In sad news, it’s been reported that boxing great, two-weight king Dwight Muhammad Qawi has passed away at the age of 72. According to Dwight’s sister, who broke the news, Qawi died on Friday, this after a five-year battle with dementia. Qawi, known as “The Camden Buzzsaw” during his at times thrilling ring career, ruled at light heavyweight and at cruiserweight. Qawi, who listings varyingly have him at around 5’6” to 5’7,” was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2003.
Having endured an unimaginably tough upbringing, with poverty, violence and murder all seen up close by the young Dwight Braxton, the future fighter was himself jailed, this for sticking up a local bar. It was in Rahway State Prison that Dwight learned to box. Making simply illogical progress in the pro ranks upon his release in 1978, Qawi, who had NO amateur fights, soon showed his skills.
Brilliantly defensive yet also aggressive and exciting to watch, Qawi, trained by Wesley Mouzon, was able to beat taller, bigger men. Qawi fought with a grin, giving his opponent just the top of his head as a target. Qawi was a machine, full of energy to burn and carrying serious punching power. “I fought like I was chopping down trees,” Qawi once said when referring to his relentless, buzzsaw style.
It was in December of 1981 when Qawi, at just 15-1-1, defeated fellow great Matthew Saad Muhammad to win the WBC and Ring Magazine light heavyweight titles. Soon changing his name after adopting the Muslim faith, the former jailbird had completely turned his life around. A repeat stoppage win over Saad Muhammad came, before Qawi, after logging up title retentions in fights with Jerry Martin and Eddie Davis, lost a 15 round battle with rival 175 pound champ Michael Spinks, this in March of 1983.
Qawi made the move up to the new division of cruiserweight, and he travelled to South Africa to stop Piet Crous to win the WBA belt – “I broke him down, old-school style,” Qawi said of his July, 1985 win. A punishing hammering of Leon Spinks followed, before Qawi, now aged 33, fought perhaps his most famous fight. The 15 round war with Evander Holyfield is perhaps THE greatest fight in the cruiserweight division’s history to date. Holyfield edged Qawi via split decision, yet Holyfield went directly to the hospital thereafter, where he had to be hooked up to an IV, such was the dangerous number of pounds he had lost during the gruelling, unforgettable slugfest.
After being stopped by Holyfield in the rematch, Qawi had one more big surprise: he would move up to heavyweight to face the comebacking George Foreman. After bouncing some rights and lefts off Foreman’s head in the early rounds, an overweight Qawi ran out of gas and was stopped in round-seven. It’s astonishing to think, though, that Qawi, all 5’6” (or so) of him, went in with the fearsome “Big George.”
Qawi had one final world title chance, but he was pipped by Robert Daniels, this via split decision for the vacant WBA cruiserweight title, in November of 1989. Qawi soldiered on until 1998, with him finally retiring with a 41-11-1(25) record. Only Holyfield and Foreman managed to stop Dwight.
A superb fighter in his prime, and a warrior who never had things easy, either in life or in the ring, Dwight Muhammad Qawi will be sorely missed by all those fans who watched him fight and appreciated him.
Our condolences go out to Dwight’s family and friends at this time.
