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The countdown is on to the final event of Rafael Nadal’s tennis career and the scramble to be present to witness his farewell in Spain is reaching fever pitch.

The 38-year-old, who won 22 grand slam titles, including 14 at the French Open, revealed the news in an emotional video message posted on X.

Nadal, who is a 14-time French Open champion, has struggled with various injuries over the last couple of years that have limited him to a handful of tournaments.

Rafael Nadal Officially Announces Retirement From Tennis

READ: BEACH HANGOUT PICTURES OF GARBINE MUGURUZA

Last year he announced he expected 2024 to be his final season, and it became increasingly clear through the summer that the end was nigh.

“I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis,” said Nadal in a video message.

“The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.

“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But, in this life, everything has a beginning and an end.”

Nadal confirmed his final event will be playing for Spain at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month in what will be a fitting and emotional end to an illustrious career.

With the final of the biggest competition in team tennis taking place in Spain, this will be one of the most emotional events in the history of the sport, as the local fans will get a chance to bid farewell to one of their nation’s ultimate sporting icons.

Nadal could be playing alongside Carlos Alcaraz if the duo revive their doubles partnership with last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, with tickets for the Davis Cup Final selling out in double quick time.

Spain’s semi-final against the Netherlands sold out in double quick time and fans have also snapped up tickets for the host nation’s potential semi-final.

Tickets for the final are also all gone, with all matches for an event that will see world No 1 Jannik Sinner play for Italy and Taylor Fritz playing for the USA set to be played in front of sell-out crowds.

The demand for tickets is highlighted when you look at the ticket resale sites, with two tickets together courtside for the Spain vs Netherlands quarter-final tie listed at a staggering £11,848 (US $15456), and two more tickets on sale for an eye-watering £24,680 (US $32200).

Malaga has proved to be a hugely popular venue for the Davis Cup Finals and even though Spain were not taking part last year, Netherlands captain Paul Haarhuis was among those impressed by an event that has become a fitting finale to the tennis season.

“Malaga has proved to be a fantastic city to host the Davis Cup Finals,” said Haarhuis, as he spoke to Tennis365 earlier this year.

“Last year was exceptional because even when Spain didn’t qualify, every match was sold out. Netherlands vs Italy in Malaga was completely full and that is what the Davis Cup needs.

“What makes the Davis Cup special is the crowds and over the last couple of years, we played our matches in February it was an amazing atmosphere.

“After both matches, our players said to me this was the best atmosphere they ever had and that’s what we want in this competition.

“What we saw in Malaga last year was fantastic for the Davis Cup and hopefully we can have more of the same this year.”

Tyson Fury’s coach, Andy Lee, said that his fighter was not able to spar in the build-up to the Oleksandr Usyk fight.

Fury suffered a split decision loss as Usyk became the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. It was the first time that Fury had been defeated. Coming into the fight, the Gypsy King reassured everyone that his preparation was on point. He was also praised for his physique, with Fury coming in leaner than he usually would. However, the original fight date was rescheduled after Fury suffered a cut over his right eye in sparring.

This meant that the original day in February was moved to May. The cut reportedly would take around three months or more to heal fully, leaving questions about whether Fury would have been ready for the fight. However, the cut ended up healing. While it did not become a factor in the bout, Fury was ultimately dominated. Usyk was the better fighter in the earlier rounds, finishing strongly at the back end.

Tyson Fury Trainer Andy Lee Has Now Revealed His Honest Usyk Scorecard  After Rewatching Fight - Seconds Out

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Fury’s main success came in the middle rounds, but the Ukrainian almost knocked him out in the ninth round, only for the referee to impose a standing eight count. However, Lee has now confirmed that Fury’s preparation was disrupted since he was not able to spar for fear of the cut reopening. If that is the case, then Lee will fancy his fighter to do much better in the rematch. They will square off on December 21. It will not be for undisputed after Usyk vacated his IBF belt. Daniel Dubois took that belt, knocking Anthony Joshuaout to retain it. Lee expects to see a different Tyson Fury coming into the rematch.

