Dwight Muhammad Qawi

Dwight Muhammad Qawi (1953–2025)

Dwight Muhammad Qawi, the “Camden Buzzsaw,” was one of boxing’s most unrelenting champions. This two-division world titleholder stood out for his ferocious pressure style and ability to overcome adversity.

Born Dwight Braxton on January 5, 1953, in Baltimore, Maryland, his road to the ring was unconventional. While serving time in Rahway State Prison, he discovered boxing and honed the aggressive, crouching style that became his trademark. Upon his release in 1978, he joined Joe Frazier’s Gym in Philadelphia, where he learned from the same uncompromising school of hard sparring that had shaped world-class fighters before him.

He turned professional that same year, at the late age of 25, with no amateur fights and only a few weeks of formal training. Even so, Qawi rose quickly through the ranks. After early wins in Atlantic City, Baltimore, and New York, he began upsetting established names — defeating former world champion Mike Rossman in May 1981, and later that year beating the highly regarded James Scott inside Rahway Prison itself.

World Titles and Legacy Fights

Qawi’s career changed forever on December 19, 1981, when he challenged Matthew Saad Muhammad for the WBC and The Ring light heavyweight titles. In a brutal, grinding fight, Qawi’s pressure broke the champion down, and he claimed the belt by 10th-round stoppage. He successfully defended the crown in 1982, beating Jerry Martin, Eddie Davis, and stopping Saad Muhammad again in their rematch. That same year, he converted to Islam, adopting the name Dwight Muhammad Qawi.

In March 1983, Qawi met Michael Spinks in a unification bout. Though he lost a clear decision, the fight demonstrated his toughness and determination against another future Hall of Famer. Rather than fade, Qawi moved up to the cruiserweight division, and on July 27, 1985, he stopped Piet Crous in South Africa to win the WBA cruiserweight championship.

Qawi defended the title by knocking out former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks in Reno in 1986, a high-profile win that captured headlines. But that July, he met the rising force of Evander Holyfield. Their 15-round split-decision battle is remembered as one of the greatest cruiserweight fights ever, with both men trading ferociously until the final bell. Although Qawi lost his belt, his performance greatly enhanced his reputation. The 1987 rematch saw Holyfield stop him in four rounds, but by then Qawi’s name was firmly etched into division history.

Campaigns at Cruiserweight and Heavyweight

After Holyfield, Qawi continued to test himself. He defeated Lee Roy Murphy and Rickey Parkey but came up short against future champions like Ossie Ocasio, Robert Daniels, and Nate Miller. Always undersized, he even stepped into the heavyweight division, challenging the legendary George Foreman in 1988. The risk ended in a stoppage loss, but Qawi’s willingness to face such formidable opponents typified his career.

He fought on into the 1990s, mostly at cruiserweight, scoring wins over seasoned fighters such as Eddie Taylor, James Salerno, and Earl Clark, before retiring after an eight-round decision loss to Tony LaRosa on November 25, 1998.

Career Overview

Professional Record: 53 fights — 41 wins, 11 losses, 1 draw

Knockouts: 25 (including 6 in world title fights)

Major Titles:

WBC & The Ring Light Heavyweight Champion (1981–1983)

WBA Cruiserweight Champion (1985–1986)

In 2004, Dwight Muhammad Qawi was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, recognition of a career defined by toughness, skill, and the ability to fight above his size and beyond expectation.

Qawi’s compact build and swarming style made him a nightmare for taller opponents, and his résumé reads like a roll call of 1980s boxing royalty — Matthew Saad Muhammad, Michael Spinks, Evander Holyfield, Leon Spinks, George Foreman. Few men tested themselves across so many weights and against so many champions.

Dwight Muhammad Qawi will be remembered as more than a world champion; he was a fighter’s fighter — unyielding, fearless, and one of the most respected warriors of his era.

Dwight Muhammad Qawi – Fight Highlights

December 19, 1981 – vs. Matthew Saad Muhammad (Atlantic City, NJ)
Qawi’s breakthrough night. Facing the notoriously durable WBC light heavyweight champion, Qawi fought his way inside, relentlessly hammering Saad Muhammad until the referee stopped the fight in round 10. This earned him both the WBC and The Ring light heavyweight titles.

August 7, 1982 – vs. Matthew Saad Muhammad II (Philadelphia, PA)
The rematch confirmed Qawi’s supremacy. Once again, his swarming pressure overwhelmed Saad Muhammad, this time stopping the Philadelphia warrior in round 6. The win cemented Qawi as the best light heavyweight in the world at the time.

March 18, 1983 – vs. Michael Spinks (Atlantic City, NJ)
Qawi attempted to unify the division against the unbeaten WBA champion. Spinks, one of the most technically gifted fighters of the era, outboxed Qawi over 15 rounds, handing him a decision defeat. Although unsuccessful, the bout added to Qawi’s reputation for chasing the toughest challenges.

July 27, 1985 – vs. Piet Crous (Sun City, South Africa)
Qawi moved up to cruiserweight and captured his second world title. After wearing down Crous with sustained pressure, Qawi scored an 11th-round knockout to win the WBA cruiserweight championship and establish himself as a two-division champion.

March 22, 1986 – vs. Leon Spinks (Reno, NV)
In his first major defence as cruiserweight champion, Qawi faced the former heavyweight king. Though Spinks had seen better days, his name still carried weight. Qawi dominated, stopping him in 6 rounds.

July 12, 1986 – vs. Evander Holyfield I (Atlanta, GA)
One of the greatest cruiserweight fights ever contested. Qawi, 33, battled the 23-year-old rising star Holyfield for 15 gruelling rounds. Both fighters unloaded huge combinations, with Qawi pressing forward and Holyfield firing back with youth and precision. Holyfield edged a split decision, handing Qawi a narrow loss in a classic remembered decades later.

December 5, 1987 – vs. Evander Holyfield II (Atlantic City, NJ)
The rematch was decisive. Holyfield stopped Qawi in the 4th round, signalling the shift of power in the division, but also showcasing Qawi’s fearlessness in facing elite competition again.

March 19, 1988 – vs. George Foreman (Las Vegas, NV)
Undersized but never intimidated, Qawi challenged the resurgent heavyweight icon George Foreman. The size disparity proved too much, and Qawi was stopped in 7 rounds. The fight highlighted both his ambition and his courage: at just 5’7”, he stood toe-to-toe with one of the division’s most feared punchers.