What would have happened if Braxton had met Saad, while in his prime? Was it just style's? Had Matt taken one too many beatings in winning efforts? Interesting question.
Overall, Qawi is / was a much better and greater fighter than Saad Muhammad ever was..... Skillwise, its not even close............. But by 1981 / '82, Saad Muhammad was washed-up....... Qawi was in his prime from '81 to '85...... His peak was right after Muhammad's...... Still, Qawi is the better man......... MR.BILL
But that give and take slugfest Quawi had with Holyfield, is something right up Saad's alley. A brawl like that & Saad's chances vastly improve against Quawi.
Saad's LH resume is way better than Braxton's: Kates, Johnson (x2), Lopez(x2), Conteh (x2), Vonzell Johnson, Jerry Martin, Lotte Mwalle. To each his own I guess Mr. Bill but to say it's not even close in skill is way too strong a statement. Spinks didn't do anything offensively to Braxton that a prime Saad wouldn't have done (and more). Check out the uppercut Saad KO's Mwalle with sometime. That would've been a nightmare for Braxton. Sure it would've been a more entertaining fight but Braxton wasnt stopping a prime Saad and would've lost a decision.
Saad was always hittable, and relatively easy to take out of his gameplan; and Qawi was always the shorter, more precise puncher and the more skilled inside technician. Saad could do well for as long as he could keep the fight on the outside, but the question is, for how long can he keep it outside? Putting it plainly, I just can't see him holding off Qawi forever, under any circumstances.
MSM could do everything by the book when he wanted, he certainly had excellent offensive skills and a good kit of punches..Yeah Qawi was probably more polished and overall more skilled, but I wouldnt say the gap is massive..They were both elite fighters and alltime great light heavyweights..Like My2 said though he was easy to drag out his gameplan.
Very well put. I also think Braxton's strength plays a big part in this fight as he eventually grinds the ultra durable Saad down. What a fight this would have been prime for prime over 15 rds.
The Buzzsaw chops down Saad Muhammad...... Muhammad's defense was horrid, but his younger chin was solid....... YES! Saad Muhammad rarely stuck to his original game plan when faced with a good opponent who was tuff as nails........ Dwight M. Qawi is the type of bad-ass at a lean and mean 175 pounds to put a serious ass whippin' on a mo fo like Saad Muhammad....... Saad Muhammad was still young enough to compete in 1982, but he was burned out at 175 pounds....... Saad Muhammad should've moved up to Cruiser and fought some "Hand-Picked" fights at 185 to 190 pounds....... HOWEVER! The KO loss to some dude named Eric Winbush kinda' told the story that Muhammad was nearing the end....... Hey, Qawi looked like **** against Holy in the '87 rematch, and Qawi was greatly over-powered by Foreman in '88...... Age is a terrible thing........ MR.BILL
I remember that...it was shocking. I recall picking up the paper one day in 1983 and reading that Saad had been kayoed by someone with a 9-6 record. Unbelievable. It was supposed to be Saad's first tune-up after losing the title. Interestingly, the same thing happened to Saad's (sort of) rival Mike Rossman a few years earlier, immediately after Rossman lost his title to Galindez. Rossman was shockingly stopped by a guy with a 13-6-2 record. I guess losing the title -- and being in too many wars (in the gym and in the ring) -- can be a milestone in a champion's life, and can result in eroded fighting ability afterwards. Maybe the effect is psychological, the letdown that follows a career climax. I don't know.
You're probably correct. The Saad who lost to Dwight in 1981 was on the downside, but it's questionable as to whether the 1978 or 1979 Saad (prime) would have been able to beat Qawi, either. Both of them were incredible fighters. I'm glad I got to observe their prime years on television and through the magazines and papers.
Qawi was a bit of a frontrunner at times.If saad was able to put enough leather on him early, it's not tough to imagine him being able to keep it on the outside long enough to win. qawi was very skilled, but also totally one-dimensional, whereas Saad could abandon his skills but was far more multi-faceted at his best.
Dwight managed to get to Matthew at the right time, if the best version of Matthew was fighting Dwight, he would have more to diffuse him, and would win the fight on a wide unanimous decision, with Matthew putting on extra flavoring in the championship rounds.
Virtually all MSM fights were wars.....after he changed his style from boxing. Braxton would draw MSM into a shootout.....and TKO him most ever time.