The boxing world mourns the loss of Dwight Muhammad Qawi, an iconic boxer and Hall of Fame member. Qawi, who forged his path in the sport from his time in prison, passed away at the age of 72.
The news was confirmed by his sister, Wanda King, who reported that Qawi fought dementia for five years.
Born as Dwight Braxton in Baltimore, Qawi grew up in Camden. His foray into boxing began in Rahway State Prison, where he participated in the boxing program. After his release in 1978, at the age of 25, he turned professional.
In 1982, Qawi legally adopted the name Dwight Muhammad Qawi after his conversion to Islam. His legacy includes the conquest of the WBC light heavyweight title, after defeating Matthew Saad Muhammad in the tenth round in December 1981. Subsequently, he defeated Saad again in six rounds.Dwight Muhammad Qawi, campeón en peso semipesado y crucero en la década de 1980, fue incluido en el Salón Internacional de la Fama del Boxeo en 2004.After a defeat to Michael Spinks in March 1983, Qawi, known as “The Camden Buzzsaw”, moved up a weight class and won the WBA cruiserweight title, defeating Piet Crous in July 1985. In July 1986, he lost the title to Evander Holyfield, in a 15-round bout, who would later become a heavyweight champion.
Qawi later competed at heavyweight, being stopped by George Foreman in the seventh round.
Qawi retired in 1998 at the age of 46, with a record of 41-11-1 and 25 knockouts. His outstanding career led to his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.
After his retirement, Qawi dedicated himself to training boxers and working as a counselor in support programs for young people, as well as in the fight against drugs and alcohol.
