Boxing’s Greats of the States | New Jersey: Dwight Muhammad Qawi

Boxers come from every corner of the globe. Sometimes, fighters are products of their environment, favoring styles prevalent in the country or state from which they hail. Various regions of the United States are considered factories for great fighters, though that certainly is not the case with each state. In this weekly Sherdog.com series, the spotlight will shine on the best boxer of all-time from each of the 50 states. Fighters do not necessarily need to be born in a given state to represent it; they simply need to be associated with it.

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When looking at Dwight Muhammad Qawi’s 41-11-1 (25 KOs) record, the numbers do not jump off the page, but fans who followed boxing in the 1980s remember when he was in his prime.

Qawi was just 1-1-1 through his first three appearances, but once he found his rhythm, he was hard to stop. He rattled off 14 straight victories and knocked out Matthew Saad Muhammad for the WBC light heavyweight title in the 10th round of their memorable December 1981 encounter. Had it not been for the magical battle between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns, Qawi-Muhammad might have been the “Fight of the Year.” Qawi successfully defended the championship on three occasions before surrendering it to Michael Spinks, a man many view as the greatest light heavyweight of all-time.

The loss to Spinks did not deter Qawi. He responded with a seven-fight winning streak that included a 1985 knockout of Piet Crous that brought with it the WBA cruiserweight title. Qawi was dethroned in a 15-round split decision defeat to Evander Holyfield. From that point forward, he was never quite the same. Qawi was knocked out by Holyfield in their rematch, came up short against George Foreman and later failed in another bid to reclaim the WBA cruiserweight championship, losing a split decision to Robert Daniels on Nov. 27, 1989.

Qawi enjoyed a remarkable career, especially when one considers he had no amateur experience. He was enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004. Now 63, Qawi currently resides in Lindenwold, New Jersey.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Jersey Joe Walcott, Fireman Jim Flynn, Kendall Holt, Imamu Mayfield, Omar Shieka, Bruce Seldon, Chuck Wepner, Mickey Walker, Arturo Gatti, Terrance Cauthen