title: Love Hostel

text: Bobby Deol was also confirmed as performing in the film. He was initially reluctant to come on to the production. Raman and his crew rewrote the script in hopes of appealing to the actor, who agreed to join the cast upon reading this second draft. The director has stated that these changes "elevated the emotional quotient of the film". In an article dated prior to the film's release Deol described his character as " a very interesting character that has quite a twisted journey" and that the character's actions were caused by something that "happened one day that changed him completely. So now whatever he does, he does it in his righteous way." The film's script called for his character to chew tobacco, which required Deol to chew on a piece of cotton for scenes where Dagar is chewing and speaking.


title: Love Hostel

text: Filming was temporarily halted due to local farmers protesting the 2020 Indian agriculture acts. The farmers stated that they were unhappy that Deol's family did not voice their support for the protest. Several other protestors had similarly disrupted a shoot on another film the previous month. Filming was stopped one additional time by the protestors before it was able to commence. Filming wrapped up on 31 July 2021. Sanya Malhotra commented that making the film was emotional and tough for all of them due to film's themes and plot, further remarking that she had trouble sleeping during filming.


title: Love Hostel

text: "Love Hostel" premiered on ZEE5 on 25 February 2022. "The Indian Express" wrote favorably about the trailer, stating that the movie "promises to be a compelling romantic drama with a gruesome crime angle." "GQ India" called the trailer one of the "best trailers of 2022 (so far)".


title: Love Hostel

text: The music of the film is composed by Jeet Gannguli, Clinton Cerejo and Bianca Gomes with lyrics written by Manoj Yadav and Siddhant Kaushal.


title: Love Hostel

text: Stutee Ghosh of "The Quint" gave the film a rating of 4.5/5 and wrote "Vikrant and Sanya's outstanding performances are complimented admirably by Bobby Deol. What a triumph for Shankar Raman who keeps getting better". Saibal Chatterjee of "NDTV" gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote "We haven't seen anything as fearless and powerful as Love Hostel in a long, long time". Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri of "The Free Press Journal" gave the film a rating of 4/5 and wrote "Bobby Deol a standout – this is a frighteningly dystopian look at a land that's no country for young lovers". Shubhra Gupta of "The Indian Express" gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote "As compared to Shanker Raman's 'Gurgaon', 'Love Hostel' has more immediacy in its execution, which makes its nonstop violence more impactful". Sukanya Verna of "Rediff" gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote "It's a lawless, ruthless, endless minefield where uncertainty and bigotry go hand in hand and patriarchy is a foregone conclusion". Shubham Kulkarni of "Koimoi" gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote "The evolution of the OTT space has equipped the makers to make films without adding popular romantic gimmicks, and tell raw stories".


title: Love Hostel

text: Anna MM Vetticad of "Firstpost" gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote "Love Hostel's pluses and minuses is put in the shade though by its complete lack of prevarication in its representation of India's ongoing war against love". Rachana Dubey of "The Times of India" gave the film a rating of 2.5/5 and wrote "Sanya, Vikrant and Bobby put out honest performances.Dubey stated that while the direction was good, writer could have been better". "Hindustan Times" critic Devarsi Ghosh also echoed the same, calling it "well-directed but badly written thriller." Sowmya Rajendran of "The News Minute" compared the film with "NH10" (2015) and "Sairat" (2016) and stated, ""Love Hostel" oscillates between sparks of good writing and a lack of imagination in developing the plot." Terming it an "unlikely thriller about honour killing," Nandini Ramnath of "Scroll.in" and wondered "Whether "Love Hostel" works as an expose of the culture of honour killing is always up for debate."


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: Valerian (; ; c. 199 – 260 or 264) was Roman emperor from 253 to spring 260 AD. He persecuted Christians and was later taken captive by the Persian emperor Shapur I after the Battle of Edessa, becoming the first Roman emperor to be captured as a prisoner of war, causing shock and instability throughout the Roman Empire.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: The unprecedented event and the unknown fate of the captured emperor generated a variety of different reactions and "new narratives about the Roman Empire in diverse contexts".


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: Unlike many of the would-be emperors and rebels who vied for imperial power during the Crisis of the Third Century of the Roman Empire, Valerian was of a noble and traditional senatorial family. Details of his early life are sparse, except for his marriage to Egnatia Mariniana, with whom he had two sons: later emperor Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus and Licinius Valerianus.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: He was Consul for the first time either before 238 AD as a "Suffectus" or in 238 as an "Ordinarius". In 238 he was "princeps senatus", and Gordian I negotiated through him for senatorial acknowledgement for his claim as emperor. In 251 AD, when Decius revived the censorship with legislative and executive powers so extensive that it practically embraced the civil authority of the emperor, Valerian was chosen censor by the Senate, though he declined to accept the post. During the reign of Decius he was left in charge of affairs in Rome when that prince left for his ill-fated last campaign in Illyricum. Under Trebonianus Gallus he was appointed "dux" of an army probably drawn from the garrisons of the German provinces which seems to have been ultimately intended for use in a war against the Persians.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: However, when Trebonianus Gallus had to deal with the rebellion of Aemilianus in 253 AD it was to Valerian he turned for assistance in crushing the attempted usurpation. Valerian headed south but was too late: Gallus was killed by his own troops, who joined Aemilianus before Valerian arrived. The Raetian soldiers then proclaimed Valerian emperor and continued their march towards Rome. Upon his arrival in September, Aemilianus's legions defected, killing Aemilianus and proclaiming Valerian emperor. In Rome, the Senate quickly acknowledged Valerian.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: Valerian's first act as emperor was to appoint his son Gallienus "caesar". Early in his reign, affairs in Europe went from bad to worse, and the whole West fell into disorder. In the East, Antioch had fallen into the hands of a Sassanid vassal and Armenia was occupied by Shapur I (Sapor). Valerian and Gallienus split the problems of the empire between them, with the son taking the West, and the father heading East to face the Persian threat.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: In 254, 255, and 257, Valerian again became "Consul Ordinarius." By 257, he had recovered Antioch and returned the province of Syria to Roman control. The following year, the Goths ravaged Asia Minor. In 259, Valerian moved on to Edessa, but an outbreak of plague killed a critical number of legionaries, weakening the Roman position, and the town was besieged by the Persians. In 260, probably in June, Valerian was decisively defeated in the Battle of Edessa and held prisoner for the remainder of his life. Valerian's capture was a tremendous defeat for the Romans.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: While fighting the Persians, Valerian sent two letters to the Senate ordering that firm steps be taken against Christians. The first, sent in 257, commanded Christian clergy to perform sacrifices to the Roman gods or face banishment. The second, the following year, ordered the execution of Christian leaders. It also required Christian senators and equites to perform acts of worship to the Roman gods or lose their titles and property, and directed that they be executed if they continued to refuse. It also decreed that Roman matrons who would not apostatize should lose their property and be banished, and that civil servants and members of the Imperial household who would not worship the Roman gods should be reduced to slavery and sent to work on the Imperial estates. This indicates that Christians were well-established at that time, some in very high positions.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: Prominent Christians executed in 258 included Pope Sixtus II (6 August), Saint Romanus Ostiarius (9 August) and Saint Lawrence (10 August).


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: Others executed in 258 included the saints Denis in Paris, Pontius in Cimiez, Cyprian and others in Carthage and Eugenia in Rome.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: Eutropius, writing between 364 and 378 AD, stated that Valerian "was overthrown by Shapur king of Persia, and being soon after made prisoner, grew old in ignominious slavery among the Parthians." An early Christian source, Lactantius (thought to be virulently anti-Persian, thanks to the occasional persecution of Christians by some Sasanian monarchs) maintained that, for some time prior to his death, Valerian was subjected to the greatest insults by his captors. For example, being used as a human footstool by Shapur when mounting his horse. According to this version of events, after a long period of such treatment, Valerian offered Shapur a huge ransom for his release.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: In reply (according to one version), Shapur was said to have forced Valerian to swallow molten gold (the other version of his death is almost the same but it says that Valerian was killed by being flayed alive) and then had Valerian skinned and his skin stuffed with straw and preserved as a trophy in the main Persian temple. It was further alleged that it was only after a later Persian defeat against Rome that his skin was given a cremation and burial. The captivity and death of Valerian has been frequently debated by historians without any definitive conclusion.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: According to the modern scholar Touraj Daryaee, contrary to the account of Lactantius, Shapur I sent Valerian and some of his army to the city of Bishapur or Gundishapur where they lived in relatively good conditions. Shapur used the remaining soldiers in engineering and development plans. "Band-e Kaisar" (Caesar's dam) is one of the remnants of Roman engineering located near the ancient city of Susa. In all the stone carvings on Naghshe-Rostam, in Iran, Valerian is represented holding hands with Shapur I, a sign of submission. According to the early Persian Muslim scholar Abu Hanifa Dinawari, Shapur settled the prisoners of war in Gundishapur and released Valerian, as promised, after the construction of Band-e Kaisar.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: It has been alleged that the account of Lactantius is coloured by his desire to establish that persecutors of the Christians died fitting deaths; the story was repeated then and later by authors in the Roman Near East fiercely hostile to Persia.


