Mickey Rourke (12 page)

F
REDDIE’S MOTIVATIONAL MAGIC BETWEEN ROUNDS ALSO HELPED.
W
ITH
M
ICKEY SLUMPED ON THE STOOL AND HAVING A HARD TIME, THE TRAINER WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE: “
D
O YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO ACTING?
N
O?
W
ELL GO BACK IN THERE AND KNOCK THIS GUY OUT.”

I
N THE GYM,
R
OURKE SPARRED WITH, AND GOT BEATEN AROUND BY, UP-AND-COMING FIGHTER
J
AMES “
L
IGHTS
O
UT”
T
ONY, WHO WOULD LATER GO ON TO BEAT THE GREAT
E
VANDER
H
OLYFIELD.
T
ONY MANAGED TO BREAK HIS CHEEKBONE, EVEN THOUGH
M
ICKEY HAD A HEAD GUARD ON WHEN THEY SPARRED.
B
UT THOSE SESSIONS TOUGHENED UP
M
ICKEY AND IMPROVED HIS RING CRAFT.

H
IS RESULTS AND PERFORMANCES BECAME IMPRESSIVE – HE SCORED A FIRST-ROUND KNOCKOUT OVER
D
ARRELL
M
ILLER IN
J
APAN,
KO
’ED
T
HOMAS
M
C
C
OY IN THREE ROUNDS IN
G
ERMANY, AND DID THE SAME IN
S
PAIN TO
T
ERRY “
T
HE
H
OOK”
J
ESMER.

O
THER CELEBRITIES HAVE SWITCHED TO SHORT-LIVED SPORTS CAREERS WITH VARYING LEVELS OF SUCCESS – FROM
B
RITISH GLAMOUR MODEL
J
ORDAN TAKING UP DRESSAGE AND POLO TO
H
OLLYWOOD ACTRESS
G
EENA
D
AVIS NARROWLY MISSING OUT ON A PLACE IN THE
US
ARCHERY TEAM FOR THE
S
YDNEY
O
LYMPICS.
B
UT NONE HAD THE RUN OF CONSISTENTLY GOOD RESULTS THAT
M
ICKEY HAD – EXCEPT FOR THE LATE ACTING LEGEND
P
AUL
N
EWMAN WHO WON SEVERAL TIMES AS A RACE CAR DRIVER, FINISHED SECOND IN THE
L
E
M
ANS 24
H
OUR
R
ACE, AND ENTERED THE
GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS
AS THE OLDEST DRIVER EVER TO WIN A PROFESSIONAL MOTOR RACE WHEN HE WON THE
D
AYTONA 24
H
OURS AT THE AGE OF SEVENTY.

M
ICKEY LOVED HIS TIME BOXING PROFESSIONALLY, PARTICULARLY FOR THE MIXTURE OF ELECTRICITY AND FEAR HE FELT EACH TIME HE WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE RING.
I
T WAS THERAPEUTIC FOR HIM AFTER ALL THE RECENT PAIN AND FRUSTRATION IN HIS LIFE.
A
FTER ALL THOSE YEARS OF SCRIPTED MOVIES AND SEVERAL TAKES, HE NOW HAD THE STRANGE THRILL OF NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.
W
HEN THE BELL SOUNDED, IT WAS LIKE THE MOMENT A FILM CAMERA’S RED LIGHT WENT ON AND HE KNEW HE HAD TO DELIVER.

H
E ALSO BROUGHT SHOWBIZ PANACHE TO THE SPORT – ENTERING TO
G
UNS ’N’
R
OSES HIT “
S
WEET
C
HILD O’
M
INE” AND SOMETIMES FIGHTING IN MULTI-COLORED SHORTS DESIGNED BY
G
IANNI
V
ERSACE.
H
OLLYWOOD PALS WOULD SHOW UP AT HIS FIGHTS AND
POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE
COSTAR
E
RIC
R
OBERTS WAS AMONG HIS MOST ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORTERS.

M
ICKEY SHOOK UP A SPORT THAT WAS RUNNING SHORT OF CHARISMATIC FIGURES AT THAT TIME AND EVEN MADE IT ONTO THE COVER OF PRESTIGIOUS MAGAZINE
WORLD BOXING
IN
J
UNE 1994.

