Dwight Muhammad Qawi - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Dwight Muhammad Qawi is a former world boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

champion in the light heavyweight

Light heavyweight

In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...

and cruiserweight divisions. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame

International Boxing Hall of Fame

The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...

in 2004.

Background

Qawi, then known as Dwight Braxton, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but grew up in Camden, New Jersey

Camden, New Jersey

The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...

, where he got involved with crime at a young age. He was eventually convicted of armed robbery and spent around five years in prison.

It was at Rahway that Braxton found his place in life. The prison had an extensive boxing program and one of its inmates, James Scott

James Scott (boxer)

James Scott is an American former boxer and former prison inmate. He is best known for having become a contender in the World Boxing Association's light heavyweight division while incarcerated at Rahway State Prison in Avenel, New Jersey....

, was a light heavyweight title contender who fought several times inside the prison itself. Braxton took up the sport, and when he was released from prison in 1978, immediately became a professional boxer. Qawi's style was most often likened to Joe Frazier and with good reason as he had trained in Fraziers Philadelphia gym as a professional.

Professional career

He went 1-1-1 in his first three pro fights, but then reeled off 14 straight victories to move into the world rankings at light heavyweight. The last of those wins came on September 5, 1981, when Braxton returned to Rahway to fight Scott, with the winner promised a shot at Matthew Saad Muhammad

Matthew Saad Muhammad

Matthew Saad Muhammad is a former boxer who was the world's light heavyweight champion.Saad Muhammad's mother died when he was an infant, and he and his elder brother were sent to live with an aunt. When he was five, his aunt could not afford to look after both of them and she instructed Saad...

's WBC

World Boxing Council

The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...

world championship belt. Braxton won a unanimous 10-round decision.

On December 19 of the same year, Braxton faced Saad Muhammad in Atlantic City. The ex-convict was the underdog against Saad, one of the most popular fighters of his generation and a fellow Hall of Famer, but Braxton defeated him on a 10th-round technical knockout

Knockout

A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...

and became a world champion for the first time. It was shortly after this that he announced his conversion to Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

and changed his name.

He defended the title three times in the next 15 months, knocking out Jerry Martin, Saad Muhammad a second time and Eddie Davis. On March 18, 1983, he lost a close but unanimous decision to WBA

World Boxing Association

The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...

champion Michael Spinks

Michael Spinks

Michael Spinks is a retired American boxer who was a world champion in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions...

in a unification bout.

Qawi felt that making the division's 175-pound weight limit had drained him physically, and resolved to seek another world title in the newly created cruiserweight division. Freed of the need to fight to keep his weight down, Qawi reeled off another series of wins and claimed the WBA cruiserweight title on July 7, 1985, knocking out Piet Crous

Piet Crous

Petrus Arnoldus Crous was a South African professional boxer.-Professional career:Crous turned pro in 1977 and won the WBA cruiserweight title with a decision win over Ossie Ocasio in 1984. He defended the belt once before losing it to Dwight Muhammad Qawi via TKO the following year. Crous was...

in Crous' native South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

.

He won two more fights, including a victory over former world heavyweight titlist Leon Spinks

Leon Spinks

Leon Spinks is a former American boxer. He had an overall record of 26 wins, 17 losses and 3 draws as a professional, with 14 knockout wins, and was the former World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association heavyweight champion of the world...

, before accepting a challenge from Olympian Evander Holyfield

Evander Holyfield

Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...

on July 12, 1986. The fight, in Holyfield's hometown of Atlanta, went the full 15 rounds with Holyfield winning a split decision.

After the loss to Holyfield, Qawi fought off and on for the next 12 years, but never regained a world title. He rematched with Holyfield in 1987 for the WBA and IBF

International Boxing Federation

The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...

cruiserweight titles, but was stopped in the fourth round.

After a short stint in the heavyweight ranks, where in 1988 he lost to George Foreman

George Foreman

George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...

by knockout in seven rounds, being forced to quit from exhaustion, he tried to regain the cruiserweight title. On November 27, 1989, he dropped a split decision to Robert Daniels

Robert Daniels

Robert Daniels , is a professional boxer in the Cruiserweight division.Daniels, known as "Preacherman," turned pro in 1984 and in 1989 he captured the vacant World Boxing Association cruiserweight title by defeating a badly faded 36-year old Dwight Muhammad Qawi...

for Holyfield's vacated WBA title.

Qawi retired in 1999 at the age of 46, with a career record of 41 wins, 11 losses and one draw, with 25 wins by way of knockout. Currently, he works as a boxing trainer in New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

.

In 1998, Dwight began working at the Lighthouse, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Mays Landing, NJ. He works with both adults and adolescents and is a patient advocate. (http://www.dvrbs.com/PEOPLE/camdensports/Boxing-DwightQawi.htm)

Professional boxing record

Tony LaRosa
|UD
|8
|25/11/1998
|align=left|

Tyrone Demby
|TKO
|2
|27/06/1997
|align=left|

Earl Clark
|UD
|6
|08/05/1997
|align=left|

Nate Miller

Nate Miller born August 3, 1963 in Philadelphia, PA, was a professional boxer in the Cruiserweight division.Miller, known as "Mister" Nate Miller, turned pro in 1986 and in 1994 landed a shot at IBF Cruiserweight Title holder Alfred Cole, but lost a decision...

