[Crimson]

Comments from trainer Freddie Roach about Mickey Rourke:
Freddie Roach refused to work with Rourke when the actor first approached him in 1990 - because the acting star only turned up for training once in seven days.
Roach says, "I came out to Hollywood. I was here for seven days (and) he showed up in the gym one day in seven.... I ripped him so bad he actually cried."
The actor remembers the harsh lesson he learned that day: "Freddie came into the gym one day and he goes, 'Listen, I don't train people to lose fights; you're not running, you're not doing this, you're not doing that. I'm going back to Las Vegas.'
"I was making all kinds of excuses because my head was crazy... I was in tears. Freddie packed his bags and went back to Las Vegas.
"Freddie humiliated me, embarrassed me and reduced me to the fact that I was not giving 100 per cent, I was not being a professional and I was setting myself up to not be as good as I could be."
But Rourke refused to give up - and kept begging his trainer to reconsider.
Roach recalls, "He called me every day for 30 days and then finally I said to him, 'OK, if I come back, the next day you have off is the one I give you.'
"I think he had discipline in his life for the first time ever."

Matt Murphy, Mickey Rourke’s manager added, “It is Mickey’s new found discipline that has us confident he can go far in this sport. The so-called experts and haters of the world can say what they want. We are going to continue to build Mickey up by fighting in out of the way venues against better and better opposition, until he is ready for prime time. Sure we could make a ton of money right now by placing him on some pay per view cards. And I’m talking about pay-per-view with him as the main event fighter, not on the undercard. But, that’s not what this is about for Mickey. He loves and respects boxing and wants to pursue his dream of becoming World Champion.”

It was also announced by Matt Murphy that Mickey Rourke’s next fight would be exactly 3 weeks from his recent 6 round decision win over Anthony Bradley. He’ll go up against a still to be determined opponent on October 22nd, 1994 in Luebeck, Germany at the relatively small “Hansehalle”, which seats less than 1,000. The main attraction on the card is Graciano Rocchigiani 36-1 vs. Willie Kemp 13-14.