“Fights are won and lost in the training and preparation. Because of the rearranged and rescheduled fight due to a cut, Tyson couldn’t spar in the camp. The conditioning, sharpness and your ability to concentrate to stay ready and to sustain attacks. When Tyson would have success in the fight, he would have to back away and look to rest to build up his energy again before mounting his next attack. In the meantime, it encouraged Usyk to come forward and gave him the emphasis to go forward to take it now because ‘I’m taking a break.’ It’ll be different because he’ll be able to spar,” Lee said 

Nevertheless, it is important to consider the following points. Those comments could simply be used to move attention away from how Fury faded in the fight. He had talked up a big game, stating that he would retire if he came out second best. He also repeatedly referred to the Ukrainian as a blown-up cruiserweight and a rabbit, talking down his opponent’s skills. Fury also had a 40-pound advantage and a seven-inch reach advantage. But the Ukrainian was able to negate those disadvantages and dominate his man.

Even if Fury spars and fights on the front foot, there is a danger that he will play into Usyk’s hands. Usyk is a master counterpuncher, known for picking his opponents off. If Fury continues to come forward, he risks giving Usyk a much bigger target to hit. Usyk had also shown that he could hold his own in his clinches. This is pivotal if Fury tries to lean on Usyk, much like he did against Deontay Wilder in their second fight. But if Fury’s preparation is on point, he will back himself to come out victorious. But the question is whether Fury can back up his words come fight night.

The online rivalry between Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jr. is getting more intense with each passing day.

A week ago, the duo got into an online spat on ‘X’ when Roach tried to troll the WBA lightweight champion and stated that the latter needed to spar with heavier boxers before their fight in December in order to have an edge over him. The 29-year-old received a stellar comeback from Tank, who stated that he would do his talking inside the ring.

Things were quiet for a week before Lamont Roach once again decided to pull Davis’ leg ahead of the NFL match between the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders. But once again, the WBA super featherweight champion was shut down as the move backfired on him.

Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach Jr. Tops Dec. 14 PBC on Prime Video PPV In  Houston, Texas - The Ring

READ: Canelo vs. Beterbiev, Who Hits Harder?: Dmitry Bivol Warned as He Answers the Burning Question

The spat started when Roach responded to a Ravens fan who was making fun of the Washington Commanders. However, while doing so, the fan also decided to bring in Gervonta Davis’ fight against Lamont Roach to make his point. The tweet read, “We whipping DC a** for the rest of the year. Ravens today, Tank in December,” adding that Roach will be losing to Davis come December.

Being from Washington, D.C., Roach did not take the comment kindly and shot back, “This s**t different over here 😶‍🌫️.” As expected, Tank saw the response and decided to jump right in. The WBA lightweight champion retorted, “Yea, you asking for it…”

The WBA Super Featherweight champion was stunned by the reply, as he was only able to muster up the “🤨” emoji in reply. However, that wasn’t the only hit Lamont Roach Jr. had to take. The Baltimore Ravens also managed to defeat Roach’s Washington Commanders 30-23 in their Week 6 matchup on Sunday. The Ravens extended their winning streak to four games with a strong performance, particularly from their offense. Lamar Jackson led the charge with multiple big plays, while Derrick Henry had a standout day, rushing for 132 yards and scoring two touchdowns. The Ravens maintained control of the game, holding the ball for over 30 minutes and outgaining Washington significantly. This victory solidifies the Ravens as strong contenders to Kansas City in the AFC.

As for the upcoming Davis vs. Roach fight, when this fight was officially announced last month, fans were not so happy with it. Still, with the recent online spat between the two, the anticipation for the fight is gradually increasing. The tensions are rising between the duo. With a solid undercard, this fight might just be worth everyone’s time as Roach has promised to give Davis a run for his money.

Tank and Roach will face each other on December 14 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas for the WBA lightweight title. The WBA allowed Lamont Raoch to move up a weight category to challenge for the lightweight title while also retaining his featherweight strap. This match has not excited the fans that much, as everyone thinks that it will be an easy victory for the 30-0 boxer. But the undercard has piqued the interest of everyone as it includes one high-profile return of a two-weight world champion and a match-of-the-year contender.

