Former two-weight world champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi has died at the age of 72.
Wanda King, Qawi’s sister, confirmed his passing on Friday after a five-year battle with dementia.
“He was a great father, a great Pop-Pop to his grandchildren,” King told BoxingScene. “He had a heart of gold, and he fought his dementia illness just like he was fighting in the ring.”
Qawi was born Dwight Braxton on January 5, 1953, in Baltimore, Maryland, but grew up in Camden, New Jersey. As a young man, he frequently found himself on the wrong side of the law, and in 1973 was sentenced to jail at Rahway State Prison for armed robbery. While there, he began competing in the prison’s boxing program, and when he was released in 1978, he swiftly turned pro.
He went 1-1-1 in his first three outings, and his boxing career might not have progressed any further than that had it not been for Judge Peter Coruzzi. Qawi was in trouble again – convicted of assault and battery – and sentencing guidelines recommended further incarceration. Coruzzi, however, sensed that Qawi was turning a corner in life and sentenced him to five years of probation.
Qawi – who changed his name after converting to Islam in 1982 – had raced to a record of 15-1-1 when he challenged Matthew Saad Muhammad for the WBC and lineal light heavyweight championship in December 1981. Despite being extremely short for the 175lbs weight class – he stood just 5ft 7ins – he was immensely powerful, and used that strength to overcome Saad Muhammad’s advantages in technique, experience and reach, rocking the defending champion several times with his violent assault before dropping and stopping him in the 10th.
Qawi made three successful defenses before losing a unification bout to WBA titleholder Michael Spinks in March 1983. Stepping up to cruiserweight, he beat South African’s Piet Crouse to win the WBA cruiserweight title in July 1985. He lost that title a year later via split decision to Evander Holyfield in one of the greatest title fights in cruiserweight history.
Qawi would not be world champion again, although he would challenge twice more. A rematch with Holyfield did not go well, Qawi falling in four. But he pushed Robert Daniels to a split decision in a tussle for the vacant WBA strap in November 1989.
Despite his small stature, Qawi also spent a spell at heavyweight, notably scoring a decision over Everett Martin but being stopped in seven by George Foreman.
He retired in 1999 at the age of 46, with a career record of 41-11-1 (25 KOs). He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004. In retirement, he trained boxers and worked as a youth advocate and drug and alcohol counselor.
“He went out like a champ,” King said of her brother, “right to the end.”