Bob Foster vs Dwight Muhammad Qawi

[Titan1]

Would Foster stop Qawi or would Qawi bull his way to a late round stoppage or decision win?

[red cobra]

Peak Bob Foster (1968-1972) would have at least decisioned Dwight Qawi over 15 rounds, but he was also capable of hooking off an uppercut, as he did against Dick Tiger. A short, fire plug of a guy that Qawi was, although a very good fire plug, would have been a likely ko victim of Foster. Foster was scary at his peak. He resembled a big praying mantis in there against those poor guys. The way he went after and then executed Vincente Rondon was awesome to behold. You actually felt sorry for his opponents. It was like watching an outer space alien, a "terminator" going after them.

[Mantequilla]

Qawi would match up terribly with Foster.

He'd get pinned on the end of the jab and butchered.

[Holmes' Jab]

Mostly agree with the above verdicts. Foster by pretty lopsided, UD.

[Lex]

As long as Qawi kept his head down and chin tucked in he'd survive. But if he got sloppy Foster would set him up with uppercuts followed by hooks.

Qawi was a tough SOB and amazingly effective at getting inside the reach of taller fighters. But he didn't have punching power to compare with his durability.

[robert ungurean]

I like Qawi mid to late stoppage.

[Pat_Lowe]

I always though Qawi was an expert at taking people's jabs away. Countering over the top with that right. If he could take away Fosters jab then Foster would be in for a bit of trouble.

[JC2006]

I would have to say Foster KO.

[Tommy Hearns]

Standing precisely at 5’6½”, with no amateur career and most of his fighting experience taking place on the streets and inside Rahway State Prison, Qawi’s short reign of terror at light heavyweight is remarkable. From out muscling James Scott and sparking Mike Rossman with a single left hook, to battering Matthew Saad Muhammad for the title, Qawi was tearing through opponents left and right with one objective in mind: “To hit very hard, and be hard to hit”.

Winning the title may have been too much, too fast for someone such as Dwight who had been surrounded by poverty and violence for a large part of his life; perhaps he simply just became overconfident, but there was a noticeable difference in Qawi’s style by the Eddie Davis title defense in particular. His work to the body became less consistent and was instead replaced by an increasing urge to load up on his punches. I think it was Michael Spinks who said ringside at the Davis fight that “this is not the same Braxton”.

Regardless, Qawi circa 1981 would be applying pressure, showing angles, and trying to slip his way to the inside where the real damage was done, courtesy of those short hooks and uppercuts to the midsection. Dwight’s slight head movements and various blocking techniques would allow him to last the distance, but ultimately Foster was simply too big and too powerful. He’d keep Qawi at a safe distance with the jab for much of the fight and in a defensive shell once Dwight realizes he won’t be able to counter Foster’s thunderous shots in the same manner he did Saad’s. In other words, see the Spinks fight.

[Executioner]

Bad, BAD matchup for Qawi. He would be terribly outboxed.

[JohnThomas1]

Standing precisely at 5’6½”, with no amateur career and most of his fighting experience taking place on the streets and inside Rahway State Prison, Qawi’s short reign of terror at light heavyweight is remarkable. From out muscling James Scott and sparking Mike Rossman with a single left hook, to battering Matthew Saad Muhammad for the title, Qawi was tearing through opponents left and right with one objective in mind: “To hit very hard, and be hard to hit”.

Winning the title may have been too much, too fast for someone such as Dwight who had been surrounded by poverty and violence for a large part of his life; perhaps he simply just became overconfident, but there was a noticeable difference in Qawi’s style by the Eddie Davis title defense in particular. His work to the body became less consistent and was instead replaced by an increasing urge to load up on his punches. I think it was Michael Spinks who said ringside at the Davis fight that “this is not the same Braxton”.

Regardless, Qawi circa 1981 would be applying pressure, showing angles, and trying to slip his way to the inside where the real damage was done, courtesy of those short hooks and uppercuts to the midsection. Dwight’s slight head movements and various blocking techniques would allow him to last the distance, but ultimately Foster was simply too big and too powerful. He’d keep Qawi at a safe distance with the jab for much of the fight and in a defensive shell once Dwight realizes he won’t be able to counter Foster’s thunderous shots in the same manner he did Saad’s. In other words, see the Spinks fight.

Great post mate.

[GazOC]

Yep, its just the Spinks fight revisited for me.

[buzzsaw]

Yep, its just the Spinks fight revisited for me.

And add the KO power that put Tiger, Quarry and Rondon to sleep.

[JohnThomas1]

And add the KO power that put Tiger, Quarry and Rondon to sleep.

Spinks hit arguably as hard. He was knocking guys stiff when he opened up. If there's a difference in power, it's minute.

[GazOC]

Spinks was a pretty feared puncher at LHW. I used to love watching the Camden Buzzsaw though...

[JohnThomas1]

Spinks was a pretty feared puncher at LHW. I used to love watching the Camden Buzzsaw though...

Spinks would have been a lot more feared if he went after guys harder or was made to fight more often. I love Qawi, i reckon he would beat loads of ATG 175 pounders. Awesome fighter

[Manassa]

Foster by knockout.

You could argue Spinks hit with around the same power as Foster, but there was a difference in their approach. Spinks was boxing and moving against Qawi - Foster would be on the hunt. You would think he'd stick n' move against Tiger, but he was actually forcing the attack and it's exactly what he'd do with Qawi. Foster would be raking and spearing him with a jolting, aggressive jab and rattling off the hooks and uppercuts combinations like he did against DePaula.

[Tommy Hearns]

Foster by knockout.

You could argue Spinks hit with around the same power as Foster, but there was a difference in their approach. Spinks was boxing and moving against Qawi - Foster would be on the hunt. You would think he'd stick n' move against Tiger, but he was actually forcing the attack and it's exactly what he'd do with Qawi. Foster would be raking and spearing him with a jolting, aggressive jab and rattling off the hooks and uppercuts combinations like he did against DePaula.Good points, but I think you underestimate Qawi's defense and strength; Dwight built up his heavily muscled frame lifting cement blocks and doing construction work, and polished his defense under Wesley Mouzon’s tutelage. Qawi’s already limited height and crouch also made it hard for opponents to hit him, often forcing them to fight down at his level, prime examples being the Matt Saad (I) and Jerry Martin fights. Both men were inevitably taught painful lessons in the art of infighting. Relentlessly bulling forward in the manner Qawi did, opponents also often found it difficult to plant their feet and gain the proper leverage on their punches. Add to the fact that Qawi just happened to be a hard bastard to dent in the first place and I’m hard pressed to see anyone stopping him at 175.