Mickey Rourke says a WWE Hall of Famer inspired him to sign on for "The Wrestler," calls for the U.S. Department of Labor to look into wrestling

Mickey Rourke admits he was initially not attracted to the role he ended up taking in The Wrestler. "I did not have an attraction to it, coming from a boxing background," he told Slam Wrestling. Rourke began researching the industry by meeting with wrestlers and revealed that a former WWE Hall of Famer was an inspiration for his character.

"Greg "The Hammer" Valentine was this big, big guy in, maybe his early 60s, but he was still all tanned, and with all this long blonde hair," Rourke said. "He spoke about wrestling with such enthusiasm, and such pride." Rourke noted that his meeting with Valentine inspired him to accept the movie role.

Meanwhile, Rourke and director Darren Arnofsky sounded off on the lack of benefits available to pro wrestlers. "Absolutely, these (promotions) should be looked into," Rourke said. "There's no insurance, no pensions." To read the full article, visit Slam Wrestling.

Powell's POV: Very interesting article. Rourke and director Darren Arnofsky also had very kind words for Necro Butcher, and they sounded off on the industry's problems. The article is written by former WWE creative team member Ranjan Chhibber and is highly recommended. Is it possible that Rourke and Arnofsky could help spark change in the industry if the movie becomes a hit?