The ESB British Forum Encyclopedia

Yeah, he was quality.

And fair play Dan, my trip to Thailand in a year or so will be geared towards first hand sources. Got some intriguing stuff in the pipeline already.

 

Nice one pal. I'll looking forward to reading your work, even of I hardly have a clue about Thai boxers

 

Was a very controversial win though.

I much prefer McCormack to Calderwood, Calderwood to me seemed really cocky, McCormack just went out partying all the time and would just turn up and do his thing.

I might do one on McCormack, in here.

 

Go on then :good

 

Would take a lot of research, hardly anything on him.

 

I had only a few bits on Benton other than the footage. Depends whether you think he deserves his due or not (and your effort) I guess :good

 

Yeh I will do it

 

Dwight Muhammad Qawi
"The Camden Buzzsaw"​

WBC Light Heavyweight Champion 1981-1983
WBA Cruiserweight Champion 1985-1986​

Born: Dwight Braxton, 5/1/53 Baltimore, USA.
Height: 5'7
Reach: 71'

Professional Record: 42(25)-11(2)-1

Part 1/2: Early life & Light Heavyweight

Dwight Muhammad Qawi became a 2 weight world champion despite having no amatuer experience & only taking up the sport aged 25! He was short, squat, built like a tank & his bobbing & weaving style drew comparisons with Joe Frazier. He is one of the toughest, meanest warriors to ever step between the ropes & loved to swarm all over bigger opponents with a half smile/half grimace on his face. Qawi was a come forward pressure fighter with an excellent defence, an underrated jab & he was a skilled counter-puncher. He didnt have outstanding power but he wore down & beat up all but the very, very best in his remarkable career.

Dwight Braxton was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His family moved to New Jersey when he was 11 & Braxton soon became involved in low-level street crimes. He was sent to the Jamesbury home for boys at 14 & later served time at 2 other juvenile reformitories. Aged 19 he was arrested for the armed robbery of a liquor store & was sentenced to 11-15 years.

Whilst in Rahway state prison 2 things happened which changed his life forever. He became a Muslim & when watching the 1978 light-heavy title fight between Galindez-Rossman he thought to himself, I can beat both those guys. Rahway prison had a well established boxing programme & one its inmates was James Scott, a highly ranked light-heavyweight contender who had beaten Yaqui Lopez & Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.

Braxton was born fighter & natural talent, in 1978 when released from Rahway after serving 5 1/2 years he began training at Joe Frazier's former gym in Philadelphia. Sadly Dwight initially lacked any real dedication to the sport & was 1-1-1 after 3 low level fights. He was arrested & charged with assault & battery in what he described as "a vendatta thing with no money involved". Braxton was facing 15 years but after an impassioned plea by his 2 managers & a tearful statement from himself the judge granted him 5 years probation, incidentally the same judge was convicted of corruption a few years later.

After being saved from another lengthy prison spell Braxton vowed to be more dedicated to the sport which offered him salvation. After winning all 4 of his fights in 1979 he travelled to South Africa & knocked out the unbeaten Theunis Kok. In 1980 he entered an ESPN light-heavyweight tournament as a distinct underdog but won, knocking out everyone he faced.

By 1981 he was 13-1-1, rising up the rankings & he faced his 1st big test, Mike Rossman, whose 1978 victory over the ATG Galindez had first sparked Braxton's interest in the sport. Though Rossman was younger than Dwight he was vastly more experienced & was a tough, skilled & proven world class fighter. Braxton relentlessly applied pressure, walked Rossman down & knocked him out with a left hook in the 7th.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcQSYBUu1dw&feature=related[/ame]

For his next fight Dwight returned to Rahway state prison to fight his former fellow inmate & #1 ranked contender James Scott. Scott fought off the back foot for the vast majority of the 10 round fight, trying to use his jab to keep distance & not engaging in exchanges. Braxton was able to use his under-rated jab to outscore & counter Scott from the outside & he worked his way inside to land hooks & body shots. Braxton won a hard-fought UD infront of a hostile crowd full of prisoners supporting Scott.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7gDRbm8pTY[/ame]

This victory earned him a shot at the hugely popular WBC champion Matthew Saad Muhammad. MSM had been involved in some of the most exciting & brutal fights ever filmed & started the fight as a heavy favourite, however he had problems making the 175lbs weight limit & had to lose 6lbs in a short period of time. Braxton was surprisingly dominant in battering his way to a 1-sided 10th round TKO & MSM looked battle-weary & appeared to have lost his former legendary powers of recovery.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmWBDcxhxRc[/ame]

After becoming champion Braxton announced he was changing his name to Dwight Muhammad Qawi & for his 1st defense he took on perennial contender Jerry "The Bull" Martin (22-3). Big, strong & hard punching Martin had lost his 2 previous world title fights & he came forward, looking to trade blows toe-to-toe with the smaller Qawi, perhaps not the best choice of tactics. Qawi relished the opportunity to fight at close-quarters & beat-up Martin to win another 1 sided fight in the 6th round.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HystVpW5Po[/ame]

