Many thought that putting the 11-0 Evander Holyfield in with Dwight Muhammed Qawi at such an early stage in his career was a mistake. Qawi had only been beaten twice to that date; once in a six rounder in just his thrid fight, and the other time against Michael Spinks, although Qawi had been struggling to make the 175lbs limit for that one (indeed it was his last fight at that weight). After that loss though, Qawi won seven, stopping three and captured the WBA Cruiserweight strap in the process.
While Holyfield was only 11-0 and wet around the ears as a pro, he was an outstanding amateur, even winning a bronze medal in the 1984 Olympics. Even so, to go in for a fifteen rounder against someone who posessed the quality of Qawi was always going to be gamble, although it just about paid off for Evander and his team.
Holyfield vs. Qawi Round-by-Round
Evander started very well, and despite him being on the back foot, he threw more than his foe. The jab and right straight were particularly potent punches for Holyfield, who had a 6" height advantage over Qawi.
In the second, Qawi truly got into the fight. He closed Holyfield down, sometimes pinning him against the ropes, and made him box at his range, i.e. in close. The uppercuts were flying in, and a couple of good hooks landed on Holyfield. In fairness to Evander though, his speed was still helping him get shots of his own off.
Qawi may have taken the third. Holyfield started it with an amazing flurry of punches, which nearly all connected with his opponent's chin, but after that, Qawi, who was compared to a tank by the commentators, just kept coming and winging in a large number of shots to the body and head. His workrate was outstanding.
In the fourth, Holyfield looked in bad shape. He struggled to get off the ropes while Qawi unleashed masses of straight rights and lefts to his head; indeed the Olympian even stumbled at one point as he was under so much pressure.
The pace slowed in round five, which was a very close session. Holyfield started off circling effectively, and using hooks to his advantage. However, as the round progressed, Qawi came into his own as the movement of Holyfield reduced, and he once again connected with a bevy of lefts and rights.
Holyfield again decided he wanted to stay in close in the sixth, and all he got for his troubles were more huge right hands to his chin. Qawi was slipping most of the shots Evander was throwing, and he really looked to be in his groove at this point.
Round seven was less fruitful for him though. Holyfield was more sensible, and kept to the gameplan of circling to the right, away from Qawi's power hand. His defence was more astute than before, and he was landing some decent jabs and left hooks himself.
'The Real Deal' started the eighth as he contested the whole of the previous round, but Qawi imposed his will on Holyfield mmore and more as the session went on. This was a tough one to score, as even though Holyfield had been scoring with nifty uppercuts early on, Qawi was dropping bombs on the chin of his foe by the end.
The ninth was consistently good for Evander though. He took the advice of his corner, and used his jab to great effect, keeping Qawi at bay for long periods. This was the quietest Qawi had been for the whole fight.
Heart was a quality both fighters exhibited in abundance in the tenth stanza, although Holyfield possibly nicked the round. Qawi was still continuously pushing forward, but his workrate had decreased giving Holyfield openings.
Masses of hooks and uppercuts bounced off the granite chin of Qawi in round eleven. He was walking on to a ton of shots now, and in spite of his evident fatigue, Holyfield really fancied this one.
Both swung for the fences in the twelfth, although Qawi's age of 33 was beginning to show, whereas the 23 year old Holyfield looked much fresher. Saying this though, Qawi landed one of the best punches of the fight at the end of the round; a right cross which sent 'The Real Deal' into the ropes.
Round thirteen highlighted the incredible will to win of Qawi once again. Holyfield hit him with many a shot that would have floored or at least disheartened most, yet Qawi showed no signs of being in trouble or wanting to give up. Even so though, this was Holyfield's round all the way.
Holyfield boxed well in round fourteen as well. He peppered Qawi with the jab, and occasionally followed up with a cross or an uppercut. By this stage, Qawi was so tired that he couldn't purposefully find his way to the inside as with before.
As the Atlanta crowd yelled "Holy, Holy", the two went toe-to-toe. The exchanges were fast and furious, although the speed and precision of the hometown fighter probably won him the excellent concluding round.
Decison And Implications Of The Fight
In the end, there was a split decision. While Gordon Volkman scored the bout 143-141 in favour of Qawi, Harold Lederman had it 144-140 for Holyfield, and Elias Quintana had it to the Atlanta native by the massive margin of 147-138. Therefore, the winner and new WBA Junior Heavyweight/Cruiserweight Champion was 'The Real Deal' Evander Holyfield.
This was a remarkable win for him, and one that dispelled all his doubters. He proved he had world class stamina and world class heart in this fight, showing that he had the potential to go on to bigger and better things (as he duly did).
After this fight, Qawi had very limited success. Despite fighting all the way until 1998, he never captured another belt, and the fight with Evander showcased him in his prime.
How To Watch Qawi vs. Holyfield
Qawi vs. Holyfield was this week's 'Classic Fight of the Week'. Please visit my profile page for details on how to watch this, or any of the fights previously covered in this column.