M
ICKEY THE BOXER BECAME A BOX-OFFICE DRAW AND, DESPITE GETTING ONLY $250 FOR HIS FIRST PRO FIGHT, EVENTUALLY EARNED MORE than $1 million from his boxing career. He wanted to supplement his income – and expensive lifestyle – with the occasional film role, but that proved tricky because he couldn’t get an insurance bond. In other words, because he was fighting at the same time, the risk was too great and companies were extremely reluctant to insure a film with him in it.

B
UT HE WAS HAPPY ENOUGH TRAVELING THE GLOBE AS A PRO FIGHTER.
H
OLLYWOOD CAME BACK TO HIM WHEN RED-HOT DIRECTOR
Q
UENTIN
T
ARANTINO, A HUGE
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE FAN, OFFERED
M
ICKEY A KEY ROLE IN
PULP FICTION
AS
B
UTCH
C
OOLIDGE, A VETERAN BOXER BRIBED BY A MOBSTER TO THROW HIS LATEST FIGHT.
I
T WAS A GREAT ROLE, PERFECT FOR
M
ICKEY, AND COULD HAVE CATAPULTED HIM RIGHT BACK TO THE MOVIE BIG TIME, BUT HE DIDN’T EVEN READ THE SCRIPT.
H
E WAS PREPARING FOR A FIGHT IN
K
ANSAS AGAINST
T
OM
B
ENTLEY AT THE TIME AND DIDN’T WANT TO BE DISTRACTED.
A
FTER
M
ICKEY PASSED ON THE PART, ACTION STAR
B
RUCE
W
ILLIS GOT THE ROLE OF
B
UTCH INSTEAD.
H
E DID A GOOD JOB BUT SURELY THE ACCLAIMED MOVIE WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE AUTHENTIC AND ENTERTAINING WITH
M
ICKEY IN THE ROLE.

M
ICKEY KNOWS NOW THAT PASSING ON
PULP FICTION
WAS A MISTAKE BUT HE HAD NO REGRETS AT THE TIME – ESPECIALLY AFTER HE
KO
’ED
B
ENTLEY IN THE FIRST ROUND.
H
E WAS GETTING A BIGGER RUSH FROM FIGHTING THAN HE HAD EVER EXPERIENCED IN FILMS.
T
HE CROWDS GRADUALLY WARMED TO HIM AS WELL.
A
S FIGHT FANS SAW HE WAS SERIOUS ABOUT THE SPORT, THEY GAVE HIM THEIR RESPECT.

I
T WAS A LITTLE HARDER TO WIN OVER THE SPORTSWRITERS.
N
EWSPAPER REPORTS FROM HIS FIGHT CAREER CARRIED HEADLINES LIKE “ROURKE’S LATEST FIGHT NOTHING BUT A FARCE” AND “FANS BOO ROURKE AFTER DRAW.”
S
OME OF THE PRESS IN
M
IAMI THOUGHT HE WAS THE BIGGEST FAKE TOUGH GUY TO COME OUT OF
F
LORIDA SINCE
V
ANILLA
I
CE.
B
UT THE FANS NEVERTHELESS TURNED OUT IN BIG NUMBERS TO WATCH
M
ICKEY FIGHT.
H
E HAD CROWDS OF 10,000 AND 15,000 AT SOME OF HIS CONTESTS.

N
OT ALL OF THE FANS WERE SUPPORTIVE HOWEVER.
W
HEN HE WENT TO
H
AMBURG,
G
ERMANY, TO FIGHT
T
HOMAS
M
C
C
OY, AUDIENCE MEMBERS PELTED HIM WITH BOTTLES IN THE RING.
R
OURKE ENCOURAGED THE FRENZIED CROWD TO KEEP ON THROWING THE BOTTLES UNTIL
F
REDDIE
R
OACH URGED HIM TO STOP WINDING UP THE FIGHT GOERS IN CASE THINGS GOT OUT OF HAND AND THEY GOT KILLED.