|UD
|10
|13/10/1992
|align=left|

Dave Fiddler
|TKO
|2
|18/07/1992
|align=left|

Arthur Williams

Arthur Williams (boxer)

Arthur "King" James Williams is a professional boxer .Williams became professional in 1989 and fell short in his first shot at a major championship title, a 1994 split-decision loss to Orlin Norris for the World Boxing Association Cruiserweight Title. Williams was knocked out in the third round...

|UD
|10
|08/05/1992
|align=left|

Ric Lainhart
|TKO
|1
|07/04/1992
|align=left|

Ricky Parkey
|TKO
|8
|07/11/1991
|align=left|

Eddie Taylor
|TKO
|4
|23/07/1991
|align=left|

James Salerno
|UD
|10
|11/06/1991
|align=left|

Tommy Richardson
|KO
|1
|20/04/1991
|align=left|

Bert Gravley
|TKO
|3
|02/03/1991
|align=left|

Mike Hunter

Mike Hunter (boxer)

Mike Hunter was an American boxer who won the NABF Heavyweight title.-Professional career:...

|UD
|12
|16/03/1990
|align=left|

Robert Daniels

|SD
|12
|27/11/1989
|align=left|

Everett Martin

Everett Wayne Martin , also known as Bigfoot Martin is a former professional boxer. He is a journeyman heavyweight best known for his performances against more notable contenders.-Pro Boxing Career:...

|UD
|10
|22/05/1989
|align=left|

Andre McCall
|UD
|12
|18/04/1989
|align=left|

Tyrone Booze

Tyrone Booze is a former boxer who held the World Boxing Organization cruiserweight world championship.Booze became a professional boxer in 1982 and had mixed success during his early career...

|PTS
|10
|15/02/1989
|align=left|

Olian Alexander
|TKO
|3
|23/11/1988
|align=left|

George Foreman

George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...

|TKO
|7
|19/03/1988
|align=left|

Evander Holyfield

|KO
|4
|05/12/1987
|align=left|

Lee Roy Murphy

-Amateur career:Murphy had an amateur record of 157-17, winning the 1979 Light Heavyweight National Golden Gloves and earning a spot on the 1980 United States Olympic team...

|TKO
|6
|15/08/1987
|align=left|

Ossie Ocasio

Osvaldo Ocasio, , better known as Ossie Ocasio and nicknamed Jaws, is a Puerto Rican who was a boxer and world Cruiserweight champion. He got his peculiar nickname after accidentally biting another boxer during a sparring session...

|MD
|10
|15/05/1987
|align=left|

Narcisco Maldonado
|TKO
|4
|06/02/1987
|align=left|

Evander Holyfield

|SD
|15
|12/07/1986
|align=left|

Leon Spinks

|TKO
|6
|22/03/1986
|align=left|

Rick Enis
|KO
|1
|08/01/1986
|align=left|

Piet Crous

|TKO
|11
|27/07/1985
|align=left|

Michael Greer
|UD
|10
|27/02/1985
|align=left|

Stanley Ross
|UD
|10
|12/12/1984
|align=left|

Pat Cuillo
|UD
|10
|21/03/1984
|align=left|

Johnny Davis
|SD
|10
|17/09/1983
|align=left|

Michael Spinks

Michael Spinks is a retired American boxer who was a world champion in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions...

|UD
|15
|18/03/1983
|align=left|

Eddie Davis

Eddie Davis (boxer)

Eddie Davis was a professional light heavyweight boxer. Overall, he compiled a record of 34 wins , 6 losses, and 1 draw....

|TKO
|11
|20/11/1982
|align=left|

|TKO
|6
|07/08/1982
|align=left|

Jerry Martin
|TKO
|6
|21/03/1982
|align=left|

|TKO
|10
|19/12/1981
|align=left|

James Scott

James Scott (boxer)

|UD
|10
|05/09/1981
|align=left|

Mike Rossman

Mike Rossman is an American former world champion boxer. He is of Jewish/Italian origin, which led to his monikers "The Kosher Butcher" and "The Jewish Bomber." He finished his professional boxing career in 1983 with a record of 44–7–3, with 27 knockouts.-Life and career:Rossman was born in...

|KO
|7
|31/05/1981
|align=left|

Al Bolden
|PTS
|10
|05/03/1981
|align=left|

Johnny Davis
|PTS
|10
|08/01/1981
|align=left|

Tony Mesoraca
|TKO
|6
|06/11/1980
|align=left|

Rick Jester
|TKO
|3
|14/08/1980
|align=left|

Charles Smith
|TKO
|4
|05/06/1980
|align=left|

Leonard Langley
|TKO
|2
|08/05/1980
|align=left|

Cornell Chavis
|TKO
|1
|29/03/1980
|align=left|

Theunis Kok
|KO
|1
|04/02/1980
|align=left|

Johnny Wilburn
|UD
|8
|14/11/1979
|align=left|

Donald Biff Cline
|TKO
|1
|26/09/1979
|align=left|

Louis Butler
|PTS
|8
|03/07/1979
|align=left|

Louis Butler
|PTS
|6
|25/05/1979
|align=left|

Johnny Davis
|SD
|6
|02/11/1978
|align=left|

Lou Benson Jr.
|PTS
|6
|03/06/1978
|align=left|

Leonard Langley
|PTS
|6
|19/04/1978
|align=left|

|align=left|
|-align=center

External links

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