Dwight Muhammad Qawi facts for kids

Dwight Muhammad Qawi (born Dwight Braxton; January 5, 1953) is a famous American former professional boxer. He competed in boxing matches from 1978 to 1998. Dwight Qawi was a world champion in two different boxing weight classes. He held the WBC and Ring magazine light heavyweight titles from 1981 to 1983. Later, he won the WBA cruiserweight title, holding it from 1985 to 1986. Because of his amazing career, Qawi was added to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.

Early Life and Boxing Start

Dwight Qawi was born as Dwight Braxton in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up in Camden, New Jersey. He started his career as a professional boxer in 1978. Dwight Qawi's boxing style was often compared to the legendary boxer Joe Frazier. This was because Qawi trained at Frazier's gym in Philadelphia when he became a professional. In the early 1980s, he became a Muslim and changed his name from Dwight Braxton to Dwight Muhammad Qawi.

Becoming a Boxing Champion

When Dwight Qawi first started boxing, his record was 1 win, 1 loss, and 1 draw in his first three fights. But then, he won 14 fights in a row! This streak helped him become one of the top boxers in the light heavyweight division.

On September 5, 1981, he won a big fight against James Scott. This win meant he would get a chance to fight for the world championship. On December 19, 1981, Dwight Qawi faced Matthew Saad Muhammad in Atlantic City. Many people thought Saad Muhammad would win, but Qawi surprised everyone. He defeated Saad Muhammad in the 10th round by a technical knockout. This made Dwight Qawi a world champion for the very first time!

After winning his first world title, he successfully defended it three times. He knocked out Jerry Martin, beat Saad Muhammad again, and defeated Eddie Davis.

Moving to a New Weight Class

On March 18, 1983, Dwight Qawi had a tough fight against Michael Spinks. He lost this fight, which was a close decision by the judges. Qawi felt that trying to stay at the 175-pound light heavyweight limit made him too tired. So, he decided to move up to a new weight class called cruiserweight.

In the cruiserweight division, Qawi didn't have to worry as much about his weight. He started winning fights again. On July 7, 1985, he won the WBA cruiserweight title. He achieved this by knocking out Piet Crous in South Africa.

He won two more fights, including one against former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks. Then, on July 12, 1986, he faced the famous Olympian Evander Holyfield. The fight was in Holyfield's hometown of Atlanta and went all 15 rounds. Holyfield won by a close decision.

After losing to Holyfield, Qawi continued to box for 12 more years. However, he never won another world title. He fought Holyfield again in 1987 but lost in the fourth round. He also fought George Foreman in 1988 but lost by knockout.

Dwight Qawi retired from boxing in 1999 when he was 46 years old. His final boxing record was 41 wins, 11 losses, and 1 draw. He won 25 of his fights by knockout. Today, he works as a boxing trainer in New Jersey.

Life After Boxing

Since 1998, Dwight Qawi has been working at a center in Mays Landing, New Jersey. He helps people, including young adults, who are working to improve their lives. He is a supporter for those who need help.

Boxing Career Summary

Dwight Muhammad Qawi had a long and successful boxing career. He fought a total of 53 professional matches. He won 41 of those fights, with 25 of his wins coming by knockout. He lost 11 fights and had 1 draw.

See also

• List of world light-heavyweight boxing champions
• List of world cruiserweight boxing champions