Mickey Rourke wins boxing match in Moscow by knockout

Ivan Sekretarev/AP Mickey Rourke, right, trades punches with Elliot Seymour during their match at at the Rossiya concert hall in downtown Moscow.

Mickey Rourke’s restore to boxing was a highly expendable affair.

The 62-year-ancient actor on Friday won an exhibition bout in Russia by knockout, dropping his 29-year-ancient 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.

Ivan Sekretarev/AP  Rourke celebrating his second-round victory. It was the first time he stepped into the ring in 20 years.

Seymour kept his head down as the adjudicate counted him out and then signaled victory for the actor-turned-pugilist.

The Russian fans, but, keenly 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 plotted 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 dread 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 physical type as washed-up pro wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson in the 2008 film “The Wrestler.”

But, the Hollywood heavyweight’s panache 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 substantial” in Spanish.

Both Rourke and Seymour were reportedly paid handsomely for the fight, but organizers remained mum on how much.

With News Wire Services

BY Hank Gola