Former WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo will make his return on this undercard and may face Thomas LaManna in his attempt to rebuild his career. But the real eyes will be on the rematch between Stephen Fulton and Brandon Figueroa. Reports have also indicated that David Benavidez will face Jesse Harton the same card as part of the co-main event.

While the main event had very little hype amongst fans earlier, this online war has helped their case. This will be the biggest fight of Roach’s career and he has promised to deliver his best performance.

At the age of seven, we are pretty sure Olympia Ohanian Jr. has played more sports than any other kid her age.

First, it was soccer, then she was interested in tennis, and now it seems the eldest daughter of Serena Williams and Alex Ohanian is an avid golfer. And all the credit might go to Tiger Woods. Yes, Williams and Ohanian share a pretty close relationship and even share a business with Woods. The Ohanian family owns the LAGC team in Woods’ venture TGL, and even Olympia has a share to her name.

And what else she has is a golf club set gifted by Woods. In an appearance on the Gayle King in the House radio show, the Reddit co-founder shared that he and Olympia Ohanian Jr. started playing golf every Sunday, all thanks to Woods. Talking about Olympia’s sudden interest in golf, Ohanian added, “I’m her daddy caddy I don’t know how to play golf I never played golf but Uncle Tiger gifted some clubs and I was like Olympia you better learn how to play golf.” Thus, their golf journey started, but being a kid, Jr. is more intrigued by her uncle’s name and has asked if it is actually ‘Tiger.’

Tiger Woods Olympia Ohanian

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Regardless, courtesy of her playing golf, Alexis has also bought clubs for himself and is playing the sport. However, he revealed that he usually stays on the range while Olympia Ohanian Jr. goes to the course with her instructor Brittany Ferrante. Olympia turned 7 last month, and her father shared on Instagram how he needed to buy her new clubs as she was growing out of the gift from Tiger Woods. Surely, he would have gifted her the new set and their Sunday golf tradition has been followed. Just two weeks ago, Ohanian posted on Instagram and shared that Olympia made a bogey.

The Reddit co-founder usually shares Olympia Ohanian’s progress with fans on Instagram and it seems unlike soccer and tennis, she has not lost interest in golf just yet. While Ohanian expressed that he supported every hobby of his daughter and didn’t expect her to follow one thing, what does Mama Williams think of Jr. sliding away from tennis?

As an athlete, Serena Willaims surely hoped that her daughter Olympia Ohanian Jr. would follow in her footsteps just like Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie Woods. From an early age, Jr. played tennis to some extent, but slowly her focus shifted to different things. So when Williams appeared on the CBS News’ Person to Person with Norah O’Donnell show, she unveiled how Olympia “doesn’t actually like to play tennis too much.”

Williams shared how it was a bit disappointing because Olympia plays good tennis and she has the talent to be great one day. So what’s the solution? The 43-year-old revealed that she was trying various things to get her back to tennis and said, “Maybe I can push her into tennis by getting other kids to have a group lesson. I think that’s what I’m gonna do.” But it seems that it has not worked yet!

With her father’s support and Ohanian being a daddy caddie, Olympia is in her golfing era and not leaving it soon. Who knows, she may stick to it this time, and Tiger Woods‘ thoughtful gift may give the golf world the next generation of golfing legends!

Jason Day laughs now, because it’s funny to him on a few levels. For one, Tiger Woods answered his question self-deprecatingly. But there’s also a nugget of hard truth to the response that makes Day smile too. 

The query?

What kept you at No. 1 for so long?

Day was talking on this week’s “The Smylie Show” — which you can listen to in full here — where part of the conversation looked at Day’s time atop the golf world, and specifically the commitment to get there. The podcast’s host, Smylie Kaufman, noted that Day’s devotion reminded him of Woods’, and that led to this response:

How was Tiger Woods No. 1 for so long? He answered with 14 words

READ: Tiger Woods to design second Texas golf course as PGA and LIV Golf merger talks progress

“You had to have, it was — to get to the best, it’s a lifestyle choice,” Day said on the podcast. “Your whole life has to be in on that goal of being the best. You can’t — it’s very difficult. Some of the guys can do it. Like a Dustin Johnson and some of these other guys, they can naturally just get to No. 1, and just like, how do you do it so easily? … They don’t practice as hard as you or I, they’re kind of just naturally gifted in a way that they can do it and it just doesn’t look like it affects their lifestyle much.

