OUND THE CORNER.
>> ALL RIGHT, ERIC BRAATE, THANK
YOU SO MUCH.
>>> NOW HERE'S AN AMPUTEE
ATHLETE GOING FOR THE KNOCKOUT.
>> FORMER MARINE SERGEANT ARAB
MERRANTE IS FIGHTING FOR A LIFE
WITH MOW LIMATIONS.
I GOT -- NO LIMITATIONS.
HIM.
>> IN THIS CORNER, IRON BILL!
>> NO LIMITATIONS.
>> AND IN THIS CORNER, STEPPING
INTO THE RING FOR THE VERY FIRST
TIME, JABBING J.B.
>> JUST LIKE THE GREATEST, FLY
BEE.
FROM THE WAIST UP THIS FIGHTING
ELSE.
BUT ON APRIL 20th, 2007,
DURING HIS THIRD TOUR OF DUTY IN
IRAQ, THE SEVEN MEN IN HIS SQUAD
WERE HIT BY A SUICIDE BOMBER.
>> MY SQUAD WAS OVERPASSING A
BRIDGE AND WE WERE HIT BY A
SWIEWD BOMBER THAT CAME
UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE AND
DETONATED A DUMP STRUCK WITH
15,000 POUNDS OF EXPLOSIVES.
I ENDED UP WAKING UP.
I SAT UP.
WAS COVERED IN DEBRIS.
I PUSHED A PIECE OF CONCRETE OFF
OF ME.
I LOOKED DOWN AT MY HAND.
MY HAND WAS MANGLED.
I LOST IN TEETH AND I LOOKED
DOWN AT MY LEG AND MY BOOT HEEL
WAS L--SHAPED AND MY FIT WAS BY
MY HIP.
>> HIS LEG HAD TO BE AMPUTATED.
ERIC'S ROAD TO RECOVERY WAS LONG
AND NOT EASY.
>> I WAS 22 YEARS OLD.
THREE COMBAT TOURS, YOU KNOW,
FRESHLY YOUNG MAN.
>> SEARCHING TO HAVE A A NEW
NORMAL, ERIC, NOW RETIRED,
TURNED TO A SPORT HE LOVED AS A
KID.
>> BOXING GAVE ME MY
DETERMINATION, MY DRIVE, MY SAME
AMBITION THAT I CARRIED THAT I
HAD THROUGHOUT MY TRAINING IN
THE MARINE CORPS CAREER.
>> BUT HE FOUND OUT HE COULDN'T
STEP INTO A REGULAR RING.
>> BECAUSE OF THE FACT I WAS
MISSIONING A LIMB, WE -- MISSING
A LIMB, WE TRIED TO GET BACK IN
THE BOXING WORLD AND IT WAS
NEVER HEARD OF AND THAT GAVE ME
THE PUSH TO EVEN DO IT -- DO IT
MORE.
>> SO WE HELPED ORGANIZE THE
NATIONAL AMPUTEE BOXING
ASSOCIATION SO HE COULD BOX AND
SHARE THE SPORT HE LOVES EVEN
WITH FOLKS LIKE ME WHO'S NEVER
>> I'M EXCITED.
TAKE IT SLOW.
>> I DON'T GET TO HIT PEOPLE
NORMALLY.
>> GOOD.
YOU'RE GETTING NASTY.
HERE.
>> DOES IT HURT WHEN YOU GET HIT
IN THE FACE?
>> MOST DEFINITELY.
GOOD.
AGAIN.
>> THIS HURTS.
>> DOUBLE JA
DONE.
>> MEAN.
>> THAT WAS JUST A WARMUP.
JUST LIKE THI BOX ESHNORMALLY
TRAINS, WE JUMP ROPE, WRAP OUR
WRISTS, HIT THE HEAVY BAG,
PRACTICE THE BOB-AND-WEAVE, THEN
ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING WITH COACH.
>> COME ON, IRON FIST.
SMACK TO HIM?
>> I'M WORKING.
>> HE LOOKS NICE, RIGHT?
IT'S MY TURN TO GO ONE-ON-ONE
WITH COACH.
>> YOUR JOB IS TO HIT ME.
>> BUT IS THIS GOING TO HURT MY
HAND WHEN I HIT THAT?
HE'S TALKING SMACK.
>> GET IN THERE.
IS THIS WHAT HAPPENS IN A REAL
FIGHT?
>> YES.
>> I'VE NEVER HIT ANYBODY LIKE
THIS BEFORE.
[LAUGHTER]
>> TRUST ME, ERIC IS TAKING IT
VERY EASY ON ME.
HIS PROS THINK ITIC -- HIS
PROSTHETIC LEG DOESN'T BEND
WHICH MAKES IT HARDER TO BOX.
>> I WANTED TO BE ON THE SAME
DRIVE I HAD BEFORE, BECAUSE
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY I LOST
>> HE'S BASICALLY BALANCING ON
ONE LEG.
I TRIED IT AND AS I FOUND OUT,
IT'S REALLY TOUGH TO BALANCE ON
ONE LEG AND PUNCH AT THE SAME
TIME.
>> THROWS YOU OFF BALANCE.
>> THAT'S HARD.
>> IN THE RING AND OUT, THIS
CHEAP, THIS HERE -- CHAMP THIS,
HERO IS PUNCHING THROUGH LIFE
WITH NO LIMITATIONS.
