Mickey Rourke, 62, gets KO 'win' in first boxing match in 20 years

Actor Mickey Rourke returned to the boxing ring Friday at the age of 62, "defeating" a fighter less than half his age who reportedly could barely walk into the ring in an exhibition bout.

Rourke sent Elliot Seymour, a 29-year-old former California Golden Gloves champion with a 1-9 professional record, to the canvas twice in the second round before the referee stopped the fight.

Deadspin has video of the so-called knockout, which is underwhelming, to put it mildly. ESPN's Dan Rafael reported that Seymour could "barely walk into the ring" for some unknown reason and unleashed a stream of lamentations on Twitter about the farcical fight:

Even the just-the-facts-please Associated Press agreed something was awry:

The fight was held at a pedestrian pace, with both Rourke and Seymour frequently backing away from one another and letting down their guard.

Several of Rourke's punches appeared illegal. His final punch struck the stumbling Seymour on the buttocks and the 29-year-old went down to all fours until the referee stopped the contest.

Yikes. Still, it's Mickey Rourke boxing for real-ish. That's fun. The bout at a Moscow concert hall was Rourke's first fight in 20 years. Here are some screenshots:

The Oscar-nominated star of "The Wrestler" and "Iron Man 2" took a break from acting in the early 1990s, finishing a three-year pro boxing career with six wins and two draws.

He hinted that the return to the ring has helped him cope with unspecified personal issues.

"I've got some things going on in my life so that (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."

He has said he plans to hold another four fights in Russia.

And there are these great words about the lead-up to the fight:

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.

He took to the ring in a Stetson hat, a red-and-gold robe and shiny gold gloves, repeatedly crossing himself.

Rourke, who had said he lost 35 lbs (16 kilograms) to prepare to the fight, was much thinner than in his best-known cinematic fighting persona, when he bulked up to play the title character in 2008's "The Wrestler." His shorts bore his ring nickname from the 1990s, Marielito, with a Spanish-language message reading "always handsome."

You're next, Mayweather.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.