title: Valerian (emperor)

text: The joint rule of Valerian and Gallienus was threatened several times by usurpers. Nevertheless, Gallienus held the throne until his own assassination in 268 AD.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (, ; 2 February 1754 – 17 May 1838), 1st Prince of Benevento, then Prince of Talleyrand, was a French clergyman, politician and leading diplomat. After studying theology, he became Agent-General of the Clergy in 1780. In 1789, just before the French Revolution, he became Bishop of Autun. He worked at the highest levels of successive French governments, most commonly as foreign minister or in some other diplomatic capacity. His career spanned the regimes of Louis XVI, the years of the French Revolution, Napoleon, Louis XVIII, and Louis-Philippe. Those Talleyrand served often distrusted him but, like Napoleon, found him extremely useful. The name "Talleyrand" has become a byword for crafty, cynical diplomacy.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: He was Napoleon's chief diplomat during the years when French military victories brought one European state after another under French hegemony. However, most of the time, Talleyrand worked for peace so as to consolidate France's gains. He succeeded in obtaining peace with Austria through the 1801 Treaty of Lunéville and with Britain in the 1802 Treaty of Amiens. He could not prevent the renewal of war in 1803 but by 1805 he opposed his emperor's renewed wars against Austria, Prussia, and Russia. He resigned as foreign minister in August 1807, but retained the trust of Napoleon. He conspired to undermine the emperor's plans through secret dealings with Tsar Alexander of Russia and Austrian minister Metternich. Talleyrand sought a negotiated secure peace so as to perpetuate the gains of the French revolution. Napoleon rejected peace and, when he fell in 1814, Talleyrand supported the Bourbon Restoration decided by the Allies. He played a major role at the Congress of Vienna in 1814–1815, where he negotiated a favourable settlement for France and played a role in unwinding the conquests of Napoleon.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Talleyrand polarizes scholarly opinion. Some regard him as one of the most versatile, skilled and influential diplomats in European history, and some believe that he was a traitor, betraying in turn the Ancien Régime, the French Revolution, Napoleon, and the Restoration.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Talleyrand was born in Paris into an aristocratic family which, though ancient and illustrious, was not particularly prosperous. His father, Count Charles Daniel de Talleyrand-Périgord, was 20 years of age when Charles was born. His mother was Alexandrine de Damas d'Antigny. Both his parents held positions at court, but as the youngest children of their respective families, had no important income. Talleyrand's father had a long career in the Army, reaching the rank of lieutenant general, as did his uncle, Gabriel Marie de Périgord, despite having the same infirmity from which Talleyrand would suffer throughout his life.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: From childhood, Talleyrand walked with a limp, which caused him to later be called "" (French for "the lame devil") among other nicknames. In his "Memoirs", he linked this infirmity to an accident at age four, but recent research has shown that his limp was in fact congenital. In any case, his handicap made him unable to follow his father into a military career, leaving the obvious career of the Church.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: The latter held out the hope for Charles-Maurice of succeeding his uncle, Alexandre Angélique de Talleyrand-Périgord, then Archbishop of Reims, one of the most prestigious and richest dioceses in France. At eight years old, Talleyrand attended the Collège d'Harcourt, the seminary of Saint-Sulpice, while studying theology at the Sorbonne until the age of 21. In his free time he read the works of Montesquieu, Voltaire, and other writers who were beginning to question the authority of the Ancien Régime in matters of church and state. As subdeacon he witnessed the coronation of Louis XVI at Reims in 1775.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: He was not ordained a priest until four years later, on 19 December 1779, at the age of 25. Very soon, in 1780, he attained the influential position of Agent-General of the Clergy, and was instrumental in promoting the drawing up of a general inventory of Church properties in France as of 1785, along with a defence of "inalienable rights of the Church", the latter being a stance he would later deny. In 1788, the influence of Talleyrand's father and family overcame the King's dislike and obtained his appointment as Bishop of Autun, with a stipend of 22,000 livres. He was consecrated a bishop on 4 January 1789 by Louis-André de Grimaldi. The undoubtedly able Talleyrand, though hardly devout and even free-thinking in the Enlightenment mould, was outwardly respectful of religious observance. In the course of the Revolution, however, he was to manifest his cynicism and abandon all orthodox Catholic practice. He resigned his bishopric on 13 April 1791. On 29 June 1802, Pope Pius VII laicized Talleyrand, an event most uncommon at the time in the history of the Church.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Shortly after he was consecrated as Bishop of Autun, Talleyrand attended the Estates-General of 1789, representing the clergy, the First Estate. During the French Revolution, Talleyrand strongly supported the anti-clericalism of the revolutionaries. Along with Mirabeau, he promoted the appropriation of Church properties. He participated in the writing of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and proposed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy that nationalised the Church in preference to allegiance to the Pope, and swore in the first four constitutional bishops, even though he had himself resigned as Bishop following his excommunication by Pope Pius VI in 1791. During the "Fête de la Fédération" on 14 July 1790, Talleyrand celebrated Mass. Notably, he promoted public education in full spirit of the Enlightenment by preparing a 216-page Report on Public Instruction. It proposed pyramidical structure rising through local, district, and departmental schools, and parts were later adopted. During his 5 month tenure in the Estates-General, Talleyrand was also involved in drawing up the police regulations of Paris, proposed the suffrage of Jews, supported a ban on the tithes and invented a method to ensure loans. Few bishops followed him in obedience to the new decree, and much of the French clergy came to view him as schismatic.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Just before his resignation from the bishopric, Talleyrand had been elected, with Mirabeau and the Abbé Sieyès, a member of the department of Paris. In that capacity he did useful work for some eighteen months in seeking to support the cause of order in the turbulent capital. Though he was often on strained terms with Mirabeau, his views generally coincided with those of that statesman, who before he died is said to have advised Talleyrand to develop a close understanding with England.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: In 1792, he was sent twice, unofficially, to London to avert war, and he was cordially received by Pitt and Grenville. After his first visit, he persuaded the then foreign minister, Charles François Dumouriez, of the importance of having a fully accredited ambassador in London, and the marquis de Chauvelin was duly appointed, with Talleyrand as his deputy. Still, after an initial British declaration of neutrality during the first campaigns of 1792, his mission ultimately failed. In September 1792, he left Paris for England just at the beginning of the September massacres. The National Convention issued a warrant for his arrest in December 1792. In March 1794, with the two countries at the brink of war, he was forced to leave Britain by Pitt's expulsion order. He then went to the neutral country of the United States where he stayed until his return to France in 1796. During his stay, he supported himself by working as a bank agent, involved in commodity trading and real estate speculation. He was a house guest of Aaron Burr of New York and collaborated with Theophile Cazenove in Philadelphia. Burr would later seek similar refuge in Talleyrand's home during his self-imposed European exile (1808–12); however, Talleyrand would refuse to return the favor, Burr having killed Talleyrand's friend Alexander Hamilton in an 1804 duel.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: After 9 Thermidor, he mobilised his friends (most notably the abbé Martial Borye Desrenaudes and Germaine de Staël) to lobby in the National Convention and the newly established Directoire for his return. His name was suppressed from the "émigré" list and he returned to France on 25 September 1796. After gaining attention by giving addresses on the value of commercial relations with England, and of colonization as a way of renewing the nation, he became Foreign Minister in July 1797. He was behind the demand for bribes in the XYZ Affair which escalated into the Quasi-War, an undeclared naval war with the United States, 1798–1800. Talleyrand saw a possible political career for Napoleon during the Italian campaigns of 1796 to 1797. He wrote many letters to Napoleon, and the two became close allies. Talleyrand was against the destruction of the Republic of Venice, but he complimented Napoleon when the Treaty of Campo Formio with Austria was concluded (Venice was given to Austria), probably because he wanted to reinforce his alliance with Napoleon. Later in 1797, Talleyrand was instrumental in assisting with the Coup of 18 Fructidor, which ousted two moderate members of the Directory in favour of the Jacobins headed by Paul Barras.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Talleyrand, along with Napoleon's younger brother, Lucien Bonaparte, was instrumental in the 1799 "coup d'état" of 18 Brumaire, establishing the French Consulate government, although he also made preparations for flight if necessary. He also persuaded Barras to resign as Director. Talleyrand was soon made Foreign Minister by Napoleon, although he rarely agreed with Napoleon's foreign policy. Domestically, Talleyrand used his influence to help in the repeal of the strict laws against émigrés, refractory clergy, and the royalists of the west. The Pope released him from the ban of excommunication in the Concordat of 1801, which also revoked the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. Talleyrand was instrumental in the completion of the Treaty of Amiens in 1802. He wanted Napoleon to keep peace afterwards, as he thought France had reached its maximum expansion.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Talleyrand was an integral player in the German mediatization. While the Treaty of Campo Formio of 1797 had, on paper, stripped German princes of their lands beyond the left bank of the Rhine, it was not enforced until the Treaty of Lunéville in 1801. As the French annexed these lands, leaders believed that rulers of states such as Baden, Bavaria, Württemberg, Prussia, Hesse and Nassau, who lost territories on the Left Bank, should receive new territories on the Right Bank through the secularization of ecclesiastical principalities. Many of these rulers gave out bribes in order to secure new lands, and Talleyrand and some of his associates amassed about 10 million francs in the process. This was the first blow in the destruction of the Holy Roman Empire.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: While helping to establish French supremacy in neighbouring states and assisting Bonaparte in securing the title of "Premier Consul" for life, Talleyrand sought all means of securing the permanent welfare of France. He worked hard to prevent the rupture of the peace of Amiens which occurred in May 1803, and he did what he could to prevent the Louisiana Purchase earlier in the year. These events, as he saw, told against the best interests of France and endangered the gains which she had secured by war and diplomacy. Thereafter he strove to moderate Napoleon's ambition and to preserve the European system as far as possible.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Napoleon forced Talleyrand into marriage in September 1802 to longtime mistress Catherine Grand (née Worlée). Talleyrand purchased the Château de Valençay in May 1803, upon the urging of Napoleon. This later was used as the site of imprisonment of the Spanish Royalty in 1808–1813, after Napoleon's invasion of Spain.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: In May 1804, Napoleon bestowed upon Talleyrand the title of Grand Chamberlain of the Empire, with almost 500,000 francs a year. In 1806, he was made Sovereign Prince of Benevento (or Bénévent), a former papal fief in southern Italy. Talleyrand held the title until 1815 and administered the principality concurrently with his other tasks.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Talleyrand was opposed to the harsh treatment of Austria in the 1805 Treaty of Pressburg and of Prussia in the Peace of Tilsit in 1807. In 1806, after Pressburg, he profited greatly from the reorganization of the German lands, this time into the Confederation of the Rhine. He negotiated the Treaty of Posen with Saxony, but was shut out completely from the negotiations at Tilsit. After Queen Louise of Prussia failed in her appeal to Napoleon to spare her nation, she wept and was consoled by Talleyrand. This gave him a good name among the elites of European nations outside France.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Having wearied of serving a master in whom he no longer had much confidence, Talleyrand resigned as minister of foreign affairs in 1807, although the Emperor retained him in the Council of State as Vice-Grand Elector of the Empire. He disapproved of Napoleon's Spanish initiative, which resulted in the Peninsular War beginning in 1808. At the Congress of Erfurt in September–October 1808, Talleyrand secretly counseled Tsar Alexander. The Tsar's attitude towards Napoleon was one of apprehensive opposition. Talleyrand repaired the confidence of the Russian monarch, who rebuked Napoleon's attempts to form a direct anti-Austrian military alliance. Napoleon had expected Talleyrand to help convince the Tsar to accept his proposals and never discovered that Talleyrand was working at cross-purposes. Talleyrand believed Napoleon would eventually destroy the empire he had worked to build across multiple rulers.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: After his resignation in 1807 from the ministry, Talleyrand began to accept bribes from hostile powers (mainly Austria, but also Russia), to betray Napoleon's secrets. Talleyrand and Joseph Fouché, who were typically enemies in both politics and the salons, had a rapprochement in late 1808 and entered into discussions over the imperial line of succession. Napoleon had yet to address this matter and the two men knew that without a legitimate heir a struggle for power would erupt in the wake of Napoleon's death. Even Talleyrand, who believed that Napoleon's policies were leading France to ruin, understood the necessity of peaceful transitions of power. Napoleon received word of their actions and deemed them treasonous. This perception caused the famous dressing down of Talleyrand in front of Napoleon's marshals, during which Napoleon famously claimed that he could "break him like a glass, but it's not worth the trouble" and added with a scatological tone that Talleyrand was "shit in a silk stocking", to which the minister coldly retorted, once Napoleon had left, "Pity that so great a man should have been so badly brought up!"


