Actor Mickey Rourke Beats Boxer Half His Age

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.

Rourke, competing for the first time in 20 years, 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," the actor told Russian TV.

He said he had been mourning his chihuahua, but it is unclear if the pet's recent death was one of the problems to which he alluded.

Rourke prepared for the fight in a dressing room before a shrine featuring candles, images of saints and photographs of his dogs.

The actor, who said he lost 35lb (16kg) for the fight, repeatedly blessed himself as he took to the ring in a cowboy hat, a red-and-gold robe and shiny gold gloves.

Seymour, a former California Golden Gloves champion, did not land any significant blows.

Organisers said beforehand that both boxers were receiving "large amounts of money" in fees, adding that "everyone is happy".

According to the Associated Press, the Russian crowd chanted "Misha", a short form of the Russian name Mikhail, in Rourke's honour.

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.

The Wrestler star took a break from acting in the early 1990s, briefly reviving his professional boxing career with six wins and two draws.