In a recent chat with Dontaes Boxing Nation, Holyfield explained why he thinks Qawi was his hardest fight. The two boxers went toe-to-toe for 15 rounds back in 1987, with Holyfield winning by a split decision. At that time, Holyfield had never gone beyond eight rounds in a fight.
"I would say Riddick Bowe but Dwight Muhammad Qawi. The reason why it was so tough was it 15 rounds and I had only done eight. I knew what he could do. I seen he was a mean guy, he don't let up on nobody. His stature didn't match up how he fought. His arm reach was longer than my arm reach. I was fighting a guy shorter than me, arms longer than mine, real strong guy, good fighter. He was older and he was smarter. I had a lot to overcome and I did."
Qawi, who had won world titles in both light heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions, was known for his relentless pressure and strength. Despite being shorter than Holyfield, he had a longer reach and was more experienced at the time.
Holyfield's career took off after the Qawi fight. He unified the cruiserweight division by beating Carlos de León in 1988 before moving up to heavyweight. There, he made history by becoming the first boxer to win undisputed titles in both divisions - a record that stood until Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury in May 2023.
During his heavyweight reign, Holyfield had memorable battles with Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, and Riddick Bowe. He beat Tyson twice, including the infamous "bite fight" where Tyson got disqualified for biting Holyfield's ear. His fights with Lewis ended in a controversial draw and a loss, while his thrilling trilogy with Bowe saw him win once and lose twice.
But for Holyfield, it's the early fight against Qawi that stands out as his toughest challenge. It's a reminder that sometimes the hardest battles happen early in a career, shaping a fighter for the bigger stages to come.