I'm a big fan of Mickey Rourke, and I got a chuckle out of news that he's going to wrestle WWE star Chris Jericho.
I've been a fan of Rourke since his minor role in "Body Heat." Then loved him in "Diner," "Angel Heart," "Pope of Greenwich Village" and "Sin City."
I enjoyed him in "The Wrestler." I hope he gets the Oscar, although Sean Penn was very good in "Milk."
I felt bad for Rourke when he put his acting career on the back burner for boxing. I respect that he was pursuing a passion, and I have enormous respect for anyone who gets in the ring. But his life - at least from someone observing from afar - seemed to take a hard turn into the boxing ring.
Rourke wasn't just goofing around in the ring. He worked with trainer Freddie Roach, who is one of the most respected trainers and works with Manny Pacquiao.
Boxrec.com, which is one of the most trusted sources for a sport that's difficult to accurately document, lists his record as 6-0-2.
Rourke's stepfather disputes some of his claims about his boxing career, but the fact is he had some legitimate bouts.
And now he's going to "wrestle." It will be interseting to see how real Rourke gets. Will it be like his character "The Ram," who orchestrated moves before matches but suffered more injuries than any "real" fighter? Or will it be safe and sound?
When the WWE came to Chicago last year, I was amazed at how articulate guys like "Triple H" and "The Big Show" were, and how willing they were to talk about staging their bouts.
So I'm guessing Rourke isn't going to be cutting or stapling himself, like in "The Wrestler."
And I hope the critical acclaim he's received for "The Wrestler" keeps him busy acting.
Either way, he's fun to watch.
I haven't seen the movie yet, but it really must be good. I've seen the "milk" advertisement and just simply have to pass. No milk or brokeback for me.
Rourke, Penn two solid actors. Penn is better.
Roman, you know I'm your go-to guy for anything wrestling-related. It looks like Mickey's interest in the fight will be held back because of the Hollywood PR types. His agents/publicists/etc. worry that an appearance at WrestleMania would hurt his chances for cashing in his success from "The Wrestler" in Hollywood.
The link to that story is here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090129/ap_en_mo/people_rourke
I wouldn't mind seeing him in the ring against Y2J at WrestleMania, because Jericho has certainly made this potential matchup very intriguing. As far as the other WWE guys you mentioned (HHH and Big Show), those guys have been in the business for many years and have a great deal of knowledge to offer anyone. In fact, last year, it was HHH who helped train Floyd Mayweather outside of the ring for his bout with the Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV.
Either way, I'm glad you're talking about wrestling. Yay, Roman!!
Roman responds: That's where I met Big Show, during a press tour touting the Mayweather Wrestlemania. Really smart guys, and talked about how they were going to protect Mayweather. Glad Dick the Bruiser and the Crusher didn't talk like that when I was a kid.
Is he going to be making out with the 21 year old who played his daughter like he was caught doing the other night?
Evan Rachel Wood caught making out with Mickey Rourke
Thursday, 29 January , 2009, 16:53
American actress Evan Rachel Wood was spotted making out with veteran actor Mickey Rourke.
Wood, 21, and 56-year-old Rourke were at Grey Goose’s Official SAG after-party at the Shrine on January 25, and they were later seen leaving together for the Four Seasons Hotel, reports Fox News.
What a hype! Jericho gets "offended" by Rourke on Larry King Live. CJ complains that MR is just an actor. Well, unless we're talking about MMAs or Boxing, Jericho is also an athletic actor.
Isn't it interesting how easily pro-wrestlers go ballistic when someone not in The Business says anything about Pro Rasslin? Could you imagine if sports personalities interacted with the media as do wrestlers? So much for PR!
If this were a shoot, maybe Rourke and Jericho could rumble in a mixed martial arts contest. Maybe that would be a reality check for Mr.Jericho.
Here is a challenge: All of you tough wrestlers out there; if you are so tough get into the boxing or MMA ring without a script!