Mickey Rourke Is Participating In WWE's Wrestlemania?

Last night at the SAG Awards, Mickey Rourke was on the red carpet when he revealed to Access Hollywood that he may be wrestling for WWE's Wrestlemania 25, which will be held in Houston, TX on April 5:

The boys from the WWE called me and asked me to do it...I said, 'I want to.' I'm talking with [Wrestler] Rowdy Roddy Piper about it.

[For video of a similar exchange in which Rourke basically confirms it, click here]

Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, for which Rourke received a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination, has won acclaim both for Rourke's performance and for its candid depiction of the wrestling profession. I outgrew my enjoyment of professional wrestling long ago, but Rourke's participation would definitely get me to tune in. It's not clear to me whether or not Rourke will actually be doing a proper wrestling match,or if it will be more of a cameo-style appearance, but based on what I've seen/read, it's sounding like he's actually going to be stepping into the ring for real. Still, I can't decide if this news is the most awesome thing I've ever heard, or the most baffling.

At least Rourke is excited about it. "Chris Jericho, you better get in shape," Rourke said. "Because I'm coming after your ass."

[Thanks to /Film podcast listener Stephen for the tip!]