefer, though this one-of-a-kind family doesn’t have a happy ending.

It’s possible that The Witcher season 4 could mix Baptism of Fire and The Tower of the Swallow so season 5 can fully focus on the events of The Lady of the Lake, as many important things happen in the final novel.

How The Witcher Season 5 Can Give A Proper Ending To Its Characters

The Witcher season 5 will most likely be the show’s final one.

The novel leaves Geralt and Yennefer’s fates ambiguous, but the series can fix this and be more straightforward.

The Witcher season 5 can give Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer a proper ending by focusing on the novel The Lady of the Lake. The final entry in The Witcher book series not only sees Ciri escaping from the elves, who had a similar plan for her as Vilgefortz and Emhyr did, but also confronting the latter and reuniting with Geralt and Yennefer.

The novel leaves Geralt and Yennefer’s fates ambiguous, but the series can fix this and be more straightforward about what truly happens to the witcher and the sorceress. Although The Witcher season 5 is at risk of losing most of its audience depending on how Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt is received, it being already in development means that the show is on its way to getting the ending it deserves.

Roman Reigns Betrays Dwayne Johnson, Slyly Disses His Cousin, John Cena And Other WWE Stars Who Went to Hollywood

Roman Reigns asserts himself as the dominant force in the wrestling world.

Roman Reigns, the reigning WWE Universal Champion and leader of The Bloodline appears to have thrown a subtle shade at his cousin, Dwayne Johnson along with other WWE stars like John Cena and Dave Bautista, who have made the transition to Hollywood. Reigns previously welcomed The Rock as a member of The Bloodline, and the duo is expected to face Cody Rhodes in a tag team match at Wrestlemania 40.
The Rock and Roman Reigns. (Credit: WWE | SmackDown)
However, during an appearance at The Pat McAfee Show, Reings hinted at a sense of superiority, asserting himself as the only WWE star who didn’t need to venture into Hollywood, as Hollywood sought him out instead.

Roman Reigns Emphasizes His Central Role in the Wrestling World

During his recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Roman Reigns reflected on his career and future prospects as a WWE star. He expressed confidence in his abilities while talking about the potential for continued success and highlighting his ongoing dominance in the wrestling world.
Roman Reigns | Credits: Wikimedia Commons
“I’m a young man and have so much stuff to do,” he said before adding, “I don’t see it stopping anytime. We’re about to set more records WrestleMania weekend with the main events.” Further into the conversation, Reigns asserted his central role in the wrestling narrative.

He described himself as the focal point around which others revolve, including Cody Rhodes and even Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson. He asserted,
“Everybody’s story revolves around me. [Cody] is one of many trying to tie this thing up—He was off doing who cares, a whole lot of nothing, he saw what we were doing in WWE and he wanted to be part of that. Hollywood, Dwayne, saw what we were doing. I’m the only guy that didn’t have to go to Hollywood. Hollywood came to me.”
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson | WWE
Roman Reigns highlighted that he did not have to seek opportunities. Instead, Hollywood sought him out due to his prominence in the wrestling world. The WWE star’s comments add an intriguing layer of drama ahead of the highly anticipated match at Wrestlemania 40.

Roman Reigns Addressed the Missed Opportunity For a Showdown With The Rock

During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Roman Reigns also addressed the missed opportunity to face Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Calling Cody Rhodes a “crybaby,” the WWE star argued that his fellow wrestler’s fanbase prevented the highly anticipated match. He said,
Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes | WrestleMania 39
“That small minority of our WWE wrestling fanbase weren’t a bunch of bitches, crying the whole time, [Cody Rhodes] would have never got that buzz and ya’ll would have been smitten with The Rock vs. Tribal Chiefs. That’s what it was. That’s the beauty of this business.”
Reigns expressed frustration with the loss of what he saw as a definitive moment in his career, where he could have defeated The Rock to solidify his legacy. “For me, that was the end game. Let me make the final statement. Seal the deal. I beat The Rock. Ain’t nobody ever questioning what I’ve done here,” he said.
Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns from Monday Night RAW
The Universal Champion further stated, “Cody took that from me—He took that from me. He took that storybook ending.” The Rock and Reigns have now laid out the challenge to face Rhodes and Seth Rollins in a tag team match at WrestleMania 40.