The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

It might surprise most, but for those familiar with Vince McMahon and WWE, you never say never in wrestling.

It has been reported that Mickey Rourke, outside of his acclaim by film critics for his performance of broken down wrestler Randy the Ram in The Wrestler, has also drawn high praise for his in-ring abilities by trainers and pro wrestlers alike. So much so that he is slated to wrestle Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania XXV in Houston, Texas.

You can't make this stuff up.

At first, my initial reaction was "sellout". Rourke was very critical of the wrestling business when doing PR for The Wrestler, citing the industry needed to do a better job of taking care of its performers. I couldn't help but agree with those sentiments. But afer signing a deal with McMahon to perform at the "Superbowl" of wrestling; I don't know, to me it feels like he's signing a deal with the devil or something.

But upon further reflection, Rourke was just doing what someone who was ignored and down on his luck (reportedly looking for a job in construction before landing his comeback role) and is grabbing the brass ring while he still can. I thought to myself, would Randy the Ram make the same decision?

In a heartbeat. In a lot of ways, they feel they have little choice. It's their chance to shine again in the limelight, because they know the pain all too well of seeing it fade in front of their very eyes. Who wouldn't want all the attention and money tied into this gig?

Forget making a statement. It's all about the dollars, and that is what Randy the Ram, and Mickey Rourke, are all about. Who am I to judge that reasoning?