Dwight Muhammad Qawi dies at 72: How the boxer battled his way from prison to becoming World champion

Dwight Muhammad Qawi, the Hall of Fame boxer who rose from a prison sentence to become a two-division world champion, died Friday at the age of 72 after a five-year battle with dementia, his sister Wanda King confirmed.

Born at Dwight Braxton in Baltimore and raised in Camden, New Jersey, Qawi’s boxing journey began in the unlikeliest of places - Rahway State Prison - where he took up the sport while serving time for armed robbery.



Upon his release in 1978, he turned professional at the age of 25 and quickly made a name for himself with his relentless, aggressive style, earning the nickname 'The Camden Buzzsaw'.

Qawi captured his first world title in December 1981 when he stopped Matthew Saad Muhammad in the 10th round to claim the WBC light heavyweight championship. He dominated their rematch eight months later, winning in six rounds. After a close loss to Michael Spinks, Qawi moved up to the cruiserweight division.


In July 1985, he won the WBA cruiserweight title by defeating Piet Crous. A year later, he lost that title in a grueling 15-round classic to a young Evander Holyfield - a bout still regarded as one of the greatest in cruiserweight history. Qawi would later test the waters at heavyweight, including a 1988 loss to George Foreman.

He retired from boxing in 1998 with a phenomenal record of 41 wins, 11 losses, 1 draw, and 25 knockouts. Qawi was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.