Evander Holyfield defeats Dwight Muhammad Qawi on July 12 1986 (This Day In Boxing History)

July 12, 1986 – Evander Holyfield defeated Dwight Muhammad Qawi by split-decision to win the WBA cruiserweight title at the Omni in Atlanta. Holyfield (12-0, 8 KOs) became the first member of the highly decorated 1984 U.S. Olympic team to win a professional world title with the victory. Holyfield successfully defended his title in a December 1987 rematch with a fourth-round knockout of Qawi.