Mickey Rourke defeats opponent in first fight in 20 years
Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke returned to the boxing ring Friday at the age of 62, defeating a fighter less than half his age in an exhibition bout. Rourke sent 29-year-old Pasadena, Calif., native Elliot Seymour to the canvas twice in the second round before the referee stopped the fight.
The bout at a Moscow concert hall was Rourke’s first fight in 20 years. He 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.
Madonna’s children meet president
The president of Malawi has met Madonna’s adopted daughter and son. President Peter Mutharika thanked the U.S. pop star on Friday for bringing her Malawi-born children Mercy and David back to their birth country.
Friday’s meeting was symbolic for Madonna, who had a public falling-out with former President Joyce Banda.
Madonna has been visiting Malawi since 2006. She funds a number of orphanages and schools in the country. On Thursday she helped open a new 50-bed pediatrics ward in the commercial capital, Blantyre, that she helped fund.
‘Late Late Show’ names guest hosts
Singer John Mayer, filmmaker Judd Apatow and comic Drew Carey will be among the guest hosts that will fill in on CBS’ “The Late Late Show” before new host James Corden takes over in March.
The network announced its plans this week for the 12:37 a.m. time slot for the winter months after current host Craig Ferguson leaves. Ferguson’s last show will be Dec. 19.
Carey will host the first week of January and the last week before Corden starts. In between, actors Will Arnett, Wayne Brady, Jim Gaffigan, Billy Gardell, Sean Hayes, Thomas Lennon and Kunal Nayyar also will take turns as host.
The birthday bunch
Hall-of-Fame sportscaster Vin Scully is 87. Blues singer-musician John Mayall is 81. Actress Diane Ladd is 79. Composer-musician Chuck Mangione is 74. Pop singer-musician Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals) is 72. Comedian Garry Shandling is 65. Actor-comedian-celebrity judge Howie Mandel is 59. Actress Cathy Moriarty is 54. Actor Tom Sizemore is 53. Actor Andrew McCarthy is 52. Actor Don Cheadle is 50. Rock musician Frank Delgado (Deftones) is 44. Actor Brian Baumgartner is 42. Actress Anna Faris is 38.