Shinima stuns unbeaten American to win NABA title
Namibian boxer Charles Shinima overcame a second-round knockdown to claim the North American Boxing Association (NABA) light heavyweight title with a split-decision victory over previously unbeaten American Samuel Lee Arnold III in Long Beach, California, on Saturday night.
The 34-year-old delivered a remarkable upset at Thunder Studios after accepting the fight at short notice and travelling to the United States alone, with little time to prepare for the challenge.
Arnold, who entered the bout unbeaten, suffered the first defeat of his professional career, dropping to 16 wins and one loss, with 11 knockouts.
Shinima’s victory was all the more impressive considering the difficult circumstances surrounding his preparations. According to his newly appointed trainer, Charles Huerta of Maywood Boxing, the Namibian accepted the opportunity as a replacement and arrived in the United States about a week before the fight.
Speaking after his victory, Shinima described the achievement as a major moment for himself, his family and his boxing career.
“I’m feeling good, man. This is a very good feeling. Like in Africa, it’s every man’s dream to win in America. To fight in America and win in America,” he said.
“It’s something very big for myself and for my family and for my career.”
The fight did not begin as planned for Shinima, who was knocked down heavily in the second round. However, he refused to give up and gradually fought his way back into the contest before flooring Arnold in the seventh round.
Acknowledging the severity of the early knockdown, Shinima said he had to draw on his determination to remain in the fight.
“I can’t deny that was a bad knockdown. But I put it in my head to say I’m a strong boxer. I’ve got to get up and fight. I’ve got to do this. I’ve got to take a win at home,” he said.
“And that’s what I did.”
Shinima also expressed gratitude to the Maywood Boxing team, including Huerta and his fellow coaches, for welcoming him despite having met him only days before the bout.
“I feel very blessed to work with Maywood Boxing. The managers and coaches are good people. Since day one, I’ve met them just a few days ago, but they’ve been good to me. They’ve treated me so well,” he said.
The victory marks another milestone in Shinima’s professional career, which has seen him compete across several weight divisions.
He previously held the WBO Africa welterweight title from 2021 to 2023 and was still competing at super lightweight in February this year, when he defeated Laurent Segu by unanimous decision over six rounds in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
In June, Shinima moved up to light heavyweight but suffered a defeat against unbeaten Albanian boxer Alban Bermeta in Tirana.
He weighed in at 174 pounds (78.9kg) for the bout against Arnold, completing a remarkable turnaround to claim a regional title on American soil.
Following the upset, Shinima said he was eager to contact more of his family members to share the news, admitting that the excitement would likely keep him awake for the night.
For the Namibian, a late call-up that initially offered little preparation time has now delivered a career-defining victory and the NABA light heavyweight championship.
