Mickey Rourke hadn’t boxed professionally in over two decades, but that didn’t stop the 62-year-old actor from going into the ring in Moscow to face 29-year-old American Elliot Seymour. Surprisingly, the actor won, but it wasn’t much of a bout.
Rourke knocked Seymour to the canvas twice before the referee decided to stop the fight at a Moscow concert hall, reports The Associated Press. It was his first fight since the short break he took from acting in the early 1990s.
In an interview with Russian TV, Rourke said that going into the ring would help him cope with personal issues, although he didn’t elaborate. He did say that his beloved Chihuahua recently died.
“I've got some things going on in my life so that (boxing has) sort of saved me from myself,” Rourke said. “And for a man like me, it's better to live in fear than go on in shame.”
Rourke said he lost 35 lbs for the fight. He went into the ring wearing a giant Stetson hat and wore shorts with the name “Marielito” on it. It was his nickname in the ‘90s and means “always handsome” in Spanish.
Deadspin notes that the bout was supposed to last two rounds, but it only lasted two. Rourke also punched Seymour, who only has a 1-9 record, after he fell. The AP even noted that some of Rourke’s punches were questionable and Seymour didn’t get to land any big punches.
image courtesy of INFphoto.com