On December 19, 1981, at the Playboy Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Matthew Saad Muhammad and Dwight Muhammad Qawi (then known as Dwight Braxton) met for Saad Muhammad's WBC World Light Heavyweight Title.
This bout marked the ninth title defence for Saad Muhammad since he won the title from Marvin Johnson in April 1979.
Leading up to this fight, Qawi had been on a remarkable streak. In May 1981, he scored a significant victory by stopping Mike Rossman in the seventh round, a win that marked a breakthrough in his career. Following this success, Qawi returned to a familiar setting, Rahway State Prison in New Jersey, where he had once been an inmate himself, serving a sentence for armed robbery before his release in 1978. Here, he faced James Scott, another inmate and highly ranked contender, in a highly anticipated match. On September 5, 1981, Qawi defeated Scott unanimously over 10 rounds, solidifying his position as the top 175lb division contender.
With a record of 31-3-2, Saad Muhammad weighed 174½ lbs after initially weighing 177 lbs, two pounds over the limit, and had to shed the excess weight within a two-hour window. Qawi ranked No. 5 by the WBC and holding a record of 15-1-1, weighed in at 174¾ lbs. The fight was refereed by the experienced Arthur Mercante. The judges for the bout were Charlie Spina, Tony Castellano, and Eva Shain, all of whom scored the fight in favour of Qawi, with scores of 89-83, 89-83, and 89-82, respectively.
Saad Muhammad, known for his slow starts, was advised to use his jab to keep Qawi at bay due to his height disadvantage. However, Qawi's aggressive style, characterized by powerful jabs and right hands, quickly took its toll on the champion. By the second round, Qawi had already hurt Saad Muhammad with a heavy right to the head and a right uppercut. Throughout the fight, Qawi's relentless pressure and precise punching continued to batter Saad Muhammad. Despite Saad Muhammad's attempts to switch to heavier punches, he was consistently outmanoeuvred by Qawi's jab and right-hand combinations.
By the eighth round, Saad Muhammad was wobbled by an overhand right that sent blood splattering into the audience who were on their feet, reflecting the high excitement and drama unfolding in the ring. In the tenth round, Saad Muhammad, realizing it might be his last, launched a desperate assault but was met with a fierce counterattack from Qawi. A hook from Qawi sent Saad Muhammad stumbling back, and after a brief recovery and an eight-count from Mercante, the referee stopped the fight with just six seconds left in the round.
Qawi's victory marked his first world title win, and he improved his record to 16-1-1. Saad Muhammad's purse for the fight was $425,000, while Qawi earned $50,000.
