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It's always difficult to get the public's attention with a slate of premieres in the run-up to Christmas. And with a Will Smith screening on the same night, Mickey Rourke must have felt an added promotional edge was needed when he presented The Wrestler in in Los Angeles.
The actor eschewed the tested method of escorting an attractive lady down the red carpet as Seven Pounds star Will did with his co-star Rosario Dawson. Instead he made his appearance surrounded by beefy professional fighters.
Among them was Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine, the wrestler on whom he based his character, Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake and 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper.
Mickey seemed in his element exchanging muscle-flexed greetings with the guys. Their attendance reflects the enthusiasm for the film in the wrestling world, in which his performance as Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, a wrestler 20 years past his prime and looking for a comeback, struck a deep chord.