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Qawi a Champion of a Different Sort
By Sean Stowell (April 16, 2003)
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If only Dwight Qawi could have dealt with his problems outside of the ring
the way dealt with his challenges inside the ring, there's no telling the
impact he could have had in the light heavyweight and cruiserweight
divisions. Because of substance abuse, Qawi unraveled towards the end of his career.
It is also because of his past substance abuse problem that he is a champion of more importance, making an impact on the lives of several at-risk youths as a counselor at Lighthouse, a rehabilitation facility in Mays Landing, New Jersey.
Qawi, born Dwight Braxton on January 5, 1953, learned how to handle
himself on the tough streets of Camden, N.J., where he was convicted of armed robbery at age 19. He spent more than five years in prison where he learned to meld his street fighting background with elements of the Sweet Science.
Inside prison, a fellow inmate named Malcolm Lewis taught him how to use his feet, how to move and have a good center of balance, something that proved to be very valuable to the 5-foot-6 and a half-inch brawler who came to be known as the "Camden Buzzsaw."
"I learned how to fight on the streets," Qawi told MaxBoxing.com from his
home in Somers Point, N.J. "I was a street fighter and boxing was always
plan C for me when I got out of prison."
Qawi was 25 when he was released and with no amateur experience, he figured going to trade school was his best option. That was until fate stepped in and a man named Ike Hammonds, who saw Qawi bust people up in the streets, approached him shortly after he was released from prison.
"I was walking down the street and this guy who seen my work on the street
drove by," Qawi said. "He jumped out of his car and told me I'd be a
champion."
Hammonds bought Qawi his first pair of trunks, hand wraps and other
equipment, and brought him to Joe Frazier's gym in Philadelphia. After only
a month of working out, he had his first professional bout in 1978. Three
years later he was on the threshold of greatness when he took on Matthew
Saad Muhammad for the WBC light heavyweight championship.
He would win a 10-round TKO over Muhammad and convert to Islam. He would win the rematch a year later, this time via sixth round TKO.
While he considers his second fight with Muhammad his best fight he said the most intriguing round of career came in his defense against Eddie Davis.
In the tenth round Davis made a go at Qawi, forcing the champion to reassess his game plan. He knew in order to be successful, he'd have to use his stellar body punches to regain control of the bout.
"I stayed alive in that round and I had to put him on a leash," Qawi said.
"I went to the body and made him follow me around the ring instead of me
following him."
He would go on to lose his belt to Michael Spinks in 1983 and moved to
cruiserweight, where he defeated Piet Crous for the WBA version of the
title in '85. Evander Holyfield then came along and took the title with a classic 15-round slugfest one year later that the future undisputed heavyweight champ won by split decision. Holyfield dispatched Qawi in four rounds in the rematch.
Qawi would eventually amass a pro record of 41-11-1 with 25 KOs, fighting
until 1998.
After going into an alcohol-rehabilitation program in 1990, Qawi has been
sober ever since and now his passion is helping troubled youths at
Lighthouse. He said many of the kids that come to the center are
14 or 15 years old, some started messing around with drugs like Marijuana by the time they were six.
"I don't want these kids to be dependent on me, I want them to be
independent," Qawi said. "Addiction has an impending doom affect. When you use, you are out of control."
Qawi said that although the kids are intrigued with the fact that he is an
ex-world champion, they are more interested in the fact that he has been in
their shoes and he can personalize his counsel to their experiences.
"They know that everything is for real because I am one of them," he said.
"Rehabilitation is like going to train for a fight. You've got to get
yourself ready, because you are training for the first day of the rest of
your life."
The experience as a counselor has helped Qawi find meaning in his life and
it has helped him in his day-to-day struggles with sobriety. He said that
part of addiction is medicating the struggles of everyday life so you don't
feel disappointment.
"I have to be a mirror to them," Qawi said. "This is not about money or a
championship belt. Teaching always benefits the teacher and I'm stronger and better because of it."
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E-Mail Sean Stowell at seanstowell@hotmail.com
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