Holyfield Wins Title, Beating Qawi on Decision : Junior-Heavyweight, Third in ’84 Olympics, Scores a First With WBA Victory

Evander Holyfield, “the uncrowned champion” of the 1984 United States Olympic team, won his title Saturday by defeating Dwight Muhammad Qawi on a split decision for the World Boxing Assn. junior-heavyweight crown.

“You won, you won, you’re the champ,” Holyfield’s manager, Lou Duva, said as he swept the Olympic bronze medalist off his feet at the end of the fight.

Holyfield is the first member of the 1984 Olympic boxing squad to win a professional world championship in one of the three major associations.

Though having only 12 pro fights, winning them all, Holyfield pronounced himself ready to fight for the heavyweight title.

“I’ve been wanting to fight Michael Spinks (the International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion) ever since I got out of the Olympics,” said Holyfield, who in beating Qawi went more than eight rounds for the first time.

Holyfield scored repeatedly against Qawi, who kept plodding in during the 15-round contest. But only twice did Holyfield stagger his opponent. The first time was with a combination of punches to Qawi’s jaw in the first round, but the champion, who suffered only his third loss in 30 pro fights, quickly resumed the attack.

The second time was in the 12th when Qawi, a two-time light-heavyweight champion, landed two solid rights, only to have Holyfield come back with two rights followed by a left to the jaw.

In the judges’ scoring, Harold Lederman had it 144-140, and Neffie Quintana saw it 147-138, both for Holyfield, under the 10-point must system. Gordon Volkman had it 143-141 for Qawi.

Qawi, 189 3/4 pounds, one-quarter pound under the class limit, was warned three times for low blows. Referee Vincent Rainone ordered a point taken away in the final round.

Twice, Holyfield, of Atlanta, and Qawi continued to fight after the bell had sounded.

“We couldn’t hear the bell,” Holyfield said. “I felt like it wouldn’t be the boxers’ fault because we couldn’t hear the bell. I felt like it was the referee’s and officials’ fault they couldn’t provide a better bell.”

Holyfield, who weighed 186, said Qawi “hurt me once, I think in the fourth or fifth round, with a good right hand.”

Qawi, of Camden, N.J., said: “I’m a champion. But he was holding me behind the head, holding my fight up. He pulled my head down, he had all the help in the world, but I’ll be back.

“I thought I won. I thought he won four or five rounds.”

Holyfield was disqualified in a semifinal match in the 1984 Olympic 178-pound class when he knocked down Kevin Berry of New Zealand after the referee had ordered the boxers to stop fighting with five seconds left in the second round.

“This makes up for everything,” Holyfield said.