News Digest

Mickey Rourke wins farcical boxing match against opponent 33 years his junior

Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke has beaten a boxer less than half his age in a comeback bout in Moscow. The 62-year-old put 29-year-old Elliot Seymour on the canvas twice, before the referee stopped the exhibition fight in the second round. The actor has said he plans another four fights in Russia. Rourke was an amateur boxer before his career took off with hit movies such as 9 1/2 Weeks. Competing for the first time in 20 years, Rourke hinted that his return to the ring had helped him cope with personal issues.

I’ve got some things going on in my life so that sort of saved me from myself.

Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke

Rourke prepared in a dressing room in front of a shrine featuring candles, images of saints, and photographs of his dogs. Rourke said he had been in mourning for his recently-deceased Chihuahua. Critics have criticized the match as a farce, saying his decisive blows seemed no more hard-hitting than the average tickle. USA Today’s Micah Peters said: “I wasn’t there, but if I were I’d probably send a sternly-worded letter to the commissioner, petitioning for some amount of my money back”, while ESPN’s Dan Rafael said, “It was pathetic”.