Some fighters, when at their best, we can watch them all day long. One such awesome fighter, one who had a superb array of skills and attributes to watch and let us let sink in as he did his stuff – a subtle defense, a ferocious, non-stop punch output, snarling aggression, a rock of a chin, the ability to make it his fight – is Dwight Muhammad Qawi.
Born on this day in 1953 (happy 72nd, champ!), as Dwight Braxton, the future two-weight king of the ring, would also enjoy two names: Dwight Muhammad Qawi and “The Camden Buzzsaw.” The first came about due to Dwight’s newfound Muslim religion; the second came from a boxing writer who sure did hand out a most apt nickname after having seen Qawi fight, his seemingly limitless number of thrown punches enough to impress the hell out of anyone.
Qawi, famously, had no amateur career. Instead, having learned how to fight and how to box whilst in jail, Qawi – all 5’6” of him (listings vary) – came out raw but hungry. After going 1-1-1 at the start of his pro career, Qawi became a seriously polished stone or gem of a fighter. Fast, able to slip and slide with the best of ’em, and able to make the other guy pay if/when he did miss a shot, Qawi could also out-jab much taller men. Qawi could outwork just about any opponent, and Dwight could break a guy’s heart with his constant, crouching, snarling approach. With his inner fire, accompanied by a great chin, Qawi ruined superb men like Mike Rossman, James Scott, Matthew Saad Muhammad (this to become light heavyweight champ), Jerry Martin, and Eddie Davis.
Then, after a loss to Michael Spinks on points over 15, which was, at least in part, due to Qawi’s busted septum, “The Buzzsaw” started chopping down cruiserweight trees, even heavyweight trees!
Today, Qawi – who was enshrined into The Hall of Fame in 2003, his completed life, well, completed – is best remembered for his epic war with Evander Holyfield, this in the hot summer of ’86. But as great as that fight was – and remains – Dwight lost. And Qawi should never, ever be remembered as a loser. To this day, rumors swirl that say Holyfield was “on something” during those 15 rounds with Qawi. We will never know, but Dwight sure has his beliefs and convictions.
Qawi soldiered on…..into a fight with heavyweight legend and behemoth George Foreman! And Qawi, in March of ’88, was bossing the action. But the short-notice assignment proved to be too much for a Qawi who was far more overweight than was the comebacking Foreman, with Qawi pulling, as KO Magazine (remember it) reported that day, a “no mas.”
Qawi fought on still, and in 1989, when way past his best but still many miles walked from those prison walls, he came within a whisker of winning back a portion of the cruiserweight title. Instead, Robert Daniels took home the split decision win.
Qawi had fought his last big fight and, after a dozen or so more, some wins, some losses, Dwight rang the bell on his career in 1998. At 41-11-1(25) Qawi knows today how great he was. Those who have a keen eye when watching a fight know it, too. And it didn’t hurt a bit that Qawi was so exciting, even fun, to watch.
Happy birthday again, champ!
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