“And then there’s people like me and even Tiger, for instance.”

Woods? Really? At this point in the podcast, Day shared the story of his question — and Woods’ 14-word response.

“I always laugh at this because — hey, what kept you at No. 1 for so long?” Day said on the podcast. “And he would look at me and go, I’m not as talented as you so I had to work harder than you.

“I’m like, that is such a load of crap. You’re way more talented than me. But again, what he did great was that he matched great technique with unbelievable work ethic and also a great mental game. When you have that three-prong effect, it’s just going to give success.”

Was Day more talented than Woods? Did Woods work harder than Day to the tune of 69 more wins than him? (Woods has 82 victories; Day 13.) Was Woods poking fun at himself? Was he jabbing Day? We’ll let you figure that out.

Former WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol has officially fought two of the biggest names in boxing—Canelo Alvarez and Artur Beterbiev.

Now, the Russian technician has answered the question many have been asking since last Saturday night’s mega event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Who hits harder—Canelo or Beterbiev?

The 33-year-old took on ‘Cinnamon’ back in April 2022, emerging victorious via unanimous decision after 12 rounds of battle. However, surprisingly, he could not produce the same results last weekend, as he lost the fight to Beterbiev via a majority decision, which is now shrouded in controversy.

Canelo Alvarez Artur Beterbiev Dmitry Bivol

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Despite looking like the slightly better fighter in the 12-round skirmish, Bivol was handed his first career loss, as he continues to ask for a rematch to avenge his loss. Regardless, while appearing in an interview with Box Nation, Bivol expressed his thoughts about Beterbiev’s power.

The Kyrgyzstan-born boxer said, “He has very strong punches. [I felt] his right hand even through my left. My thumb is swollen because I was holding it on my head and he was beating on my hand.” Bivol added that because of the repeated blows from Beterbiev, who had entered the fight with a perfect knockout record, it felt as if Bivol’s guard was pushed inside his head.

After this statement became public, former super middleweight and light heavyweight champion Andre Ward reacted by suggesting Bivol should not indulge these details if he wants a rematch. “You should never concede this openly when there is potential for a rematch. Keep that to yourself! Too much talking,” he wrote on X.

However, things didn’t end there, as Bivol went on to compare Beterbiev’s power with Canelo Alvarez. While appearing in another interview with Fight Hub TV, Bivol told Marcos Villegas“I could compare [it] with Canelo. He put all his energy, all his power [into] a single punch. [So,] sometimes he’s harder than Beterbiev.”

He explained that, unlike Canelo, Beterbiev doesn’t wind up his punches, rather he likes to fight in the pocket. However, when there are combinations or just the volume of punches is increased in the comparison, Beterbiev is the more powerful puncher. “Beterbiev, every punch will be [harder than] Canelo. Both of them are strong, but Beterbiev is bigger, and he’s born strong,” Bivol said.

However, these weren’t the only times Bivol commented on Beterbiev’s power.

Despite the controversy surrounding his loss to Beterbiev, Bivol decided to keep things real. Speaking to iFL TV right after the fight came to a close, Bivol acknowledged that Beterbiev’s power was significant, highlighting the bruises he had suffered after the action-packed 12 rounds.

“It’s hard, but not as [hard] as people are describing. Yeah, it’s hard, you see my eye. He landed a lot of punches on my left hand, through my hand. You see the bruises,” Bivol said. However, the Russian boxer remained adamant about his own abilities, stating, “He [hits] hard but we can handle these hard punches.”

That said, the next best thing for Dmitry Bivol would be to pursue a rematch with Artur Beterbiev to avenge his loss. However, the final word on the matter will only be revealed in the coming days, as Beterbiev contemplates other options.

