Dwight Muhammad Qawi (January 5, 1953 – July 25, 2025), a Hall of Fame fighter who took up boxing in prison and became a two-weight world champion, died Friday following a five-year battle with dementia.
He competed from 1978 to 1998, and was a world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBC and Ring magazine light heavyweight titles from 1981 to 1983, and the WBA cruiserweight title from 1985 to 1986. Qawi was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.
Before he was a world champion known for his relentless, pressure-heavy style, Dwight Muhammad Qawi was Dwight Braxton—a troubled youth from Camden, New Jersey, caught up in crime and sentenced to prison for armed robbery. It was during his time behind bars at Rahway State Prison that Braxton discovered boxing, inspired by fellow inmate and ranked light heavyweight James Scott.
Upon his release in 1978, Qawi turned pro and quickly made noise in the light heavyweight ranks despite a rocky 1-1-1 start. He rebounded with 14 consecutive wins, including a return bout against James Scott inside Rahway prison, which secured him a title shot. On December 19, 1981, Braxton stunned Matthew Saad Muhammad with a 10th-round TKO to become WBC light heavyweight champion. Around this time, he converted to Islam and adopted the name Dwight Muhammad Qawi.
Qawi defended his title three times, including a second win over Saad Muhammad, before narrowly losing a unification bout to Michael Spinks in 1983. Struggling with the 175-pound weight limit, he moved up to the cruiserweight division—a decision that reignited his career.
On July 7, 1985, Qawi captured the WBA cruiserweight crown by stopping Piet Crous in South Africa. His reign included wins over notable names like former heavyweight champ Leon Spinks. In July 1986, he faced rising star Evander Holyfield in a grueling 15-round battle, ultimately losing a razor-thin split decision in what is considered one of the greatest cruiserweight fights of all time. Their 1987 rematch ended in a fourth-round TKO loss for Qawi.
Qawi made a brief move to heavyweight, losing to George Foreman in 1988 after collapsing from exhaustion in the seventh round. He later returned to cruiserweight but came up short again in a 1989 title fight against Robert Daniels.
Qawi retired in 1999 with a professional record of 41-11-1 (25 KOs). Despite never regaining a title after his prime, he left a lasting impact on the sport with his aggressive style and resilience. Post-retirement, he dedicated himself to training fighters in New Jersey, passing on the lessons he learned from a life that saw redemption through the ropes.
