Mark Wahlberg Is In Fine Fighting Form

Courtesy: Sports Illustrated

Mark Wahlberg, wearing nothing but boxing shorts and gloves, is Sports Illustrated's cover boy ... and we're not complaining.

At 39 years old, the shirtless star of The Fighter is still hotter than ever. Oh, and we can't forget about Christian Bale standing next to him ... who almost looks unrecognizable. We know underneath all that scruff is a sexy man.

SI has named Wahlberg's latest film "the best sports movie of the decade." The rapper formerly known as Marky Mark has also received a Golden Globe Best Actor nomination for the role.

As for nabbing the cover of SI, Wahlberg says, "As somebody who always dreamed of being a professional athlete, to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated is an amazing accomplishment."

In the film, Christian Bale plays Wahlberg's older brother, but in real life, the guy DOES have a sense of humor. During a recent interview, Bale spontaneously started singing The Powerpuff Girls theme song. Of course, he blamed the song being in his head on his daughter, but it's adorable. Take a listen.