Is a Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather rematch really in the works?

There’s been an uptick of chatter recently regarding the fight, but no clear indication that anyone is close to signing a contract.

What we do have, however, is Conor McGregor’s word that talks are ongoing, to the point where discussions on weight and rounds are being had.

“You know, there is conversations ongoing,” McGregor told Spanish news outlet Marca. “I fought Floyd at 153 pounds, which is a low weight. So he brought me all the way down. It was over 12 rounds. I’d never fought 12 rounds. Now the discussion is: at my weight, higher, heavy weight. 170 pounds. And maybe less rounds. So … I would fancy it.”

Floyd Mayweather defeats Conor McGregor by TKO in 10th round - ESPN

JUST IN: ‘Robbed, Disgusting’ – Beterbiev Vs. Bivol CompuBox Numbers

As for how he perceives the first fight to have gone?

“I had him bent over!” McGregor declared. “You see me I had him bent over. What more do you want me to do? Do you want me to finish the job while I have him bent over?”

McGregor did look decent through the first couple of rounds against Mayweather, forcing the boxing legend to turn his back at one point so the ref would step in and slow the action down. For his part, Mayweather claims he carried Mac through the fight before turning up the heat his gassed opponent. Both have said a rematch will happen, but neither seems in any rush to make it happen next.

All of this sounds promising, but these days “The Notorious” is in entrepreneurial overdrive. There’s not a weekend where he isn’t out there hawking a new product or Bare Knuckle FC event. He clearly wants to fight … but is under contract with the UFC, who seem in no rush to get him back in the cage.

Would UFC loan him out for a boxing event at some insane price tag? Maybe, if it means they still get to keep him on a leash with the two fights left on his UFC contract.

Whatever happens, McGregor claims he’s cool with it.

“I don’t need,” he said. “I am so blessed by God. I don’t need nothing. I don’t need. I have, but I’d like a fight.”

Garbiñe Muguruza Blanco is a Spanish-Venezuelan former professional tennis player. She was ranked as high as world No. 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association, and world No. 10 in doubles.

Gallery: Holiday greetings from the WTA stars · tennisnet.com

Garbiñe Muguruza was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on 8 October 1993 to her Venezuelan mother, Scarlet Blanco, and her Basque father José Antonio Muguruza, who hails from Azkoitia in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country.

Handsome Tom Ford designer woos Spanish tennis star Garbine Muguruza |  Daily Mail Online

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Garbiñe Muguruza on X: "Playa :))) beach!! http://t.co/kUFKFeivpD" / X

Muguruza began playing tennis at the age of three at the tennis courts of Mampote, in Guarenas outside Caracas, and already showed great talent and skill.

After moving to Spain with her family when she was six years old, looking for better prospects in her tennis development, Muguruza began training at the Bruguera Tennis Academy in Barcelona with her brothers, all dreaming of becoming professional tennis players.

Garbine Muguruza TheBestGarbine Muguruza : r/GirlsTennis

After turning professional on 2 March 2012, Muguruza was given a wild card for her first WTA Tour main-draw appearance at the Miami Open. There, she upset former world No. 2, Vera Zvonareva, and former world No. 10, Flavia Pennetta, before falling in the round of 16 to the eventual champion, Agnieszka Radwańska, in straight sets.

Garbine Muguruza starred for Adidas - Tennis Time

Muguruza is an aggressive all-court player, whose game is centered around her flat, powerful groundstrokes. Her groundstrokes allow her to take time away from her opponents and dictate baseline rallies, despite the fact that Muguruza may often refrain from going for the lines, or hitting outright winners.

The CompuBox numbers for the Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivolfight have been released, showing how close the fight was.

The two boxers faced off for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship. Beterbiev won via a majority decision to make him the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion. However, the result divided the boxing community, with many feeling that Bivol had been robbed. Beterbiev’s corner was heard telling their man that he had to knock his opponent out. But when it came to the judges’ scorecards, they saw things differently. One scorecard had it 114 apiece, whilst the other two were in favor of better Beterbiev with scores of 116-112 and 115-113.