For his next defense in 1982 Qawi rematched Saad Muhammad, who had vowed revenge for his previous defeat. Their 2nd fight picked up where the 1st had ended & MSM's corner jumped in to stop the grinning Qawi dishing out anymore punishment in the 6th round.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nxCVgWTweA[/ame]

Qawi's 4th defense was against Eddie Davis (23-2-1), Qawi had broken his nose in sparring before the bout & his nose would continue to cause him problems through out his career. After knocking Davis down heavily in the 1st round Qawi couldnt finish him off & Davis rallied & cameback, turning the fight into a real battle. Bleeding from the nose & having breathing problems the seemingly iron-chinned Qawi looked to be hurt for the 1st time in his career in the 5th but the fight carried on with most of the action in-close. Davis was pummeled with an endless series of hurtful hooks & uppercuts before being finally worn down & stopped in the 11th, the 1st time Qawi had been beyond 10 rounds in his career.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GxWewvwDnI[/ame]

In 1983 Qawi faced the unbeaten WBA champion Michael Spinks (22-0) in a hugely anticipated unification bout. Spinks had won gold at the '76 olympics in Montreal & would go on to be widely regarded as a top5 ATG light-heavyweight. Qawi again broke his nose in training & suffered a deviated septum but he refused to cancel the fight.

Spinks fought an intelligent & disciplined fight, staying on the outside & using his jab & occasional combinations to outscore the shorter Qawi. After building a lead on the scorecard Spinks slowed down & momentum swung towards Qawi in the middle 3rd of the fight. He was awarded a questionable knockdown in the 8th after landing a bodyshot whilst standing on Spinks' foot. By the end of the 12th the fight seemed in the balance but Qawi had never gone beyond the 11th round & he seemed to tire just as Spinks found his second wind. Bouncing on his toes again Spinks eased away in the championship rounds to win a UD (144-141 x2 114-140)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hLhSnqa9G8[/ame]

Qawi felt fustrated by his unusually passive performance & after winning his next 2 fights a 1984 rematch with Spinks was arranged but Qawi picked up an injury & the fight was cancelled. Qawi felt that boiling down to the light-heavyweight limit of 175lbs was weakening him & so he stepped up to campaign in the 190lbs cruiserweight division.

 

Dwight Muhammad Qawi
"The Camden Buzzsaw"​

WBC Light Heavyweight Champion 1981-1983
WBA Cruiserweight Champion 1985-1986​

Born: Dwight Braxton, 5/1/53 Baltimore, USA.
Height: 5'7
Reach: 71'

Professional Record: 42(25)-11(2)-1

Part 2/2: Cruiserweight, heavyweight & retirement.

In 1984 Qawi was 31, he had lost his light-heavyweight title to Spinks & missed out on a rematch because of injury. Qawi didnt lead a life of sober restraint between bouts, his trainer often complained about him living on junk food & drinking too much. Going up & down on the scales is a young mans game & Qawi felt that cutting to 175lbs was draining his strength & endurance so he moved up to campaign in the 190lb cruiserweight division.

After losing to Spinks Qawi won a couple of fights before travelling to South Africa in 1985 to face the unbeaten WBA champion Piet Crous (24-0-1). The rangy, athletic & technically proficient Crous chose the right tactics, circling outside his shorter opponent & pumping out his jab to maintain distance. Qawi fought in trademark style, walking forward whilst bobbing & weaving & looking to counter & work away on the inside. Crous just lacked the pop in his shots to keep Qawi honest & looked wobbly a couple of times before Qawi eventually caught up with him in the 11th. After knocking him down the game Crous fought back but was dropped again by a vicious combination when trapped in the corner & failed to beat the count. The victory by TKO in the 11th made Qawi world champion for the 2nd time.

After a non-title win Qawi defended his title for the 1st time against Michael Spinks' older brother, Leon. "Neon" Leon Spinks (17-4-2) had also won gold at the '76 olympics & had famously upset Muhammed Ali to become heavyweight champion in only his 8th pro fight! However after losing in a rematch & then being knocked out by Larry Holmes Spinks moved down to cruiserweight.

Qawi was highly motivated for this fight, Ali had been a hero to him & he jumped on Spinks from the opening bell. Qawi then proceeded to beat the **** out of Leon who was almost constantly trapped against the ropes & forced to trade with him. It looked like Qawi loved every moment, frequently smiling & even laughing at Spinks to add to the humiliation. After 5 cruel & punishing rounds the merciless Qawi finally finished off Spinks in the 6th, hammering away at his helpless foe until the ref Mills Lane stepped in to stop the slaughter.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6sI8X4RaqE[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5UpdSHd9IM&feature=related[/ame]

Qawi's next fight & title defence was in 1986 & it was a classic, the greatest cruiserweight fight in history & an all out war for the ages. The 32 year old Qawi's (26-2-1) opponent was the green, 23 year old Evander "The real deal" Holyfield (11-0). Qawi & Holy were as alike as chalk & cheese, Qawi was the aging & grizzled veteran, a stocky Muslim ex-con with an aggressive swarming style. Holyfield was a young & popular Olympian, a devout Christian with a slim & athletic build he fought with fluid grace but was unproven in the intense heat of a world title fight.

