Rourke takes on Jericho at Wrestlemania

HOUSTON, April 6 (UPI) -- Mickey Rourke, a former boxer and actor who earned an Oscar nod for his work in "The Wrestler," took on pro wrestler Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania in Houston.

Rourke, 56, and Jericho, 38, engaged in trash talk for weeks leading up to Sunday's event. The actor said he would participate in the show, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania, but later backed out. Last week, he was confirmed as an attendee.

"Contractually, because I'm doing this movie called 'Iron Man 2' now, I can't get in the ring with (Jericho,)" "Access Hollywood" quoted Rourke as telling a WWE reporter hours before he climbed into the ring with Jericho and eventually won by a "knockout."

Rourke's friends Ric Flair, Roddy Piper and Ricky Steamboat, as well as WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Snuka, all tackled, but were defeated by Jericho before Rourke's entrance, "Access Hollywood" said.

"Jericho had made a comment that, 'That wrestler movie he made, that's not my story,'" Rourke said before the event. "And he can say all the (expletive) he wants about my friends Ric Flair, Roddy Piper and Ricky Steamboat -- these guys that he's talking about, I've got a lot of respect for and I've got a lot of love for. They're my friends and I think any one of them on any given night could kick Jericho's (expletive.)"