FORMER two-weight boxing world champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi has died aged 72.

The previous light-heavyweight champion had been battling dementia for the final 5 years.

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However he sadly handed away final Friday.

His sister, Wanda King, confirmed his dying in an emotional assertion to Boxing Scene.

She stated: “He was a fantastic father, a fantastic Pop-Pop to his grandchildren.

“He had a coronary heart of gold, and he fought his dementia sickness similar to he was preventing within the ring.

“He went out like a champ. Proper to the top.”

Tributes for the late Qawi poured in from all over the world after information of his passing turned public.

One combat fan wrote on X: “Relaxation In Peace to two-division world champion & corridor of famer, ‘Camden Buzzsaw’ Dwight Muhammad Qawi.”

One other stated: “What a fighter Dwight Muhammad Qawi was. One among boxing’s consummate robust guys.”

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The WBC additionally paid tribute to Qawi, saying: “The WBC joins the boxing group of the world in prayer for [the] everlasting remainder of Dwight Muhammad Qawi.

“He discovered his love for boxing whereas serving a sentence in jail and went on to turn into WBC mild heavyweight champion.

“An ideal father and grandfather who was additionally a task mannequin in society. Relaxation in peace, Champ.”

The distinguished Ring Journal wrote: “The Ring is deeply saddened to study of the passing of boxing legend Dwight Muhammad Qawi.”

Qawi’s boxing journey started in 1973 after he was jailed for armed theft.

He started competing within the Rahway State Jail’s boxing program and turned professional after serving 5 years behind bars.

However he nearly completely derailed his promising profession after moving into hassle with the regulation not lengthy after his launch, this time for assault and battery.

However Decide Peter Coruzzi gave him one other likelihood to show his life round by sentencing him to 5 years of probation as an alternative of additional incarceration.

Qawi would amass a 15-1-1 file earlier than ripping the WBC light-heavyweight title from Matthew Saad Muhammad’s clutches in December 1981.

He would defend the distinguished inexperienced belt 3 times earlier than shedding a 1983 unification bout to Michael Spinks, a loss which prompted a transfer as much as cruiserweight.

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Qawi would turn into a two-weight world champion two years later by defeating South Africa’s Piet Crouse for the WBA cruiserweight title.

He’d lose the belt the next yr to Evander Holyfield through break up choice in a combat that’s nonetheless regarded by many as one of the crucial brutal in cruiserweight historical past.

Qawi would go on to lose the final two world title fights of his profession, struggling a fourth-round stoppage loss in a rematch with Holyfield and a break up choice defeat to Robert Daniels.

Qawi retired from boxing in 1999 aged 46 and was inducted into the Worldwide Corridor of Fame 5 years later.

Previous to his dementia prognosis, he spent his time coaching aspiring boxers and counselling individuals coping with alcohol and drug dependancy.