The fight took place in Holy's adopted hometown of Atlanta & once again Qawi travelled to fight the crowd's favourite. Holyfield started the fight at a tremendous pace, threatening to overwhelm Qawi with relentless combinations but the old champion weathered the storm & by the end of the 5th Holy was looking tired & Qawi grew stronger. Despite taking some heavy shots Holyfield showed the heart which he would become famous for & continued to find extra energy from some hidden source.

The pattern of the fight settled down with Holyfield landing the greater volume of punches but Qawi marching relentlessly forward & landing the harder shots. Near the end of the 15th Qawi took his 1st step backward all night & seemed hurt but he was playing possum, as Holyfield attacked he countered ferociously driving his younger foe across the ring. Holyfield was awarded the fight by a split decision (144-141, 147-138:nut & 141-143). Everytime I watch the fight I score it differently, there are a lot of close rounds filled with high-quality action. It was a truly great fight that Holy perhaps deserved to win, but only just. Post fight Holy collapsed from shock caused by extreme exhaustion & dehydration & he spent the night in hospital.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwCCRsQdhkk[/ame]

Qawi had always liked a drink but after the defeat to Holyfield it began to have a growing affect on his life as he drank more & more. He felt he had been robbed of his title by a hometown decision in a fight where he sent the winner to hospital but there was a far worse & genuinely horrific robbery waiting just around the corner.

After beating a journeyman in 4 rounds he faced the Puerto Rican former cruiser champion Ossie Ocasio in a 10 round eliminator, with the winner due to face the champion Holyfield. Ocasio absolutely stunk the joint out fighting an incredibly negative fight. He barely landed a meaningful punch all night & was eventually deducted a point for excessive holding in the 9th as Qawi grew increasingly fustrated with his opponent being so unwilling to do anything but run or clinch. At the end of the fight Dr. Freddie Pacheco watching ringside scored all 10 rounds to Qawi, I scored it 99-89 to Qawi & that was being generous to Ocasio who was truly awful. However when the judges scores were announced as a MD to Ocasio (95-95, 95-94 & 96-94) the crowd booed & howled in disgust at the appalling decision.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArRzVZdTWQw[/ame]

A suitably pissed off Qawi was given another eliminator in his next fight against another former champion & fellow American, the hard punching Lee Roy Murphy. This was an opponent much more to his liking who was willing to stand & fight, Qawi was a class apart & knocked Murphy down in the 5th & then stopped him in the 6th.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5j_J7xOyIo[/ame]

This earned him a 1987 rematch with Holyfield but his personal life was falling apart & he was a full-time but functioning alcoholic. Since their 1st fight their careers had gone in opposite directions, Holy had gone from strength to strength, he had unified the title after beating IBF champ Ricky Parkey & was approaching his peak championship years & physical prime. Qawi was fading but the 34 year old still had enough in the tank to make it a close fight, winning the 3rd after losing the opening 2 rounds to an impressive looking Holyfield. However in the 4th Qawi was knocked down for the 1st time in his career by a grazing shot whilst off balance. Moments later Holyfield landed a perfect right hand to knock Qawi down again & he was unable to beat the count.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_llLAmdGTaA&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLCE828CBAAD781236[/ame]

Qawi next fight was a bizarre affair, stepping in a 2 1/2 weeks notice to replace Bert Cooper as the opponent for Big George Foreman. Qawi weighed in at a career high of 222lbs & looked flabby & soft but he went after Big George & whilst grinning he made the fight competitive. He talked to George during the fight & laughed at Foreman's punches when they landed! Qawi even faked being hurt in the 6th only to respond with a right hook but with a minute to go in the 7th Qawi said "no mas", he was exhausted & utterly spent.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHDZhLdzGtk[/ame]

Qawi wasnt finished just yet & put together a 4 fight winning streak to earn a shot at the WBA title, which had been vacated by Holyfield moving up to heavyweight. In 1989 in his final world title fight he lost a close split decision (116-113, 115-113 & 114-115) to Robert Daniels. He lost his next fight as well but continued fighting until he retired in 1992. Qawi cameback as a heavyweight in 1997 but after losing a wide decision to a journeyman he finally retired for good in 1998 with a record of 45-11-1. In 2004 he was inducted to the international boxing hall of fame & he currently works as a boxing trainer & as an advisor at a drug & alcohol centre.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbN-mWON6Ug[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L50gu8Kr9k[/ame]

 

If anyone has or can find footage of Qawi vs Daniels I would be very grateful for a link.

Ray Mercer next :bbb

 

Check your PMs Mo :good

 

Cheers Flea, I enjoyed that fight & have updated my post.

Qawi was sparring world class guys as a total novice & holding his own by all accounts!

He's one of my favourites, he might not be an ATG but he has lead a fascinating life & was a tremendous fighter.

Imagine how good he could've been if he started boxing earlier, LHW in the 70's was a very competitive division but I think he'd have done ok.

 

Great H2H. Would've beaten Saad at any stage IMO (on pts in a great fight)

 

^Agreed

Qawi-Galindez would have been incredible

 

i'll get the summary up dated tonight guys