M
ICKEY GOT A MUCH WARMER WELCOME WHEN FIGHTING IN
J
APAN, WHERE HE WAS AS FAMOUS FOR HIS
TV
COMMERCIALS AS FOR HIS MOVIES.
M
ICKEY HAD SHOT BIG-MONEY
A
SIAN MARKET–ONLY ADS FOR
S
UNTORY WHISKY AND
D
AIHATSU CARS.
M
ICKEY ADMIRES
J
APANESE CULTURE AND ONCE BOUGHT A
S
AMURAI SWORD IN
T
OKYO.
T
O THIS DAY, SOME OF HIS MOST FRENZIED FANS ARE THE
J
APANESE.

S
ADLY, THEY DIDN’T SEE MUCH OF HIM IN THE RING BECAUSE HIS FIGHT IN THE
T
OKYO
D
OME WAS OVER IN JUST TWO MINUTES WITH HIS OPPONENT
D
ARRELL “
B
IG
C
HIEF ”
M
ILLER DECKED BY A BIZARRE PUNCH, MORE OF A FLY-SWATTING MOVE THAN A CHAMPION’S BLOW, BUT EFFECTIVE NEVERTHELESS.
I
T WAS JUST AS WELL HE FINISHED THAT FIGHT EARLY AS
M
ARIELITO WAS SICK WITH THE FLU THAT NIGHT AND KNEW HE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO LAST MORE THAN TWO ROUNDS.

O
N A TRIP TO
A
RGENTINA, HE GOT TO MEET ONE OF HIS BOXING HEROES,
C
ARLOS
M
ONZON.
T
HE LEGENDARY FIGHTER WAS SERVING A PRISON SENTENCE FOR KILLING HIS COMMON-LAW WIFE.
M
ICKEY VISITED HIM IN HIS
A
RGENTINEAN JAIL AND EVEN SPARRED A LITTLE WITH HIM IN THERE.

M
ICKEY WAS GRADUALLY BEING ACCEPTED AND EVEN EMBRACED BY THE FIGHT COMMUNITY IN
A
MERICA AND BEFRIENDED LEGENDARY FIGHTERS LIKE
E
VANDER
H
OLYFIELD AND
S
UGAR
R
AY
L
EONARD.
A
S TIME WENT ON, THE ACTOR-TURNED-FIGHTER FELT MORE COMFORTABLE IN THE COMPANY OF SPORTSMEN THAN OF MOVIE PEOPLE.

A
T ONE POINT IN HIS BOXING CAREER, HE TURNED TO THE BIGGEST LEGEND OF THEM ALL FOR HELP.
M
ICKEY WAS SO NERVOUS ABOUT AN UPCOMING FIGHT IN WHICH HE FEARED HE WAS OUTMATCHED THAT HE COULDN’T SLEEP AT NIGHT AND INSTEAD JUST LAY IN BED SHAKING AND SWEATING.
H
E DECIDED TO TURN FOR ADVICE TO HIS OLD INSPIRATION,
M
UHAMMAD
A
LI.
M
ICKEY CALLED UP THE CHAMP’S FRIEND AND OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER
H
OWARD
B
INGHAM AND ASKED HIM FOR THE FAVOR OF GETTING
A
LI TO CALL HIM IN A BID TO SETTLE HIS NERVES.

T
HE NEXT NIGHT,
A
LI CAME ON THE PHONE.
H
E DIDN’T REMEMBER
M
ICKEY FROM THE
F
IFTH
S
TREET
G
YM DAYS IN
M
IAMI BUT HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS GOING THROUGH AND SPENT ALMOST TWENTY MINUTES ON THE PHONE TO
M
ICKEY, CALMING HIM DOWN AND BOOSTING HIS CONFIDENCE.
A
S A RESULT,
M
ICKEY WAS FINE IN THE FIGHT.

A
LI’S HEALTH DETERIORATED IN THE LATER STAGES OF HIS CAREER, NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE OF THE FIGHTS BUT AS A LEGACY OF ALL THE SPARRING HE HAD DONE IN TRAINING FOR THEM.
M
ICKEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.
D
URING HIS PRO CAREER,
M
ICKEY WAS SPARRING UP TO THIRTY ROUNDS A WEEK, NOT ALWAYS WEARING HEAD GUARDS, WHICH MADE HIM CLAUSTROPHOBIC.

