ORLANDO — This time last year Lamar “T-N-T” Charlton didn’t know if he was going to walk again, let alone find himself back in the ring. Now he finds himself ready to deliver a performance to remember this Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Amway Center on the Miguel Cotto-Delvin Rodriguez undercard.

“We’re not promised tomorrow” Charlton said in a phone interview. After moving to Texas last year for work, Lamar found himself on the wrong end of what was a home robbery. He was shot in the scrum, and was hospitalized.

“I was just happy to be alive…I didn’t know if I was going to walk again.”

Raised in Ocala, FL, Charlton has been in boxing his whole life. A decorated amateur career led him to travel with the Florida national team at an early age to many nationally recognized tournaments.

Numerous injuries derailed his professional career including a stabbing that left him with a significant arm injury. But Lamar never gave up, and always pursued his dream of becoming a professional boxer.

Charlton turned pro in 2009, and has always had the attitude that he will fight anyone, at anytime. That led to a 2011 Telemundo bout against a highly decorated Cuban, Hairon Socarras, in which he fought to a draw in a fight many ringside observers say Lamar won.

In attendance that night was Miguel Cotto who was impressed with the performance. “T-N-T” said Cotto’s promoting team reached out to him for this opportunity knowing he is a fighter that puts on a great show for the fans.

“I prepare for anything, and everything. This is like a world title fight for me, this is HBO, my job is take some of the attention away from Cotto, and put it on T-N-T.” said Charlton.