The boxing world mourns the loss of Dwight Muhammad Qawi, a legendary boxer who left an indelible mark on the history of this sport. Qawi, who became a world champion in two different categories, passed away at the age of 72.
The news was confirmed by his sister, Wanda King, who revealed that Qawi fought dementia for five years. His passing leaves a void in the hearts of fans and in the boxing community.
Born as Dwight Braxton in Baltimore, Qawi grew up in Camden. His path in boxing began in Rahway State Prison, where he participated in the boxing program while serving a sentence for armed robbery. After his release in 1978, at the age of 25, he turned professional.
In 1982, after his conversion to Islam, he legally changed his name to Dwight Muhammad Qawi. His impact in the ring was immediate. In December 1981, he defeated Matthew Saad Muhammad in the tenth round to win the WBC light heavyweight title. Eight months later, he beat Saad again, this time by technical knockout in the sixth round.After a defeat against Michael Spinks in March 1983, Qawi, known as “The Camden Buzzsaw”, moved up in weight and conquered the WBA cruiserweight title by defeating Piet Crous in July 1985. His career continued with memorable fights, although he lost the cruiserweight title to Evander Holyfield in July 1986.
Subsequently, Qawi competed in the heavyweight category, where he was defeated 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 legacy was recognized in 2004, when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
After his retirement, Qawi dedicated himself to training boxers, defending young people, and working as a counselor on drug and alcohol issues.
