Former Prisoner Who Became A Two-Weight World Champion Dies At 72

Boxing Hall of Famer and former two-weight world champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi has died at the age of 72.

According to a report by AP, Qawi's sister, Wanda King, had confirmed he had died on July 25, after a five-year battle with dementia.

Nicknamed 'The Camden Buzzsaw', Qawi was a former two-weight world champion, capturing the WBC light heavyweight title in 1981 and the WBA cruiserweight title in 1985. His final fight took place in 1998, concluding a 53-fight career spanning three decades.

The Ring is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of boxing legend Dwight Muhammad Qawi.

Qawi turned his life around after time in prison as he became a two-weight world champion and a Ring light-heavyweight champion.

Our deepest sympathies are with Dwight’s friends and… pic.twitter.com/zXOv9L1OAS
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) July 28, 2025

The Baltimore native found boxing during his time in prison, and turned his life around thanks to the sport. After retirement, Qawi devoted his time to youth advocacy and addiction counseling, helping to change the lives of others as he had changed his own.

Qawi Shared the Ring with Some of the Greats, Including George Foreman

One of the biggest nights in his career came against Dwight Muhammad Qawimon on December 19, 1981. Qawi claimed the WBC and The Ring light heavyweight titles thanks to a 10th-round technical knockout. He would defend the title three times, finally being defeated by Michael Spinks.

He then put together a seven-fight win streak, winning the WBA cruiserweight title against South African Piet Crous. He would lose the belt to one of the greats, Evander Holyfield, in a 15-round split decision. He then moved up to the heavyweight division, losing to another legend, George Foreman, in 1989.

Qawi would put himself in a position to win the WBA cruiserweight title again. However, he fell short against Robert Daniels by unanimous decision in November of 1989.

Qawi was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.

The Latest Boxing News

Claressa Shields Responds To Jake Paul’s Muhammad Ali Comparison

Terence Crawford Names Three Boxers Better Than Canelo Alvarez

Claressa Shields Now A Free Agent Following Win Against Lani Daniels