No WWE Rumble for Rourke

Oscar nominee bows out of his much-hyped Wrestlemania appearance, prefers to "focus entirely on his acting career"

UPDATE: WWE honcho Vince McMahon tells E! News that Rourke will still be in Houston, even if he's not in a leotard: "I am pleased that Mickey Rourke will be in attendance at WrestleMania to support the WWE Superstars who support him and the film in which he stars, The Wrestler."
_________________________________________________________________

Mickey Rourke's appearance on WrestleMania 25 was a total knockout before it even began.

At the SAG Awards on Sunday, the Academy Award nominee (for his role as Randy "the Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler) told E! News he was planning to "do" the event. He even threatened WWE star Chris Jericho, saying, "You better get in shape because I'm coming after your ass."

But sadly, the April 5 grapple in Houston is not to be.

"Mickey was very honored to be asked, as he has the greatest respect for WWE. However, he will not be participating in WrestleMania," the actor's rep, Paula Woods, says in a statement. "He is focusing entirely on his acting career."

Besides, the Golden Globe winner has a more prestigious match to concentrate on: his upcoming Oscar face-off with Sean Penn.

—Additional reporting by Whitney English

(Originally published Jan. 29, 2009 at 7:36 a.m. PT)