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Talleyrand opposed the further harsh treatment of Austria in 1809 after the War of the Fifth Coalition. He was also a critic of the French invasion of Russia in 1812. He was invited to resume his former office in late 1813, but Talleyrand could see that power was slipping from Napoleon's hands. He offered to resign from the council in early 1814, but Napoleon refused the move. Talleyrand then hosted the tsar at the end of March after the fall of Paris, persuaded him that the best chance of stability lay with the House of Bourbon, and gained his support. On 1 April 1814 he led the French Senate in establishing a provisional government in Paris, of which he was elected president. On 2 April the Senate officially deposed Napoleon with the Acte de déchéance de l'Empereur; by 11 April it had approved the Treaty of Fontainebleau and adopted a new constitution to re-establish the Bourbon monarchy.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: When Napoleon was succeeded by Louis XVIII in April 1814, Talleyrand was one of the key agents of the restoration of the House of Bourbon, although he opposed the new legislation of Louis' rule. Talleyrand was the chief French negotiator at the Congress of Vienna, and earlier that same year he signed the Treaty of Paris. It was due in part to his skills that the terms of the treaty were remarkably lenient towards France. As the Congress opened, the right to make decisions was restricted to four countries: Austria, the United Kingdom, Prussia, and Russia. France and other European countries were invited to attend, but were not allowed to influence the process. Talleyrand promptly became the champion of the small countries and demanded admission into the ranks of the decision-making process. The four powers admitted France and Spain to the decision-making backrooms of the conference after a good deal of diplomatic maneuvering by Talleyrand, who had the support of the Spanish representative, Pedro Gómez Labrador, Marquis of Labrador. Spain was excluded after a while (a result of both the Marquis of Labrador's incompetence as well as the quixotic nature of Spain's agenda), but France (Talleyrand) was allowed to participate until the end. Russia and Prussia sought to enlarge their territory at the Congress. Russia demanded annexation of Poland (already occupied by Russian troops), and this demand was finally satisfied, despite protests by France, Austria and the United Kingdom. Austria was afraid of future conflicts with Russia or Prussia and the United Kingdom was opposed to their expansion as well—and Talleyrand managed to take advantage of these contradictions within the former anti-French coalition. On 3 January 1815, a secret treaty was signed by France's Talleyrand, Austria's Metternich and Britain's Castlereagh. By this tract, officially a secret treaty of defensive alliance, the three powers agreed to use force if necessary to "repulse aggression" (of Russia and Prussia) and to protect the "state of security and independence."


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Talleyrand, having managed to establish a middle position, received some favours from the other countries in exchange for his support: France returned to its 1792 boundaries without reparations, with French control over papal Avignon, Montbéliard (Mompelgard) and Salm, which had been independent at the start of the French Revolution in 1789. It would later be debated which outcome would have been better for France: allowing Prussia to annex all of Saxony (Talleyrand ensured that only part of the kingdom would be annexed) or the Rhine provinces. The first option would have kept Prussia farther away from France, but would have needed much more opposition as well. Some historians have argued that Talleyrand's diplomacy wound up establishing the faultlines of World War I, especially as it allowed Prussia to engulf small German states west of the Rhine. This simultaneously placed Prussian armed forces at the French-German frontier, for the first time; made Prussia the largest German power in terms of territory, population and the industry of the Ruhr and Rhineland; and eventually helped pave the way to German unification under the Prussian throne. However, at the time Talleyrand's diplomacy was regarded as successful, as it removed the threat of France being partitioned by the victors. Talleyrand also managed to strengthen his own position in France (ultraroyalists had disapproved of the presence of a former "revolutionary" and "murderer of the Duke d'Enghien" in the royal cabinet).


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Napoleon's return to France in 1815 and his subsequent defeat, the Hundred Days, was a reverse for the diplomatic victories of Talleyrand (who remained in Vienna the whole time). The second peace settlement was markedly less lenient and it was fortunate for France that the business of the Congress had been concluded. Having been appointed foreign minister and president of the council on 9 July 1815, Talleyrand resigned in September of that year, over his objections to the second treaty. Louis XVIII appointed him as the Grand Chamberlain of France, a mostly ceremonial role which provided Talleyrand with a steady income. For the next fifteen years he restricted himself to the role of "elder statesman", criticising and intriguing against Minister of Police Élie, duc Decazes, Prime Minister Duc de Richelieu and other political opponents from the sidelines. In celebration of the birth of Duc de Bordeaux, Louis XVIII made Talleyrand a knight of the Order of the Holy Spirit.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: In December 1829, Talleyrand funded the foundation of the "National" newspaper. The newspaper was run by his personal friend Adolphe Thiers, alongside Armand Carrel, François Mignet and Stendhal, its first issue appeared on 3 January 1830. It quickly became the mouthpiece of the Orléanist cause, gaining popularity among the French liberal bourgeoisie. Following the ascent of King Louis-Philippe to the throne in the aftermath of the July Revolution of 1830, Talleyrand reluctantly agreed to become ambassador to the United Kingdom, a post he held from 1830 to 1834. In this role, he strove to reinforce the legitimacy of Louis-Philippe's regime. He played a vital role in the London Conference of 1830, rebuking a partition plan developed by his son Charles de Flahaut and helping bring Leopold Saxe-Coburg to the throne of the newly independent Kingdom of Belgium. In April 1834 he crowned his diplomatic career by signing the treaty which brought together as allies France, Great Britain, Spain and Portugal.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: After resigning from his position as ambassador in London in November 1834, Talleyrand stopped playing an active role in French politics. He split his time between Château de Valençay and Saint-Florentin, where he hosted frequent banquets and played whist with his visitors. His physical health began to steadily deteriorate and he began using an armchair on wheels provided to him by Louis Philippe I. He spent most of his time in the company of the Duchess Dino and concerned himself with the education of her daughter Pauline. Talleyrand suffered from bouts of recurring depression which were caused by his concern over his legacy and the development of the Napoleonic myth. To that end he ordered that his autobiography, the "Memoirs", be published 30 years after his death. He also sought to gain the friendship of people he believed would shape public opinion in the future, including Honoré de Balzac, Lady Granville and Alphonse de Lamartine. During the last years of his life Talleyrand began planning his reconciliation with the Catholic Church. On 16 May 1838, he signed a retraction of his errors towards the church and a letter of submission to Pope Gregory XVI. He died the following day at 3:55 p.m., at Saint-Florentin.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: By a codicil added to his will on 17 March 1838, Talleyrand left his memoirs and papers to the duchess of Dino and Adolphe de Bacourt. The latter revised them with care, and added to them other pieces emanating from Talleyrand. They fell into some question: first that Talleyrand is known to have destroyed many of his most important papers, and secondly that de Bacourt almost certainly drew up the connected narrative which we now possess from notes which were in more or less of confusion. The were later edited by the duc de Broglie and published in 1891.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Talleyrand had a reputation as a voluptuary and a womaniser. He left no legitimate children, though he possibly fathered over two dozen illegitimate ones. Four possible children of his have been identified: Charles Joseph, comte de Flahaut, generally accepted to be an illegitimate son of Talleyrand; the painter Eugène Delacroix, once rumoured to be Talleyrand's son, though this is doubted by historians who have examined the issue (for example, Léon Noël, French ambassador); the "Mysterious Charlotte", possibly his daughter by his future wife, Catherine Worlée Grand; and Pauline, ostensibly the daughter of the Duke and Duchess Dino. Of these four, only the first is given credence by historians. However, the French historian has lately given much credibility to father-daughter link between Talleyrand and Pauline whom he referred to as "my dear Minette". Thaddeus Stevens "suffered too from the rumor that he was actually the bastard son of Count Talleyrand, who was said to have visited New England in the year before Stevens' birth... Actually Talleyrand did not visit New England till 1794, when Stevens was already two years old."


