CAMDEN, N.J. — Dwight Muhammad Qawi, the Corridor of Fame fighter who took up boxing in jail and have become a two-weight world champion, has died. He was 72.
Qawi’s sister, Wanda King, stated he died Friday following a five-year battle with dementia.
Born Dwight Braxton in Baltimore, Qawi grew up in Camden. He competed within the boxing program at Rahway State Jail whereas serving a sentence for armed theft and turned skilled at age 25 quickly after his launch in 1978.
In December 1981, Qawi — who legally modified his identify in 1982 following his conversion to Islam — stopped Matthew Saad Muhammad within the tenth spherical to win the WBC gentle heavyweight belt. Qawi stopped Saad once more eight months later, taking six rounds.
After a loss Michael Spinks, the 5-foot-7 Qawi — referred to as “The Camden Buzzsaw” — moved up in weight and took the WBA cruiserweight title from Piet Crous in July 1985. Qawi misplaced the title to future heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in a 15-rounder in July 1986.
Qawi later fought as a heavyweight, with George Foreman stopping him in seven rounds.
Qawi retired in 1998 at age 46 with a 41-11-1 file and 25 knockouts. He was inducted into the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame in 2004.
After his retirement from the ring, he labored as a boxing coach, youth advocate and drug and alcohol counselor.