37 years ago

Date: 5th December 1987

Venue: Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey

Title: WBA & IBF World Cruiserweight Titles

Promoter: Kathy Duva, Shelly Finkel

Referee: Randy Neumann

Tv: Showtime Championship Boxing

Evander Holyfield
( 16 - 0 - 0 )
Weight: 187 lbs

Dwight Muhammad Qawi
( 28 - 4 - 1 )
Weight: 190 lbs

In contrast to their first encounter, Evander Holyfield's second bout with Dwight Muhammad Qawi concluded with a decisive victory for Holyfield. The match, which occurred on December 5, 1987, at the Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was a significant event aired on Showtime Championship Boxing. This time, Holyfield, holding both the WBA and IBF cruiserweight titles, made a strong statement by knocking Qawi out in the fourth round.

Entering as the unified champion, Holyfield's performance against Qawi solidified his dominance in the cruiserweight division. Qawi, despite being the top-rated contender by the IBF, could not withstand Holyfield's power in their rematch. Notably, the WBA did not sanction this fight; thus, had Qawi won, the WBA title would have been declared vacant. However, Holyfield's compelling victory mooted that point.

Qawi was on the canvas twice during the fourth round of the fight. The definitive moment came at 2:30 of the same round when Holyfield landed a powerful combination, securing the knockout. This victory retained Holyfield's titles and underscored his capability and potential for moving up in weight classes.

Holyfield's accuracy was statistically remarkable; he landed 107 of his 206 punches, achieving a 52% success rate. In contrast, Qawi landed 40 of his 138 attempts, a 29% success rate, underscoring Holyfield's superior skill and strategy in this bout.

Dan Duva of Main Events promoted the event, with Ed Derian as the ring announcer. The significance of this match extended beyond the titles at stake; it was symbolic of Holyfield's ascent in boxing and marked the end of an era with the last 15-round title bout sanctioned by the WBA.

Holyfield's victory over Qawi not only avenged any doubts from their first meeting but also marked the end of an era.