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Aristocratic women were a key component of Talleyrand's political tactics, both for their influence and their ability to cross borders unhindered. His presumed lover Germaine de Staël was a major influence on him, and he on her. Though their personal philosophies were most different (she a romantic, he very much unsentimental), she assisted him greatly, most notably by lobbying Barras to permit Talleyrand to return to France from his American exile, and then to have him made foreign minister. He lived with Catherine Worlée, born in India and married there to Charles Grand. She had traveled about before settling in Paris in the 1780s, where she lived as a notorious courtesan for several years before divorcing Grand to marry Talleyrand. Talleyrand was in no hurry to marry, and it was after repeated postponements that Napoleon obliged him in 1802 to formalize the relationship or risk his political career. While serving as a high level negotiator at the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815), Talleyrand entered into an arrangement with Dorothea von Biron, the wife of his nephew, the Duke of Dino. Shortly after, he separated from Catherine.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Talleyrand's venality was notorious; in the tradition of the "ancien régime", he expected to be paid for the state duties he performed—whether these can properly be called "bribes" is open to debate. For example, during the German Mediatisation, the consolidation of the small German states, a number of German rulers and elites paid him to save their possessions or enlarge their territories. Less successfully, he solicited payments from the United States government to open negotiations, precipitating a diplomatic disaster (the "XYZ Affair"). The difference between his diplomatic success in Europe and failure with the United States illustrates that his diplomacy rested firmly on the power of the French army that was a terrible threat to the German states within reach, but lacked the logistics to threaten the USA not the least because of the Royal Navy domination of the seas. After Napoleon's defeat, he withdrew claims to the title "Prince of Benevento", but was created Duke of Talleyrand with the style "Prince de Talleyrand" for life, in the same manner as his estranged wife.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Described by biographer Philip Ziegler as a "pattern of subtlety and finesse" and a "creature of grandeur and guile", Talleyrand was a great conversationalist, gourmet, and wine connoisseur. From 1801 to 1804, he owned Château Haut-Brion in Bordeaux. In 1803, Napoleon ordered Talleyrand to acquire the Château de Valençay as a place particularly appropriate for reception of foreign dignitaries, and Talleyrand made it his primary place of residence until his death in 1838. There he employed the renowned French chef Marie-Antoine Carême, one of the first celebrity chefs known as the "chef of kings and king of chefs", and was said to have spent an hour every day with him. His Paris residence on the Place de la Concorde, acquired in 1812 and sold to James Mayer de Rothschild in 1838, is now owned by the Embassy of the United States.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Talleyrand has been regarded as a traitor because of his support for successive regimes, some of which were mutually hostile. According to French philosopher Simone Weil, criticism of his loyalty is unfounded, as Talleyrand served not every regime as had been said, but in reality "France behind every regime".


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Near the end of his life, Talleyrand became interested in Catholicism again while teaching his young granddaughter simple prayers. The Abbé Félix Dupanloup came to Talleyrand in his last hours, and according to his account Talleyrand made confession and received extreme unction. When the abbé tried to anoint Talleyrand's palms, as prescribed by the rite, he turned his hands over to make the priest anoint him on the back of the hands, since he was a bishop. He also signed, in the abbé's presence, a solemn declaration in which he openly disavowed "the great errors which . . . had troubled and afflicted the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church, and in which he himself had had the misfortune to fall." He died on 17 May 1838 and was buried in Notre-Dame Chapel, near his Castle of Valençay.


title: Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord

text: Today, when speaking of the art of diplomacy, the phrase "he is a Talleyrand" is variously used to describe a statesman of great resourcefulness and craft, or a cynical and consciousless self-serving politician.


title: Piranha solution

text: Piranha solution, also known as piranha etch, is a mixture of sulfuric acid () and hydrogen peroxide (), used to clean organic residues off substrates. Because the mixture is a strong oxidizing agent, it will decompose most organic matter, and it will also hydroxylate most surfaces (by adding –OH groups), making them highly hydrophilic (water-compatible). This means the solution can also easily dissolve fabric and skin, potentially causing severe damage and chemical burns in case of inadvertent contact.


title: Piranha solution

text: Many different mixture ratios are commonly used, and all are called piranha. A typical mixture is 3 parts of concentrated sulfuric acid and 1 part of hydrogen peroxide solution; other protocols may use a 4:1 or even 7:1 mixture. A closely related mixture, sometimes called "base piranha", is a 3:1 mixture of ammonia solution (, or ) with hydrogen peroxide. As hydrogen peroxide is less stable at high pH than under acidic conditions, (pH c. 11.6) also accelerates its decomposition. At higher pH, will decompose violently.


title: Piranha solution

text: Piranha solution must be prepared with great care. It is highly corrosive and an extremely powerful oxidizer. Surfaces must be reasonably clean and completely free of organic solvents from previous washing steps before coming into contact with the solution. Piranha solution cleans by decomposing organic contaminants, and a large amount of contaminant will cause violent bubbling and a release of gas that can cause an explosion.


title: Piranha solution

text: Piranha solution should always be prepared by adding hydrogen peroxide to sulfuric acid slowly, never in reverse order. This minimises the concentration of hydrogen peroxide during the mixing process, helping to reduce instantaneous heat generation and explosion risk. Mixing the solution is an extremely exothermic process. If the solution is made rapidly, it will instantly boil, releasing large amounts of corrosive fumes. Even when made with care, the resulting heat can easily bring the solution temperature above 100 °C. It must be allowed to cool reasonably before it is used. A sudden increase in temperature can also lead to a violent boiling of the extremely acidic solution. Solutions made using hydrogen peroxide at concentrations greater than may cause an explosion. The 1:1 acid–peroxide mixtures will also create an explosion risk even when using common 30 wt. % hydrogen peroxide.


title: Piranha solution

text: Once the mixture has stabilized, it can be further heated to sustain its reactivity. The hot (often bubbling) solution cleans organic compounds off substrates and oxidizes or hydroxylates most metal surfaces. Cleaning usually requires about 10 to 40 minutes, after which the substrates can be removed from the solution and rinsed with deionized water.


title: Piranha solution

text: The solution may be mixed before application or directly applied to the material, applying the sulfuric acid first, followed by the peroxide. Due to the self-decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, piranha solution should always be used freshly prepared ("extemporaneous preparation"). The solution should not be stored, as it generates gas and therefore cannot be kept in a closed container because of the risk of overpressure and explosion. As the solution violently reacts with many oxidizable substances commonly disposed of as chemical waste, if the solution has not yet been completely self-decomposed, or safely neutralized, it must be left in an open container under a fume hood, and clearly marked.


title: Piranha solution

text: Piranha solution is used frequently in the microelectronics industry, e.g. to clean photoresist or organic material residue from silicon wafers. It's also widely employed in wet etching of wafers in the semiconductor fabrication process.


title: Piranha solution

text: In the laboratory, this solution is sometimes used to clean glassware, though it is discouraged in many institutions and it should not be used routinely due to its dangers. Unlike chromic acid solutions, piranha does not contaminate glassware with ions.


title: Piranha solution

text: Piranha solution is particularly useful when cleaning sintered (or "fritted") glass filters. A good porosity and sufficient permeability of the sintered glass filter is critical for its proper function, so it should never be cleaned with strong bases (NaOH, , , ...) which dissolve the silica of the glass sinter and clog the filter. Sintered glass also tends to trap small solid particles deep inside its porous structure, making it difficult to remove them. Where less aggressive cleaning methods fail, piranha solution can be used to return the sinter to a pristine white, free-flowing form without excessive damage to the pore dimensions. This is usually achieved by allowing the solution to percolate backward through the sintered glass. Although cleaning sintered glass with piranha solution will leave it as clean as possible without damaging the glass it is not recommend due to the risk of explosion.


title: Piranha solution

text: Piranha solution is also used to make glass more hydrophilic by hydroxylating its surface, thus increasing the number of silanol groups present on its surface.


title: Piranha solution

text: The effectiveness of piranha solution in decomposing organic residues is due to two distinct processes operating at noticeably different rates. The first and faster process is the removal of hydrogen and oxygen as units of water by the concentrated sulfuric acid. This occurs because hydration of concentrated sulfuric acid is thermodynamically strongly favorable, with a standard enthalpy of reaction (ΔH) of −880 kJ/mol. It is this rapid dehydrating reaction, rather than its acidity itself, that makes concentrated sulfuric acid, and so piranha solution, dangerous to handle.


title: Piranha solution

text: This dehydration process exhibits itself as the rapid carbonisation of common organic materials, especially carbohydrates, when they enter in contact with a piranha solution. Piranha solution was named in part for the vigor of this first process, since large quantities of organic residues immersed in the solution are dehydrated so violently that the process resembles a piranha feeding frenzy. The second and more definitive rationale for the name, however, is the ability of piranha solution to "eat anything", in particular, elemental carbon in the form of soot or char.


title: Piranha solution

text: This second and far more interesting process can be understood as the sulfuric-acid boosted conversion of hydrogen peroxide from a relatively mild oxidizing agent into one sufficiently aggressive to dissolve elemental carbon, a material that is notoriously resistant to room-temperature aqueous reactions (as, e.g., with sulfochromic acid). This transformation can be viewed as the energetically favorable dehydration of hydrogen peroxide by concentrated sulfuric acid to form hydronium ions, bisulfate ions, and, transiently, atomic oxygen radicals (very labile ):


title: Piranha solution

text: It is this extremely reactive atomic oxygen species that allows piranha solution to dissolve elemental carbon. Carbon allotropes are difficult to attack chemically because of the highly stable and typically graphite-like hybridized bonds that surface carbon atoms tend to form with each other. The most likely route by which the solution disrupts these stable carbon–carbon surface bonds is for an atomic oxygen first to attach directly to a surface carbon to form a carbonyl group:


title: Piranha solution

text: In the above process, the oxygen atom in effect "steals" an electron bonding pair from the central carbon, forming the carbonyl group and simultaneously disrupting the bonds of the target carbon atom with one or more of its neighbours. The result is a cascading effect in which a single atomic oxygen reaction initiates significant "unraveling" of the local bonding structure, which in turn allows a wide range of aqueous reactions to affect previously "impervious" carbon atoms. Further oxidation, for example, can convert the initial carbonyl group into carbon dioxide and create a new carbonyl group on the neighbouring carbon whose bonds were disrupted:


title: Piranha solution

text: The carbon removed by the piranha solution may be either original residues or char from the dehydration step. The oxidation process is slower than the dehydration process, taking place over a period of minutes. The oxidation of carbon exhibits itself as a gradual clearing of suspended soot and carbon char left by the initial dehydration process. With time, piranha solutions in which organic materials have been immersed typically return to complete clarity, with no visible traces of the original organic materials remaining.


