Dwight Muhammad Qawi Dies: Ex-Convict and Boxing Legend at 72 Years Old

Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Boxing Legend, Passes Away

The boxing world mourns the loss of Dwight Muhammad Qawi, a legendary pugilist who left an indelible mark on the history of the sport. Qawi, a Hall of Fame member, 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. Dwight Braxton, his birth name, grew up in Camden and found boxing in prison, where he was serving a sentence for armed robbery. After his release in 1978, at the age of 25, he began his professional career. In 1982, after his conversion to Islam, he legally changed his name to Dwight Muhammad Qawi. In December 1981, Qawi conquered the WBC light heavyweight title by defeating Matthew Saad Muhammad in the tenth round. Eight months later, he beat Saad again, this time in six rounds.

Dwight Muhammad Qawi was a light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion in the 1980s and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004. After a defeat to Michael Spinks in March 1983, Qawi, nicknamed “The Camden Buzzsaw”, moved up in weight and won the WBA cruiserweight title against Piet Crous in July 1985. Qawi lost the title to future heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in a 15-round bout in July 1986. Subsequently, Qawi 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. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004. After his retirement, he worked as a boxing coach, youth advocate, and counselor on drug and alcohol issues.