Dwight Muhammad Qawi, the Hall of Fame boxer who began his career while incarcerated and went on to become a two-weight world champion, has died at 72. His sister, Wanda King, confirmed he passed away Friday after a five-year struggle with dementia.
Born Dwight Braxton in Baltimore and raised in Camden, Qawi discovered boxing through a prison program at Rahway State Prison, where he served time for armed robbery. He turned professional at age 25 soon after his 1978 release. In December 1981, after legally changing his name in 1982 following his conversion to Islam, Qawi won the WBC light heavyweight title by stopping Matthew Saad Muhammad in the 10th round, then defeated him again eight months later. Known as “The Camden Buzzsaw,” Qawi captured the WBA cruiserweight title in 1985, but lost it to Evander Holyfield in 1986. He later competed as a heavyweight, including a bout against George Foreman. Qawi retired in 1998 with a 41-11-1 record and 25 knockouts and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004. After retiring, he dedicated himself to training fighters, advocating for youth, and counseling those struggling with addiction.