Bivol was clearly left disappointed, while Beterbiev’s team shut down any claims that there had been a robbery. And looking at the stats, it was a close fight. Bivol managed to land 50% of his power punches. This was a lot more than Beterbiev, who only landed 29%. This meant Bivol connected with 33 power punches over the first six rounds, while Beterbiev only landed 23. But when it came to the second half of the fight, Beterbiev was stronger. He landed 67 power punches in comparison to Bivol, who only landed 51.

Artur Beterbiev Dmitry Bivol

READ: “I don’t think the result was fair”: Turki Alalshikh confirms plans to stage a rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol

And when it came to the home stretch, Beterbiev was stronger in rounds 11 and 12. He landed 29 power punches, while Bivol managed to connect with 19. They were also separated by just five punches in total. Bivol outlanded Beterbiev with 142 punches compared to his opponent’s 137. Bivol also landed with more jabs. He had 58 compared to Beterbiev’s 47. But Beterbiev landed more power punches, with 90 compared to 84. Therefore, the fact that one judge had 116-112 drew the wrath of Eddie Hearn. His comments were also backed up by Frank Warren, who felt that Bivol had done enough to win. And that has set up the narrative for a rematch.

“In one of the biggest fights of our generation, the most important fight of Dmitry Bivol’s life, you give him four rounds?” he told the DAZN broadcast. It’s disgusting. You heard Beterbiev’s corner in the 10th round: They told him he had to knock him out. Top Rank knew he’d lost. I’m absolutely baffled and disgusted. I don’t want to disrespect Artur Beterbiev… That judge should never work again. Four rounds [to Bivol] in a fight of this, magnitude is disgusting,” Hearn said 

“I gave it to Bivol by a couple of rounds. That score of 8-4 is beyond ridiculous. Everyone around that ring thought Bivol had won it by at least two rounds. There should be a rematch because it was such a quality fight. Brilliant skills in there by Bivol, his jab was superb. Artur the last couple of rounds was told it was sink or swim. The score 8-4 was a joke. It’s terrible when you get a fight like that and it ends in controversy,” Warren stated

As the world knows, Serena is more than a record-smashing, boundary-breaking tennis champion. Her achievements, on and off the court, make her one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world – the G.O.A.T.

Serena Williams Date-Night-In Ideas.

Homemade Dinner (Or Dessert)

I think shared experiences really connect people, especially when there’s food involved. Date-night-in is the perfect time to try out a new recipe. If it turns out well, you’ve got a delicious home-cooked meal to eat together. If not, well, at least you spent some time making something together. And if cooking’s not your thing, you can always make dessert instead – whether it’s baking (my favorite, of course) or making another type of treat (chocolate truffles, anyone?), it’s a sweet way to hang out with someone you love.

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READ: 10+ Hot Pictures of Serena Williams Will Drive You Nuts for Her Sexy Body

Game Night

By game night, I really mean any type of game you like to play – board games, card games, video games, puzzles, charades, etc. In my case, not surprising to anyone who knows me, it would have to be karaoke and dancing. I’m pretty serious about my karaoke but it helps that, unlike other kinds of games, I usually don’t get too competitive about it so it’s more fun for the people I’m singing with.

Note that I said “usually,” but I can’t make any guarantees. Playing a game together usually leads to laughing, and laughing together is one of the best things. As adults, we really don’t have many opportunities to enjoy each other’s company in that purely fun way, so it’s great to make it a date-night-in activity.

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Netflix and…Popcorn

There are so many great shows and movies available out there, but with full-time jobs, kids, pets, multiple side hustles (you get the picture), Alexis and I usually just don’t have time to sit down together and watch something that we want to watch. If anything these days, we’re watching a lot of what my mini-me wants to watch! I’m not complaining, though, because you know I love my Disney, but sometimes it’s good to balance it out with some grown-up content.

Marvel movies and anything fashion-related are my jam. If I’m in a good mood, I might let Alexis pick what we watch…but only if he brings the popcorn. Because you just gotta have popcorn with a movie!

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