title: Piranha solution

text: A last secondary contribution to the piranha solution cleaning is its high acidity, which dissolves deposits such as metal oxides, hydroxides, and carbonates. However, since it is safer and easier to remove such deposits using milder acids, the solution is more typically used in situations where high acidity facilitates cleaning instead of complicating it. For substrates with low tolerance for acidity, an alkaline solution consisting of ammonium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide, known as base piranha, is preferred.


title: Piranha solution

text: Piranha solution is dangerous to handle, being both strongly acidic and a strong oxidizer. Solution that is no longer being used should never be left unattended if hot. It should never be stored in a closed receptacle because of the risk of gas overpressure and explosive burst with spills (especially with fragile thin wall volumetric flask). Piranha solution should never be disposed of with organic solvents (e.g. in waste solvent carboys), as this will cause a violent reaction and a substantial explosion, and any aqueous waste container containing even a weak or depleted piranha solution should be labelled appropriately to prevent this.


title: Piranha solution

text: The solution should be allowed to cool, and oxygen gas should be allowed to dissipate prior to disposal. When cleaning glassware, it is both prudent and practical to allow the piranha solution to react overnight taking care to leave the receptacles open under a ventilated fume cupboard. This allows the spent solution to degrade prior to disposal and is especially important if a large portion of peroxide was used in the preparation. While some institutions believe that used piranha solution should be collected as hazardous waste, others consider that it can be neutralized and poured down the drain with copious amounts of water. Improper neutralization can cause a fast decomposition, which releases pure oxygen (increased risk of fire of flammable substances in a close space).


title: Piranha solution

text: One procedure for acid-base neutralization consists in pouring the piranha solution into a sufficiently large glass container filled with at least five times the solution's mass of ice (for cooling the exothermic reaction, and also for dilution purposes), then slowly adding until neutralized. If ice is not available then the piranha solution can be added very slowly to a saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate in a large glass container, with a large amount of undissolved bicarbonate at the bottom that is renewed if it is depleted. The bicarbonate method also releases a large amount of gaseous and therefore is not preferred since it can easily overflow with a lot of foam if the addition of the piranha solution is not slow enough, and without cooling the solution can also become very hot.


title: Brett Harrelson

text: Brett Harrelson was born in Midland, Texas, the son of Diane Lou (née Oswald) and Charles Voyde Harrelson, who divorced in 1964. He has two brothers, Jordan and Woody Harrelson. Harrelson's father, who was a contract killer, was arrested for the killing of Judge John H. Wood Jr. by rifle fire in 1979 in San Antonio. His father was convicted and eventually died during his life sentence in United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility.


title: Brett Harrelson

text: In 1973, Harrelson moved with his mother to her native city, Lebanon, Ohio, where he was raised. Harrelson attended Lebanon High School but dropped-out at 17 to join the United States Army, and spent two years in Germany. Afterward, he returned to Lebanon and worked as a legal clerk.


title: Brett Harrelson

text: At 22, Harrelson followed his brother Woody to California. "I came to L.A. to starify," he says. But finding nothing like Woody's success, he gave up acting for a while to become a motorcycle racer, rising to #8 in the 1992 professional national rankings. "After seeing a few people killed," says Brett, he became Woody's assistant and began to pursue his acting career again.


title: Brett Harrelson

text: His current activities include TV ads for "Harrelson's Own CBD". In 2020, Harrelson co-produced "Son of a Hitman", a podcast series. The show was released by Spotify Studios and High Five Content.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Ronald Nasir Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under his real name, and in the World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/E) under both his real name and the ring names Faarooq Asaad (sometimes spelled Asad) and Faarooq (sometimes spelled Farooq).


title: Ron Simmons

text: In WCW, Simmons was a one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion; as the first African American to win the title, he is recognized by WWE as the first Black world champion in professional wrestling history. He was also a one-time WCW World Tag Team Champion with Butch Reed and a one-time WCW United States Tag Team Champion with Big Josh. He was one of the most prominent stars in the WWF in the early Attitude Era. In the WWF, he was a three-time WWF Tag Team Champion with Bradshaw as one half of the Acolytes Protection Agency. Simmons was a sporadic world title contender between ECW and the WWF, and led stable The Nation of Domination in the latter promotion. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2012.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, Simmons was an American college and pro football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), Canadian Football League (CFL) and United States Football League (USFL) for four seasons during the 1980s. He played college football for Florida State University and was recognized as an All-American. He played professionally for the NFL's Cleveland Browns, the CFL's Ottawa Rough Riders and the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Ron Simmons was considered one of Florida State's greatest recruiting victories when he signed out of high school. Simmons played four years (1977–1980) as a defensive nose guard at FSU under coach Bobby Bowden (whom Simmons described as "a second father"), earning Consensus All-America honors in 1979 and 1980. The Seminoles were 39–8 during Simmons's years at the school, finishing in the Associated Press Top 20 three times ('77, '79 and '80), and earning back-to-back Orange Bowl trips after Simmons's junior and senior seasons.


title: Ron Simmons

text: In 1979 Simmons finished ninth in the Heisman voting behind the winner, Charles White of USC. In 1988, Simmons's jersey (number 50) was retired by FSU, the third time a number has been retired in school history. Simmons was inducted into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame for his accomplishments while playing at Florida State, and he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.


title: Ron Simmons

text: He later had a brief career in the National Football League (NFL), selected in the sixth round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He played for the Cleveland Browns in 1981 and 1982, and the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits from 1983 to 1985, and it was in Tampa where he was a teammate of future professional wrestler Lex Luger.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Simmons joined Jim Crockett Promotions in 1986, appearing on the first show of the Great American Bash tour when he defeated The Tahitian Prince in Lakeland, Florida on July 1. Simmons wrestled only preliminary level competition that summer, but on August 7 he scored the biggest victory of his career when he defeated Ivan Koloff in St Louis. The rookie Simmons defeated the likes of a young Rodney Anoa'i (Yokozuna) and The Barbarian. On the October 24 episode of Power Pro Wrestling, he became involved in his first televised angle when he was attacked by Tiger Conway Jr. and Shaska Whatley in an interview.


title: Ron Simmons

text: He remained undefeated in singles actions until finally losing to Ivan Koloff on a house show at the Omni in Atlanta on February 14, 1988. Simmons was dominant through the first half of the year against lower-level competition on house shows, including Whatley and The Terminator. Simmons teamed with Steve Williams at the 3rd Annual Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup in Greenville, South Carolina on April 22, 1988. They were defeated in the opening round by Mike Rotunda and Kevin Sullivan when Simmons was hit with a foreign object.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Soon after, in March 1989, Simmons began showing signs of a heel turn as he got more aggressive in his matches, including a non-title match against fellow babyface, then-NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and a match on the April 29, 1989 episode of World Championship Wrestling, where he broke the rules during what was supposed to be a face vs. face match against Junkyard Dog. Simmons won the match when the referee, Ron's future manager Teddy Long made a fast count (Long was fired (kayfabe) as referee by Jim Herd immediately following this match). He completed his heel turn on the May 27 episode of World Championship Wrestling during a tag team match, where he teamed with Ranger Ross against the Samoan Swat Team as part of a tournament for the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship, leaving him in the ring alone when Long came out. Simmons later teamed up with Butch Reed to form Doom. In the beginning, the members of Doom were masked and only known as Doom #1 and Doom #2, managed by Woman. In their pay-per-view debut at Halloween Havoc 1989, Doom defeated The Steiner Brothers. In the "Iron Team Tournament" at Starrcade 1989, Doom finished fourth, losing all three of their matches. Doom's misfortune continued as Woman soon dropped the team to manage The Four Horsemen. Then on February 6, 1990, at Clash of the Champions X, Doom hit rock bottom when they were defeated by Rick and Scott Steiner and as a result of the stipulation were forced to unmask.


title: Ron Simmons

text: With new manager Long, they rebounded and defeated The Steiner Brothers for the NWA World Tag Team Championship at Capital Combat in 1990. They held the title for nine months, defeating teams like The Rock 'n' Roll Express and feuding with The Four Horsemen. Among their most memorable encounters during their title reign was a street fight against Horsemen Arn Anderson and Barry Windham at Starrcade 1990 which ended in a no-contest when Windham pinned Simmons while Reed simultaneously pinned Anderson. Doom were recognized as the first holders of the WCW World Tag Team Championship in January 1991, finally losing the titles to The Freebirds at WrestleWar in February 1991. Subsequently, Doom broke up, with Simmons turning face and feuding with Reed, defeating him in a cage match at the very first SuperBrawl. Simmons defeated midcarders including Oz and The Diamond Studd, then unsuccessfully challenged Lex Luger for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at Halloween Havoc, losing the best-of-three-falls match one fall to two.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Simmons spent the first half of 1992 feuding with Cactus Jack, whom he defeated via pinfall at SuperBrawl II. On August 2, 1992 at a house show in Baltimore, Maryland, a scheduled title match between Sting and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader was canceled after Jake Roberts (kayfabe) injured Sting. WCW President Bill Watts responded by holding a raffle to determine the number one contender. Simmons won the raffle and defeated Vader with a snap scoop powerslam to win the championship. By defeating Vader, Simmons became the first recognized African American WCW World Heavyweight Champion and the second African American wrestler to win a World Heavyweight title.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Simmons held the title for five months. He continued to feud with Cactus Jack, with Jack bringing in The Barbarian to challenge Simmons at Halloween Havoc. At Starrcade, Simmons was scheduled to wrestle Rick Rude, but due to Rude being injured he faced "Dr. Death" Steve Williams instead, wrestling to a double countout that was changed to a disqualification win for Simmons when Williams attacked him after the match. His title reign ended two days later on December 30, 1992, when Vader defeated him to regain the title.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Afterwards, Simmons was relegated to mid-card status, eventually becoming a bitter heel who felt like the fans abandoned him after he lost the championship. Simmons unsuccessfully challenged Dustin Rhodes for the United States Heavyweight Championship and Paul Orndorff for the World Television Championship during his last months with WCW. In the spring of 1994, Simmons was working for WCW without being signed to a contract, also Simmons was briefly managed by Sherri Martel during this time. Simmons competed in the European Cup Tournament, winning his 1st round match against Marcus Bagwell but lost the next round to Sting. He would go on to feud with Sting and Bagwell, mostly competing in tag matches. His final match was a win over Scott Armstrong on the September 10, 1994 edition of WCW Worldwide.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Simmons debuted in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in September 1994. In November 1994, he began teaming with 2 Cold Scorpio, with the duo unsuccessfully challenging The Public Enemy for the ECW World Tag Team Championship. At November to Remember in November 1994, Simmons unsuccessfully challenged ECW World Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas. He faced Douglas again in December and January, but was unable to win the title. At Extreme Warfare in March 1995, Simmons defeated Hack Meyers then issued a challenge to 911, who came to the ring and chokeslammed Simmons. The following month at Three Way Dance Simmons lost to Mikey Whipwreck by disqualification after he chokeslammed the referee; following the match, 911 attempted to attack Simmons again, only for Simmons to give 911 a low blow and chokeslam him. At Hostile City Showdown later that month, 911 defeated Simmons after chokeslamming him off the top rope. Simmons made his final appearances with ECW in May 1995.