O
NE OF THOSE SPARRING SESSIONS WAS WITH BOXING GREAT
T
HOMAS
H
EARNS AND
M
ICKEY CAME TO REALIZE HOW THAT CHAMPION HAD EARNED THE NICKNAME “
H
IT
M
AN.”
H
EARNS HIT
M
ICKEY SO HARD THAT HE SUFFERED DELAYED CONCUSSION, FEELING IT TEN HOURS AFTERWARDS, AT MIDNIGHT.
M
ICKEY SUDDENLY FELT SO SICK THAT HE TRIED TO PHONE FOR A DOCTOR, BUT HIS HEAD WAS SO MESSED UP HE COULDN’T MAKE HIS FINGERS TOUCH THE NUMBER KEYS.

A
S HIS OWN FIGHTING CAREER WOUND DOWN,
M
ICKEY BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS OF BRAIN DAMAGE, BEING UNABLE TO REMEMBER WHAT HE HAD DONE THE NIGHT BEFORE.
I
N ADDITION TO SHORT-TERM MEMORY LOSS, HE WAS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH HIS BALANCE.
F
RIGHTENED OF SUFFERING PERMANENT BRAIN DAMAGE – AND DISINTEGRATING LIKE THE BOXER HE PLAYED IN
HOMEBOY
–
M
ICKEY ARRANGED TO TAKE A NEUROLOGICAL EXAM.
H
E FAILED IT.
A
ND THE DOCTOR INSISTED, “
Y
OU SHOULD STOP FIGHTING IMMEDIATELY.”

P
UNCH-DRUNK
M
ICKEY BEGGED HIM TO LET HIM CARRY ON, SAYING HE HAD THREE MORE FIGHTS SCHEDULED AND THE THIRD ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR A
WBO
CHAMPIONSHIP BELT – A PRIZE THAT WOULD HAVE MEANT MORE TO HIM THAN AN
O
SCAR.
H
E TOLD THE NEUROLOGIST, “
I
JUST NEED TO FIGHT THREE MORE TIMES.”

B
UT THE EXPERT REPLIED, “
L
ISTEN, YOU CAN’T EVEN GET HIT IN THE HEAD ONE MORE TIME, YOUR NEURO IS SO BAD.”

W
HEN
M
ICKEY REVEALED HOW MUCH HE WOULD BE EARNING FOR HIS NEXT FIGHT, THE SURGEON REPLIED, “
Y
OU WON’T BE ABLE TO COUNT IT.”

F
ACED WITH THE CHOICE OF QUITTING THE RING OR RISKING BECOMING A DROOLING VEGETABLE,
M
ARIELITO MADE THE WISE DECISION AND THREW IN THE TOWEL.

H
IS LAST FIGHT, IN 1994, WAS A DRAW WITH “
I
RISH”
S
EAN
G
IBBONS IN
D
AVIE,
F
LORIDA.
A
FTER SIX WINS AND TWO DRAWS,
M
ICKEY RETIRED FROM THE RING UNBEATEN BUT HAD SUSTAINED SEVERAL INJURIES OVER THE PREVIOUS THREE YEARS, INCLUDING BROKEN BONES IN EACH HAND, broken ribs, and a few concussions. Mickey had also sustained facial injuries which required several operations. These ranged from a split tongue to a compressed cheekbone. He ended up with far fewer teeth in his mouth and his nose was repeatedly broken. Mickey needed five operations on his nose, which was rebuilt with cartilage taken from his ear.

M
ICKEY’S FACE WAS RECONSTRUCTED BY A COSMETIC SURGEON USED BY OTHER BOXERS AND NICKNAMED “
T
HE
B
UTCHER.”
D
URING ONE OF THE PROCEDURES,
T
HE
B
UTCHER STUCK A LONG NEEDLE INTO
M
ICKEY’S LIP AND PULLED OUT AN INFECTION.
H
IS BOTCHED WORK LEFT
M
ICKEY’S LIP STICKING OUT A LONG WAY.
H
E WAS SUPPOSED TO GO BACK FOR ONE MORE CORRECTIVE SESSION WITH
T
HE
B
UTCHER, BUT HE COULDN’T FACE THE PAIN AND NEVER RETURNED.
I
T WOULD TAKE FOUR YEARS FOR HIS FACE TO RETURN TO RELATIVE NORMALITY.