Alum succeeding in pro boxing

June 30, 2009 by David L. Levi 

Former UNLV champ credits college career for success in pros

One former Rebel is proving that you can’t put UNLV athletics in a box – alumni can add a new face to the list of post-collegiate sports success stories.

Henry Namauu, once a part of UNLV’s national championship boxing team is now a professional boxer. He is already one of the young stars in the cruiserweight division and is ranked No. 40 in the United States after seven fights.

Namauu fought for UNLV’s boxing team for three years, building an impressive fight résumé in the process. As an amateur boxer, he built his boxing skills under the guidance of UNLV boxing coach Skip Kelp and Chris Ben-Tchavtchavadze.

During his three years on the team, Namauu won national and regional titles in collegiate boxing. In the amateur circuit, he won the USA State tournament and placed second in the USA Regionals as a heavyweight. He also traveled to Tahiti and knocked out two of the country’s Olympic boxers, winning two medals and a gold cup. Namauu’s amateur record turning pro was 15-4.

As a professional, Namauu’s record stands at 4-3 with three knockouts.

He is known for his ring presence and his walk to the ring. Namauu is escorted by cheerleaders to every fight and always comes out to the same fan fare– the UNLV fight song.

Namauu wants people at his fights to know that he learned his skill at the UNLV boxing gym and supports the program’s expansion.

“I always make new fans when I walk out to a fight, when they hear the UNLV fight song, and I just hope that it will make some of those kids go learn how to do something productive in the gym,” said Namauu.

Though he halted his education after his third year at UNLV, he knows that he will one day go back to finish.

“You know what, I didn’t [graduate] and I’m not upset that I stopped school to do something that I love,” said Namauu.

“But I do plan on going back after I get boxing out of my system. There is a shelf life on my body but never on my mind.”

Namauu’s next fight is at the Orleans Arena on Aug. 21.