title: Ron Simmons

text: In January and February 1995, Simmons wrestled in Japan with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as part of its "Fighting Spirit" tour. During the tour, he largely teamed with other American wrestlers such as Flying Scorpio, Mike Enos, and Scott Norton in tag team matches and six-man tag team matches, facing opponents such as Kensuke Sasaki, Masa Saito, Shinya Hashimoto, and Tadao Yasuda. Simmons made a second tour with NJPW in May and June 1995, again teaming with American wrestlers such as Arn Anderson, Mike Enos, and Steve Austin.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Following his appearances with ECW and NJPW, Simmons went into semi-retirement. He began working as a warehouse manager for a Coca-Cola factory on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia.


title: Ron Simmons

text: In 1996, Simmons returned to professional wrestling, signing a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He made his debut on the July 22, 1996, episode of "Monday Night Raw". His first gimmick was that of "Faarooq Asad", a gladiator/street thug who wore a black and blue gladiator outfit with a misshaped helmet and was managed by Sunny. Simmons started his first feud with Ahmed Johnson before shortening his ring name to Faarooq. The feud was started when Faarooq attacked Johnson during a tag team match pitting Johnson and Shawn Michaels against the Smoking Gunns. As a result of the injuries sustained, Johnson vacated the WWF Intercontinental Championship. In the subsequent tournament, Faarooq lost in the finals to Marc Mero.


title: Ron Simmons

text: In November 1996, Faarooq dropped his gladiator gimmick, parted ways with Sunny and formed the Nation of Domination (NOD), a stable loosely based on the Nation of Islam and the Black Panther Party, although the members of the stable were not exclusively African American. They initially feuded with Ahmed Johnson. At the Royal Rumble 1997, Johnson defeated Farooq by disqualification. In the Royal Rumble match, Johnson eliminated himself when he saw Faarooq in the aisle and chased after him. Later in the same match Faarooq was eliminated when Johnson returned and attacked him with a 2x4. At WrestleMania 13 Johnson and the Legion of Doom defeated the NOD in a Chicago Street Fight.


title: Ron Simmons

text: After losing to WWF Champion The Undertaker, at the 1997 King of the Ring, Faarooq blamed Crush and Savio Vega for his loss and threw them out of the NOD. Both formed their rival factions, known respectively as the Disciples of Apocalypse and Los Boricuas, and Faarooq recruited more African American members for the NOD, including half-Samoan Rocky Maivia. The three stables feuded with one another throughout 1997. In the summer of 1997, Faarooq again lost a tournament final for the WWF Intercontinental Championship, this time to Owen Hart after Stone Cold Steve Austin interfered. Austin, who had forfeited the title due an injury inflicted by Hart, wanted Hart to win so he could again beat him for the title.


title: Ron Simmons

text: In early 1998, Faarooq's leadership of the NOD was increasingly challenged by Maivia, who had shortened his name to The Rock and felt he should be the leader as he was now Intercontinental Champion. In the Royal Rumble match, all five NOD members were in the ring at the same time and frequently brawled with each other, Faarooq even eliminating his fellow members D'Lo Brown and Mark Henry; he was one of the final three along with the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Faarooq wanted the Rock to help him eliminate Austin, but the Rock refused and eliminated Faarooq. The following month at , the Nation of Domination lost a 10-man tag team match to Ken Shamrock, Ahmed Johnson, Chainz, Skull and 8 Ball when The Rock submitted to an ankle lock by Shamrock. After the match Faarooq and The Rock almost came to blows. At Wrestlemania XIV, Faarooq and Kama were unsuccessful in the tag team battle royal. Later in the evening, Faarooq was the only NOD member absent from The Rock's title defense against Ken Shamrock. When Shamrock put The Rock in an ankle lock, Faarooq ran down to the ring but decided against helping him and walked off, with the crowd cheering his decision, thus turning him face. The following night on "Raw is War", the Rock assumed leadership of the NOD and kicked Faarooq out of the group. Faarooq spent the next several months feuding with his former stablemates.


title: Ron Simmons

text: After being dumped from the Nation, Faarooq feuded with The Rock but failed to win the Intercontinental title. Simmons then teamed briefly with 2 Cold Scorpio. In late 1998, Simmons began teaming with Bradshaw as The Acolytes, a violent tag team sporting occult symbolism on their tights and chests. They were managed by The Jackyl until he left the WWF, at which point they were reintroduced as members of The Ministry of Darkness led by The Undertaker. The Acolytes recruited Phineas I. Godwinn and Mabel to the Ministry by kidnapping and brainwashing them (renaming them Mideon and Viscera, respectively), and feuded with The Undertaker's rivals, such as D-Generation X and The Brood, the latter of which later joined the Ministry as well.


title: Ron Simmons

text: During this time the Acolytes had two short reigns as tag team champions; they defeated the team of Kane and X-Pac but lost the title to the Hardy Boyz. At the Fully Loaded pay-per-view in 1999, they won the title back in a no disqualification handicap match against the Hardyz and Michael Hayes. Their second reign ended when they lost the title to Kane and X-Pac.


title: Ron Simmons

text: After the Undertaker suffered an injury in late 1999, the Ministry of Darkness disbanded. Faarooq and Bradshaw continued to team with one another, and eventually adopted the gimmick of two brawlers who enjoyed drinking beer and smoking cigars. After Bradshaw began hiring out the services of the Acolytes as mercenaries and bodyguards, the tag team was renamed the "Acolytes Protection Agency" (APA). Around this time, Faarooq adopted his "Damn!" catchphrase. The team won their third tag team title by defeating the Dudley Boyz in June 2001 but lost the titles the following month to Diamond Dallas Page and Chris Kanyon when Test interfered.


title: Ron Simmons

text: The APA teamed together until 2002, when Faarooq was drafted to the SmackDown! brand. Around this time, Ron Simmons began wrestling under his real name, as the terrorist group Al-Qaeda had a training camp called Al-Faarooq. Simmons had a brief heel run when he teamed with Reverend D-Von until he left television in December 2002, but in June 2003 he returned to WWE with Bradshaw and the APA reunited.


title: Ron Simmons

text: In his last WWE storyline, he was fired by SmackDown! General Manager Paul Heyman after the APA lost a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. It was assumed that the APA was fired, but Heyman told Bradshaw he was allowed to stay. Simmons retired from his in-ring career, accusing Bradshaw of not being a faithful friend in storyline. In reality, Simmons, who had been planning to retire due to his health and age, became a backstage agent for the company, was let go the day this angle aired on "SmackDown!".


title: Ron Simmons

text: In 2006, during a rebroadcast of the 1981 Orange Bowl on Sun Sports, Simmons stated that since his retirement from professional wrestling, he would like to continue or even improve his role within WWE. Starting on October 23, 2006, he began making short cameos on "Raw" to say his catchphrase "Damn", often in awe of or shock at odd occurrences.


title: Ron Simmons

text: On the November 20, 2006 edition of "Raw", Simmons was chosen by Ric Flair to replace the injured Roddy Piper at the Survivor Series to take on the Spirit Squad. He was the first to be eliminated, via countout. On the January 15, 2007 episode of "Raw", he was seen in the ring with Chris Masters in the "Master Lock Challenge", which ended prematurely after interference from Super Crazy. Simmons's escaping the Master Lock, was not recognized. On the July 27, 2007 edition of "SmackDown!", Simmons was named the best man for Theodore Long and Kristal's wedding.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Simmons also feuded with Santino Marella. On the September 10, 2007 episode of "Raw", Simmons was attacked by Marella. On the September 24, 2007, edition of "Raw", Simmons returned to the ring and defeated Santino Marella by countout after Marella left the ring and walked out. Simmons occasionally competed on "WWE Heat", taking on jobbers from the town in which the show is being taped. At the end of each match, Simmons held a microphone, pulling it toward and away from his mouth while the crowd cheered him until he eventually uttered his catchphrase. On the December 3, 2007 episode of "Raw", Simmons and Bradshaw were hired by Hornswoggle to help him in a no disqualification handicap match against Jonathan Coachman and Carlito.


title: Ron Simmons

text: On "Raw"s 800th episode on November 3, 2008, Simmons interrupted wrestlers, who were dancing in the ring, with his catchphrase. During the 2008 Slammy Awards, he gave The Great Khali the award for the DAMN Moment of the year. Simmons was released from WWE on January 13, 2009, due to budget cuts but repeatedly reappeared on various WWE events to interrupt awkward situations with his catchphrase. Occasions include episodes of "WWE Old School Raw" (November 15, 2010 and January 6, 2014) and "Raw" (May 2, 2011 and January 28, 2013), "Hell in a Cell 2012" and WrestleManias 30 and 31.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Simmons would wrestle in the independent circuit from 2008 to 2012. He wrestled his final match on March 17, 2012, teaming with former WWE wrestler Brian Christopher defeating PG-13 J. C. Ice and Wolfie D at Crossfire Wrestling in Nashville, Tennessee.