>> YEAH.
ERIC IS JOINING US NOW, FIRST OF
ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.
>> WHAT A TRAIL BLAZER YOU ARE.
WERE YOU SURPRISED THERE WEREN'T
OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU AS A BOXER
BECAUSE OF YOUR LIMB?
>> YES I WAS SUPERSURPRISED.
I WAS SHOCKED THERE WAS NOTHING
THAT EXISTED HERE IN THE INS.
>> THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE -- IN
THE UNITED STATES.
>> THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE YOU'RE
OPENING THE DOOR.
FOR.
NOW KIDS WITH SOME TYPE OF
DISABILITY, THEY HAVE THAT GOAL
OR THEY HAVE THAT MINDSET TO
OPEN UP NOW BECAUSE THOSE DOORS
ARE AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO GO TO
COMBAIT IF THEY WANT TO.
>> I WAS SO SURPRISED WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT THE PARALYMPICS.
THIS ISN'T AN EVENT YET AND
HAPPEN.
>> WE'RE PUSHING FOR IT.
THAT WAY I CAN BE IN TOKYO, BE
ABLE TO FIGHT AND TO REPRESENT
THE COUNTRY.
I MEAN, WHAT BETTER WAY THAN
HAVING THE ORIGINAL GAMES.
>> THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
YOU'VE BROUGHT A DUMMY ALONG.
THESE GLOVES HAVE MADE US WANT
TO PUNCH SOMETHING.
>> MOST DEFINITELY.
>> THEY MAKE YOU FEEL TOUGH.
>> WE TAUGHT HER A COUPLE MOVES.
SO WE'RE GOING --
>> MY TURN.
>> LET HER SHOW CASES AND --
>> DO YOU WANT ME TO --
>> SHOW A LITTLE SOMETHING.
>> YOU KNOW.
JABIN' J.B. DON'T MESS AROUND.
I'M LEFT HANDED.
>> THE JAB TO T FACE.
WAY.
>> BY THE WAY, HOW IS YOUR NOSE?
>> STILL ON.
>> I LOVE THAT IT HURTS WHEN YOU
GET HIT IN T FACE.
>> YOU GOT TO COME IN AND GIVE
IT A TRY.
>> SO TELL ME HOW TO DO THIS.
>> START OFF WITH YOUR LEFT, GO
STRAIGHT TO YOUR FACE, AND RIGHT
ON BY.
THERE YOU GO.
HERE.
TAKE HIS AIR OUT.
ALL THE WAY OUT.
THAT ONE -- HE'S DONE.
>> I GUESS I'M TOO STRONG.
>> I WAS SURPRISED WHEN WE WERE
TRAINING, THE TREMENDOUS
TECHNIQUE THAT GOES IN.
YOU'RE NOT JUST PUNCHING.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOU'RE KEEPING
YOUR WRISTS NICE AND TIGHT.
>> AND YOUR FEET HAVE TO BE
PLANTED.
>> IT'S A TWIST.
>> WHEN YOU COME INSIDE, WHEN
YOU SET TO PLANT THAT PUNCH, YOU
HAVE YOU HAVE TO ROTATE YOUR
WHOLE LEG.
THIS RIGHT LEG PIVOTS OUTWARDS
SO THE ENERGY COMES STRAIGHT AND
IT RELOSES RIGHT HERE.
>> -- RELEASES RIGHT HERE.
>> JUST LIKE ELECTRICITY.
>> IT HAS TO FIND THE GROUND OUT
TO MAKE ITS WAY OUT AND THAT'S
WHERE THE PUNCH COMES.
>> WE HAVE TO TELL EVERYBODY
ABOUT THE EVENT COMING UP.
>> TOMORROW WE'LL WE'LL FIGHTING.
>> WE HAVE TO DO SOME -- IT'S AT
5:30, AT SILVER STREET STUDIOS.
A BIG EVENT.
>> ALSO BENEFITS THE LONE STAR
FOUNDATION.
>> YES, MARCUS LATRELL WILL BE
DOWN HERE.
THE ORGANIZATION IS A NONPROFIT
THAT MARCUS STARTED AND WE'RE
GOING SHOWCASE AND OPEN UP THE
SHOW FOR THEM.
>> THE LONE SURVIVOR.
>> SANCTIONED EVENT.
YOU'RE GOING BIG TIME.
>> WE'RE DEFINITELY NEED THE
SUPPORT OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY
SO THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE THAT
CITY BEHIND US AND PUSH FORWARD
AND DO GREAT THINGS.
>> AND AFTER THAT EVENT, THERE'S
ANOTHER BIG ONE COMING UP.
>> MARCH 18th, WHICH IS GOING
TO BE THE FIRST WORLD TITLE FOR
AMPUTEES.
I'LL BE FIGHTING FOR A BELT.
SO WE'LL PUT --
>> YOU'RE FOR THE KNOCKOUT.
YOU ARE.
>> FOR THE PARALYMPICS WE'RE
ROOTING FOR YOU.
>> GOT TO HAPPEN.
HOUSTON.
>> HE'S A GREAT COACH AND HE
TRAINS ANY FIGHTER.
FEMALE OR MALE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR.
>> THANK YOU.
>> FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE
NATIONAL AMPUTEE BOXING
ASSOCIATION, YOU CAN CHECK OUT
NATIONAL AMPUTEE BOXING
MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW ERIC ON