Mickey Rourke's return to boxing was a highly expendable affair.
The 62-year-old actor on Friday won an exhibition bout in Russia by knockout, dropping his 29-year-old opponent twice with a pair of suspect-looking punches.
TV footage from the five-bout fight at a Moscow concert hall showed the "Sin City" actor trading a series of limp body blows with former California Golden Gloves champ Elliot Seymour.
Rourke's first knockdown, a puffball right to the younger brawler's ribs, came at 1:34 left in round two.
The second occurred 20 seconds later, after a wild left that sent Seymour to one knee.
Seymour kept his head down as the referee counted him out and then signaled victory for the actor-turned-pugilist.
The Russian fans, however, eagerly lapped up the "Diner' star's thin gruel, hailing Rourke with chants of "Misha!" - a nickname for Mikhail - as he exited the ring.
Seymour, who has a 1-9 record as a pro, barely landed any blows on Rourke, who said he planned to hold another four fights in Russia.
"I've got some things going on in my life so [boxing has] sort of saved me from myself," Rourke told Russian TV. "And for a man like me, it's better to live in fear than go on in shame."
Rourke's latest swing at The Sweet Science comes more than 20 years after he hung up his gloves following a three-year boxing career in the '90s.
Though he went undefeated, with six wins and two draws, Rourke blamed the stint for ruining his leading man looks and prompting him to undergo several rounds of plastic surgery.
The actor reportedly dropped 35 pounds training for the bout and had famed trainer Freddie Roach, who worked with Oscar De La Hoya and Mike Tyson, in his corner.
"I always dreamed of fighting a match in Russia,' said Rourke, whose girlfriend is Russian supermodel Anastassija Makarenko.
His skeletal appearance at a weigh-in earlier this week stunned fans who recalled his hulking physique as washed-up pro wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson in the 2008 film "The Wrestler."
However, the Hollywood heavyweight's flair for showmanship and eye-catching attire remained intact, as he sauntered to the ring in a Stetson hat, gold gloves and red-and-gold trimmed trunks bearing his nickname, "Marielito," along with the phrase "always handsome" in Spanish.
Both Rourke and Seymour were reportedly paid handsomely for the fight, but organizers remained mum on how much.
With News Wire Services
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Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/boxing/mickey-rourke-wins-boxing-match-moscow-knockout-article-1.2027115
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