title: Ron Simmons

text: Simmons was also credited in the tribute as being the first African American world heavyweight champion in WCW. Simmons was acknowledged as a memorable character in WWE's "Attitude Era". On March 31 by his APA partner John "Bradshaw" Layfield. He ended his Hall of Fame speech with his signature "Damn" once again. Simmons and Layfield reunited as the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA) on the 1000th episode of "Raw", providing their signature protection and back-up for Lita during her match with Heath Slater. After Layfield hit Slater with the Clothesline from Hell, Simmons took to the microphone exclaiming "Damn!"


title: Ron Simmons

text: In 2012, Simmons was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. In 2014, Simmons made several appearances for Maryland Championship Wrestling's "Autumn Armageddon" tour.


title: Ron Simmons

text: On the January 19, 2015 episode of "Raw", during a "Raw Reunion" segment, Simmons came out to help the nWo (Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Sean Waltman) and The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg) and John "Bradshaw" Layfield against the Ascension (Konnor and Viktor).


title: Ron Simmons

text: Simmons appeared at the "Raw 25 Years" show on January 22, 2018 and attended the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. He also appeared at the "Raw Reunion" show on July 22, 2019 in a backstage segment involving Mike and Maria Kanellis, Eve Torres, and Jimmy Hart; using Hart's megaphone to exclaim "Damn!"


title: Ron Simmons

text: Simmons is a playable character in several wrestling video games including "WWF War Zone", "WWF Attitude", "WWF WrestleMania 2000", "WWF No Mercy", "WWF SmackDown!", "", "WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It", "WWE WrestleMania X8", "WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth", "WWE RAW 2", "WWE '13", "WWE 2K16", and "WWE 2K22".


title: Benetton Formula

text: Benetton Formula Ltd., commonly referred to simply as Benetton, was a Formula One constructor that participated from to . The team was owned by the Benetton family who run a worldwide chain of clothing stores of the same name. In 2000, the team was purchased by Renault, but competed as Benetton for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. In , the team became Renault. The Benetton Formula team was chaired by Alessandro Benetton from 1988 to 1998.


title: Benetton Formula

text: The Benetton Group entered Formula One as a sponsor company for constructor Tyrrell in , then Alfa Romeo in and and finally Toleman in 1985. Toleman had struggled in 1985, missing the first three races of the season and being forced to only enter one car for the following six races, as a result of a dispute with tyre suppliers. Teo Fabi had taken a pole position for Toleman at the German Grand Prix, however the team would score no points during the season, with poor reliability causing a Toleman car to see the chequered flag only twice out of 20 total entries. Benetton Formula Ltd. was formed at the end of 1985 when the Toleman team was sold to the Benetton family.


title: Benetton Formula

text: Toleman had already developed the TG186, their planned chassis for the season. This was renamed the Benetton B186 after the change in ownership. Benetton's first season in Formula One also came with a change in engine supply, with Toleman's Hart engines being replaced with that of a large car manufacturer, the powerful BMW M12. Teo Fabi was retained as a driver and Piercarlo Ghinzani was replaced by Gerhard Berger, who joined from Arrows.


title: Benetton Formula

text: The B186 demonstrated its pace throughout the season, with Berger securing the team's first podium finish at Imola and a front-row start in Belgium. Fabi claimed two consecutive pole positions in Austria and Italy, before Berger achieved the Witney-based team's first victory in Mexico, almost half a minute ahead of his nearest competitor. Despite the impressive underlying pace, the B186 suffered from severe unreliability. The team recorded nineteen retirements, with eight consecutively for Fabi (including from his two pole positions). Benetton ended the season 6th in the championship with 19 points.


title: Benetton Formula

text: Berger left the team for Ferrari at the end of 1986 and was replaced at Benetton by his former Arrows teammate Thierry Boutsen. BMW, which had supplied three teams in 1986, scaled back its operation to supply only Brabham in . With the Haas Lola team folding at the end of 1986, Benetton was able to take over its factory supply of turbocharged Ford engines. The B187 suffered with engine trouble at the start of the season, but became more consistent mid-season after reducing the effect of the turbocharger, taking numerous 4th and 5th place finishes as well as two 3rd places in Austria and Australia. Benetton ended the season 5th in the championship with 28 points.


title: Benetton Formula

text: Fabi was dropped for the season in favour of Minardi driver Alessandro Nannini, ending Fabi's Formula One career. The B188 became the team's first naturally-aspirated car as Ford wished to concentrate development in light of the upcoming ban on turbocharged engines. The B188 was once again an improvement on its predecessor, suffering almost half the number of retirements and claiming seven podium finishes, all 3rd places. Boutsen had finished 3rd in Belgium, however both Benettons were disqualified from the race after the season had concluded for fuel irregularities. The team finished the season 3rd in the championship with 39 points.


title: Benetton Formula

text: For , Boutsen left Benetton to join Williams and was replaced by rookie Johnny Herbert. The new engine developed by Ford for the B189 was not ready for the start of the season, and the previous year's engine did not fit in the new car. The team therefore had no choice but to continue using the B188. Despite this setback, the B188 still proved competitive, with Nannini claiming a podium finish at Imola. Prior to making his Formula One debut, Herbert was involved in a serious crash in Formula 3000 that broke both his legs. Despite achieving some impressive results, including 4th place in his first race, he was dropped by the team after failing to qualify for the Canadian Grand Prix as it became clear he had still not fully recovered. He was replaced by rookie and McLaren test driver Emanuele Pirro. The B189 was finally ready to compete at the following race. Nannini would go on to achieve Benetton's first victory since 1986 at the Japanese Grand Prix after Ayrton Senna was disqualified. Pirro was only able to secure a single points finish in his ten races with the team, taking 5th place in Australia. Benetton ended the season 4th in the championship with 39 points.


title: Benetton Formula

text: Prior to the season, the team management was fired and businessman Flavio Briatore was appointed team manager by the Benetton family. Pirro was dropped in favour of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet, who had left the struggling Lotus team. Benetton used a modified B189 before introducing the B190 at the third race of the season. 1990 proved to be the team's most successful to date, with Piquet winning the final two races of the season and the team achieving six other podium finishes. Tragedy would befall the team late into the season after Nannini lost his right forearm in a helicopter crash. His arm was re-attached but the injuries ended his Formula One career. EuroBrun driver Roberto Moreno had become available after the backmarker team pulled out of the sport, and so he was hired as Nannini's replacement. The next race in Japan marked Benetton's first ever 1-2 finish, as well as Moreno's first and only career podium. Benetton ended the season 3rd in the championship with 71 points.


title: Benetton Formula

text: A new title sponsor was acquired for in the form of American cigarette brand Camel, which had previously appeared as a minor sponsor on Benetton cars. The 1991 season was less successful for Benetton. An upgraded B190 was used for the first two races of the season before the B191 made its debut at the San Marino Grand Prix. Piquet achieved an unexpected victory in Canada after Nigel Mansell retired on the final lap, but two other 3rd place finishes were the only podium places the team would achieve in 1991. Benetton sought a young driver for the team's future, and believed neither Moreno nor the ageing Piquet could fill this role. After Michael Schumacher had impressed in his debut for Jordan at the Belgian Grand Prix, he was hired by Benetton for the following race in place of Moreno. Jordan protested the move in the British courts, but they found in favour of Benetton.


title: Benetton Formula

text: For the season, Tom Walkinshaw Racing acquired a stake in Benetton, with Tom Walkinshaw and Ross Brawn brought in to run the team's engineering operations. The team also moved its base of operations from Witney, Oxfordshire to a new factory close to the nearby village of Enstone. Piquet had retired from Formula One, and was replaced by experienced Brabham driver Martin Brundle. Benetton's new car was once again delayed, with the team using an upgraded B191 for the first three races of the season in which Schumacher achieved two podium finishes. The B192 was a marked improvement, with eleven more podium finishes including a victory at Spa-Francorchamps, the first of Schumacher's career. Benetton ended the season 3rd in the championship with 91 points.


title: Benetton Formula

text: Brundle was unexpectedly dropped for in favour of veteran Riccardo Patrese, who had left Williams. The B193 was similar in competitiveness to its predecessor, taking a single victory in the hands of Schumacher at the Portuguese Grand Prix and finishing 3rd in the championship for the fourth time in the team's history. Benetton achieved ten other podium finishes during the season. Despite these impressive results and improvements in the team's performance in 1992 and 1993, Benetton were not able to provide Schumacher with a car to challenge for the world championship, and were outclassed by the dominant Williams team.


title: Benetton Formula

text: Camel was replaced as the team's title sponsor for by Japanese cigarette brand Mild Seven. This meant Benetton adopted sky blue as the main car colour. Patrese retired from Formula One, ending what was the longest career in the sport's history. He was replaced by Sauber driver JJ Lehto. However, Lehto was injured whilst testing the B194 prior to the start of the season and Benetton's test driver Jos Verstappen was brought up to replace him. The B194 was dominant in the hands of Schumacher, winning six of the first seven races and taking Benetton's first pole positions since 1986. Verstappen and Lehto were less successful. Verstappen retired from his first two races after accidents. Lehto was declared fit for the San Marino Grand Prix, but would only score a single point in the following four races and was replaced again by Verstappen for the French Grand Prix onwards.


title: Benetton Formula

text: Schumacher finished 2nd at the British Grand Prix, but was deemed to have overtaken Damon Hill on the formation lap and then ignored black flags. He was disqualified from the results after the race, and later handed a two-race ban. At the German Grand Prix, Verstappen's B194 burst into flames after being showered with fuel during his pit stop. He escaped with minor burns and returned to score two consecutive podiums at the following races, the first of his career. Another disqualification came for Schumacher after he finished 1st at the Belgian Grand Prix; his car was measured as having an illegal amount of wear on its skid block. His two-race ban was served at the following two races, during which Lehto returned to the team as a replacement. In an attempt to win the constructors' championship, Benetton replaced Verstappen with the more experienced Johnny Herbert for the final two races of the season, marking his return to the team. This was ultimately unsuccessful after Herbert retired from both races. Despite Benetton losing the constructors' championship to Williams, Schumacher won his first world title after colliding with championship rival Hill at the final race in Australia, taking out both drivers.


