Dwight Muhammad Qawi is a slightly underrated, but at the same time the most appreciated ring fighter. While Qawi and his incredible achievements in the ring (that word “awesome” may be thrown around a lot as I write this article) are best known to hardcore fight fans, some of Dwight’s great fights are known to casual fans.

A natural fighter who quickly learned his craft while in prison and without what some would say was the much-needed assist in his amateur career, Qawi turned professional at the relatively advanced age of 25. We’re talking about rapid progress, after a few early bumps on one of the most complex roads.

Before we get into Qawi’s greatest fights and greatest victories, here are some statistics that are simply staggering. Anywhere from the stated 5ft 5in to the perhaps overly generous 5ft 7in, Qawi – who we must never forget has fought at delicate heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight – is either half an inch shorter compared to his current pound- beat the best Naoya Inoue or else he is an inch taller than him. And Inoue is a super bantamweight!

Qawi is a hair shorter than Gervonta Davis, who fought at 140 pounds, but he is actually a lightweight. Qawi is even shorter than current WBO junior bantamweight boss Kazuto Ioka. Truly, it is incredible what Qawi managed to achieve in this sport, always against players who were taller than him, and many of them towered over him.

In addition to learning the tough way that he simply had to perfect the craft of internal combat, Qawi was also an excellent counter-attacker, and his relentless attack earned him his notable nickname. Additionally, Dwight was an excellent defensive fighter, ensuring that his opponent could barely see anything beyond the top of his head when trying to size him up for a punch.

And with every hit, Qawi was blessed with a large chin. With incredible stamina, good power, and a mean streak when needed (which he undoubtedly received during his time in the large house), Qawi was basically the complete package. And after going 3-1-1 in his first few fights, the born Dwight Braxton didn’t taste defeat again for almost four years.

After Mike Rossman’s arrest in May 1981, Qawi returned to Rahway Prison, this time as a star. In a fight against lifer James Scott, Qawi scored a unanimous decision victory and earned a shot at legendary fighter Matthew Saad Muhammad and his delicate heavyweight crown.

Over the course of ten sometimes punishing rounds of punishment for “The Miracle of Matthew,” a man beloved for being able to carry so much bulky cargo only to somehow snatch victory from the snarling jaws of defeat, Qawi kept pouring it. On this night, December 19, 1981, no miracle will occur. Qawi finally stopped Muhammad in the tenth place as his improbable climb to the top was completed.

Well almost. There were two delicate heavyweight titles, and now Qawi wanted Michael Spinks’ belt. After adopting the Muslim faith and changing his name, Qawi followed up with a multiple stoppage victory over Saad and then one over Eddie Davis, retaining his two titles, against Spinks and his “Jinx” in March 1983. Entering the ring with a damaged nose (” the pain was indescribable,” Qawi said of the ruptured septum), Qawi missed 15 engaging rounds. Qawi had his moments and seemed to even score a knockout at one point, but Spinks was truly in great form.

There was talk of a rematch, but Qawi instead moved to the still up-to-date cruiserweight division. And here came Qawi’s most notable fight, perhaps his greatest fight.

After vacating Piet Crous’s WBA cruiserweight belt in July 1985 and winning in South Africa, Qawi all but tortured indigent Leon Spinks, stopping the former heavyweight champion in six. And then, in July 1986, Qawi became involved in a war with Evander Holyfield. Result? Arguably the greatest cruiserweight fight in history and one of the greatest and most action-packed fights of all time, regardless of weight class.

It was 15 rounds of constant warfare as both men dug in for not just a second wind, but perhaps a third or even a fourth. Both men went through hell that day in Atlanta, and Holyfield, who had defeated Qawi, who was ten years his senior, by split decision, was hospitalized after the fight and placed on a drip, wondering if he really wanted to be a fighter.

Qawi, feeling that he had won, years later strongly suggested that Holyfield may have been “working on something”. We will never know, but Qawi says he will never know how Holyfield, who looked exhausted after five or six rounds, came back so powerful later in the fight.

In the rematch, Holyfield, who had obviously decided he wanted to be a fighter, scored an extremely impressive fourth-round KO, marking Qawi’s first ever stoppage. What’s next for the 34-year-old “Buzzsaw”? Of course, a bold step towards the heavyweight division!

First came a few more large cruiserweight fights, Qawi losing a decision to the lovely Ossie Ocasio, Qawi stopping Lee Roy Murphy before Dwight faced George Foreman in March 1988. Foreman, after a few fights and his improbable comeback, was fight Bert Cooper, but Qawi came in on two weeks’ notice instead. And for nearly seven rounds, the out-of-shape, 222-pound Qawi took the fight all the way to the 235-pound, 6-foot-3-inch Foreman!

In the end, however, Qawi ran out of fuel and No Mas finished seventh on the podium. But how the much shorter man knocked his right hand off Foreman’s head, especially in the early rounds. This didn’t bode well for “Gigantic George” and the rest of his comeback.

Qawi wasn’t done yet, and his return to cruiserweight was a whisker away from regaining the WBA belt. Qawi lost a split decision to Robert Daniels in a fight that contested the vacant belt. This took place in November 1989, and Qawi has been fighting for over 11 years. Qawi ultimately retired in 1998 after a decision loss to Tony LaRosa. Dwight’s final tally was 41-11-1(25), with one of those losses coming early in Qawi’s career and eight of those losses coming slow in his career when his best moments were behind him.

Qawi was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003. Today he celebrates his 71st birthday.

Dwight Muhammad Qawi was an amazing fighter!