Tomato can
In individual combat sports, a tomato can, or simply can, is a fighter with comparatively poor or diminished skills who may be considered an easy opponent to defeat, or a "guaranteed win." Fights with tomato cans can be arranged to inflate the win total of a professional fighter. Similarly, a fighter whose record consists of wins over easy opponents is referred to as a "can crusher".[1] The phrase originates in the childhood pastime of kicking a can down the street—a boxer is advancing his career with minimal effort by defeating a tomato can and notching a win. "Tomato" refers to blood: "knock a tomato can over, and red stuff spills out."[2]
Characteristics
A tomato can is usually a fighter with a poor record, whose skills are substandard or who lacks toughness or has a
One characteristic which may account for the use of the "tomato can" metaphor for a bad boxer is the tendency to leak "tomato juice" (i.e., blood) when battered.
Tomato cans are similar to jobbers in professional wrestling in that they serve to enhance the stature of someone the promotion uses to draw a crowd.
Surprises and upsets
Victory over a tomato can is not a certainty. Journeyman boxers generally regarded as tomato cans have been known to provide surprising challenges to champions and in several instances, cause shocking upsets against supposedly superior opponents.
On March 24, 1975,
In a fight on February 11, 1990,
On June 1, 2019, undefeated unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua lost to Andy Ruiz Jr., who was ranked WBO no. 11 and IBF no. 14, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Ruiz Jr. got up from the canvas in round 3 and won the contest by technical knockout in round 7 having given Joshua a convincing beating, with Joshua's trainer later saying that Joshua had been severely concussed. Joshua was originally scheduled to face undefeated WBA no. 2 and WBO no. 3 ranked heavyweight Jarrell Miller, who was replaced by Ruiz Jr. after Miller failed three drug tests.[citation needed]
Outside combat sports
The term "tomato can" is primarily used in the context of individual combat sports:
A webcomic based on the idiom with the same name, The Tomato Can, launched on the webcomics platform WEBTOON.
See also
- Freak show fight
- Gatekeeper (boxing)
- Glass Joe
- Job (professional wrestling)
- Journeyman (boxing)
- Paper candidate, for a similar concept in politics
- The Tomato Can (Webcomic)
References
- ^ "UFC News Archives". 23 September 2018.
- ^ Mary PIlon (18 September 2013). "Tomato Can Blues". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
- ^ CHUCK WEPNER, New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, 1982-10-29, Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ Tomato Cans: MUHAMMAD ALI vs. CHUCK WEPNER, CNN / SI, Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ CHUCK WEPNER, THE REAL ROCKY, Planetrapture.com, Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ Kincade, Kevin., "The Moments": Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas Archived November 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Eastsideboxing.com, 2005-07-12, Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
- ^ Staff, Page 2's List for top upset in sports history, ESPN.com, 2001-05-23, Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
- ^ Kanew, Evan., Tomato Cans:JAMES (BUSTER) DOUGLAS vs. MIKE TYSON, Sports Illustrated, Retrieved on 2008-01-15.