title: Benetton Formula

text: After eight years of Ford power, Benetton switched to full-works Renault V10 engines for and thus Ford switched allegiances to then-youngest Formula One constructor Sauber. Herbert was retained alongside Schumacher, whilst test driver Verstappen was loaned to the struggling Simtek team. Schumacher was initially critical of the new B195, claiming that it was difficult to control. The car was outclassed by the Williams FW17 in the early season, with the team's poor performance culminating in Schumacher crashing out from pole position at Imola. However, setup changes at the following race in Spain improved Schumacher's performance in the car. He went on to dominate the remainder of the season, taking nine wins from seventeen races in total and claiming his second world title. Herbert took his first career podium in Spain and then went on to win the British and Italian Grands Prix. This combined effort won Benetton its first constructors' championship, ending Williams' three-year reign. Herbert later claimed the team failed to provide him with equal equipment and accused them of favouring Schumacher.


title: Benetton Formula

text: During the season, some rival teams claimed Benetton had found a way to violate the FIA-imposed ban on electronic aids, including traction control and launch control. On investigation, the FIA discovered "start sequence" (launch control) software in the Benetton B194 cars, and a variety of illegal software in rival teams' cars as well. FIA had no evidence the software was ever used, so teams found with the software received little to no punishment. No traction control software was found to be in the Benetton cars, however.


title: Benetton Formula

text: Flavio Briatore, Benetton's chief in 1994, said in 2001 that "Our only mistake was that at the time we were too young and people were suspicious".


title: Benetton Formula

text: Benetton began racing under Italian nationality for the season, but remained based in the United Kingdom. Despite being contracted to race for Benetton, Schumacher left early to join Ferrari, citing the team's actions in 1994 as his reason for opting out. Herbert was dropped by the team and joined Sauber. Their replacements were Jean Alesi and the returning Gerhard Berger, both of whom had left Ferrari. Williams returned to dominance in 1996 and Schumacher's departure allowed Ferrari to compete for race wins, leaving Benetton struggling. The B196 took ten podium finishes, but the team failed to win a race for the first time since 1988. Alesi and Berger were on course to win the Monaco and German Grands Prix respectively, but both retired late in the closing laps. Benetton finished the season 3rd in the championship with 68 points, less than half as many as in 1995.


title: Benetton Formula

text: By , technical director Ross Brawn and chief designer Rory Byrne, as well as numerous other staff, had left Benetton to join Schumacher at Ferrari. Composites manager, Philip Henderson, who had been with the team since the start also left to help Dan Gurney with his Indy Car team in California. The B197, like its predecessor, struggled to compete with Williams and Ferrari. However, the team still achieved a number of podium finishes over the season. Berger was forced to miss three races due to illness and the death of his father; his replacement was rookie test driver Alexander Wurz. Wurz scored a podium in Britain, only his third race in Formula One. Berger returned for the German Grand Prix, winning the race from pole position in dominant fashion. However, this would turn out to be Benetton's last victory in Formula One. Alesi took pole position in Italy but lost out due to a slow pit stop, finishing 2nd. Benetton ended the season 3rd in the championship with 67 points.


title: Benetton Formula

text: Chief executive Richards left Benetton after just a year in his post and was replaced by Rocco Benetton for , due to a disagreement with the Benetton family about future strategy. The Renault engines were now developed by Flavio Briatore's Supertec company, but continued to be labelled Playlife. The B199 was a disappointment and demonstrated the further decline of the team. The highlight of the season was Fisichella's 2nd place in Canada, however this only came after numerous retirements from other cars. The following ten races only saw a single points finish for Benetton; Wurz's 5th place in Austria. Benetton ended the season 6th in the championship with 16 points, their worst ever finish.


title: Benetton Formula

text: Prior to the start of the season, the team was sold to Renault as the manufacturer sought a return to Formula One, however the team would retain the Benetton name. As part of their restructuring, Renault brought back Flavio Briatore as team manager. The B200 was an improvement on its predecessor, claiming three podium finishes, including 2nd place in Brazil after David Coulthard was disqualified. All three of these podiums were scored by Fisichella; Wurz struggled with the car and only claimed a single points finish with 5th place in Italy. Benetton ended the season 4th in the championship with 20 points.


title: Benetton Formula

text: The Renault name returned to Formula One in as Benetton received a supply of full-works Renault engines. Wurz's struggles in 2000 saw him replaced with a young Jenson Button, who had been dropped by Williams. Despite these changes, Benetton suffered a dismal start to 2001 with the B201 often barely qualifying in the top 20. Only a single point was salvaged in the first eleven races, when Fisichella finished 6th in Brazil after twelve other cars failed to finish. The team's fortunes began to change at the German Grand Prix, when Fisichella and Button finishing 4th and 5th respectively. Continued chassis development allowed Benetton to leave Formula One on something of a high, and the cars' performance lifted. Button and Fisichella scored 10 points for the team, including an impressive podium finish for Fisichella in Belgium.


title: Benetton Formula

text: 2001 was the final season featuring the Benetton name, as the team was fully re-branded as the Renault F1 Team for the season. The Renault F1 Team would go on to win the drivers' and constructors' championships in both and with Fernando Alonso. The team was sold off and became Lotus F1 Team in , before being re-purchased by Renault and becoming Renault Sport Formula One Team in , before becoming Alpine in 2021. The team continues to operate from the site at Enstone established by Benetton in 1992.


title: Benetton Formula

text: The Benetton team is today best known for its success with Michael Schumacher, who accounts for 19 of the team's 27 race victories and their two World Drivers' Championships.


title: Benetton Formula

text: Benetton Team had a British licence from to and an Italian licence from to , thus becoming only the second constructor (after Shadow in ) to officially change its nationality. The Benetton family wanted this change of nationality to have their Formula One team flying the flag of their own country. Benetton remains the only constructor to have achieved victory while racing under two different nationalities. The team was based in the UK throughout, initially at the former Toleman factory in Witney, Oxfordshire, before moving to a new, modern, bigger factory at Enstone in .


title: James Toney

text: James Nathaniel Toney (born August 24, 1968) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2017. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the IBF and lineal middleweight titles from 1991 to 1993, the IBF super middleweight title from 1993 to 1994, and the IBF cruiserweight title in 2003. Toney also challenged twice for a world heavyweight title in 2005 and 2006, and was victorious the first time but was later stripped due to a failed drug test. Overall, he competed in fifteen world title fights across four weight classes.


title: James Toney

text: Stylistically a defensive boxer, Toney utilized the shoulder roll technique taught to him by veteran trainer Bill Miller, who had once trained heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles. Toney was an exceptional counterpuncher and inside fighter, who often preferred to fight off the ropes. He possessed fast hand speed and respectable punching power throughout his career and is also noted for his toughness, having never lost any of his 92 professional bouts via stoppage.


title: James Toney

text: In 1991 and 2003, Toney was voted Fighter of the Year by "The Ring" magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. In 2011, "The Ring" magazine ranked him as tenth on their list of the "10 best middleweight title holders of the last 50 years." He has also made a one-time appearance in mixed martial arts, losing to Randy Couture at UFC 118. In 2001, Toney played the role of Joe Frazier in the movie "Ali" alongside Will Smith.


title: James Toney

text: Toney was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. At around age 11, Toney first entered a boxing gym, but did not seriously pursue the sport until graduating high school. Growing up, Toney lived alongside the families of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Buster Mathis Jr., and Toney's father himself (who was absent for Toney's upbringing) was a boxer. As a teen, Toney was often involved in street fighting and sold crack cocaine. Prior to his career in boxing, Toney was also a star football player; after high school he received scholarship offers from Western Michigan to play quarterback and from Michigan to play as a defensive back. But Toney said, "I wasn't a team player and wasn't good at taking orders. So I went into boxing." Toney also lost a significant amount of weight to begin his boxing career, having weighed 205 lbs. Toney was supposedly involved in an altercation with future Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders while at a Michigan training camp.


title: James Toney

text: Toney had a brief but relatively successful amateur career, compiling a record of 33 wins (32 KOs) and 2 losses. Toney had his first professional fight on October 26, 1988, beating Stephen Lee by a technical knockout in the second round. As a teenager, Toney was scouted and trained by Gregory Owens, who also was his trainer through the mid-nineties. His moniker of "Lights Out" was also given by either Gregory or his son. In his 7th pro fight, Toney's manager, Johnny "Ace" Smith, was killed. Afterwards, Jackie Kallen was hired as his manager. Toney also employed the services of legendary Detroit-based trainer Bill Miller. Miller, a former boxer himself who worked in Detroit's famed Kronk Gym and assisted hall-of-fame trainer Emanuel Steward at times, is credited with developing Toney's famed "old school" or "throwback" style of fighting.


title: James Toney

text: Toney won the IBF and lineal middleweight titles by knocking out Michael Nunn in eleven rounds in May 1991. Toney, who entered as a 20-to-1 underdog, was down on all three judges' scorecards, but landed a left hook that put Nunn on the canvas in the eleventh round, and eventually scored a stoppage victory. The win also earned Toney the Ring Magazine Fighter Of The Year award. Toney continued a regular fight program over the next 18 months at middleweight, before outgrowing the division, where he made several successful yet disputed defenses. The most noteworthy was Toney's split decision win over Dave Tiberi in a fight that many experts feel Toney lost. The decision was so controversial that it prompted United States Senator William Roth of Delaware to call for an investigation into possible corruption in the sport. Toney also won a split decision title defense against Reggie Johnson in June 1991, retained his title with a draw against former WBA champ Mike McCallum in December 1991, and again against McCallum, this time by a majority decision, in December 1992. The McCallum fight would be Toney's last as a middleweight.


title: James Toney

text: On February 13, 1993, Toney challenged Iran Barkley for the IBF super middleweight title. After a dominating performance by Toney, the bout was stopped after 9 rounds by Barkley's trainer, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, due to Barkley suffering severe swelling around both eyes.