Chris Melendez lost a leg on the battlefield in Iraq. The war hero from East Harlem is now in for a different kind of “fight,” taking to the ring for “TNA Impact Wrestling” in New York this week.
Melendez made his debut at the Manhattan Center on Tuesday night, and it will air in September.
“When I was able to open my eyes after the explosion, I looked across the battlefield to see what I thought was a fellow soldier in need of help,” Melendez said in a TNA press release. “I quickly realized it was my leg.”
Melendez, who received a Purple Heart, is a fighter, and within 40 days, he was back up and walking with a prosthetic leg.
His love for pro wrestling grew from his youth, when he was introduced to the sport by his grandmother.
“The ability to captivate an audience without having to say any words is what got me hooked,” said Melendez, who has been training for two years.
Melendez will not be the first person with one leg to wrestle.
Years ago, Zach Gowen had a short stint in WWE. Gowen, who lost his leg to cancer, now wrestles on the independent circuit. He is part of a tag team with Gregory Iron, who suffers from cerebral palsy.