Mickey Rourke to return to boxing ring at 62 in Moscow bout

Mickey Rourke will revive his boxing career at the age of 62 and take to the ring with a US professional boxer in Moscow this month, Sovetsky Sport sports website reported Wednesday, citing the promoters.

The American actor was quoted as saying by promoters: "Boxing is a serious part of my life. It taught me respect and determination, patience and concentration. I always dreamed of fighting a match in Russia."

Rourke is set to fight 29-year-old Elliot Seymour on November 28. They will take to the ring ahead of a match between Russia's Ruslan Provodnikov and Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico, Sovetsky Sport reported.

The actor was an amateur boxer before his Hollywood career took off and he became a sex symbol star in films such as "9 1/2 Weeks."

He returned to boxing as a professional for eight matches in the 1990s, causing damage to his face that necessitated surgery and changed his appearance.

In 2008 he starred in "The Wrestler" about a washed-up fighter making a comeback, winning a Golden Globe for best actor.

Rourke is a frequent visitor to Russia and has been romantically linked to a Russian-born model, Anastassija Makarenko.