Tomato can

Last updated

A tomato can, or simply can, is a fighter in individual combat sports 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]

Contents

Characteristics

A tomato can is usually a fighter with a poor record, whose skills are substandard or who lacks toughness or has a glass jaw. Sometimes a formerly successful boxer who is past his prime and who has seen his skills diminish is considered a tomato can if he can no longer compete at a high level. Such an individual is an attractive opponent if his name still carries prestige but his diminished skills make him an easy conquest. When referring to a distinguished fighter, opponents with passable careers who simply are not at the same level can also be considered tomato cans. Most fighters who are considered tomato cans are heavyweights, because at lower weight classes one must maintain a certain level of fitness in order to make weight, whereas a heavyweight who once fought at a trim 205 pounds could conceivably gain 150 pounds and still fight in the same division.

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, Muhammad Ali faced Chuck Wepner, a lightly regarded but popular boxer from New Jersey. A former nightclub bouncer, Wepner was nicknamed "The Bayonne Bleeder" and was considered a washed-up contender with a mediocre record. Don King selected Wepner as a tomato can to provide an easy victory for Ali after his famous win over George Foreman. [3] In a surprising turn of events, Wepner scored a disputed knockdown in the ninth round, and survived 19 seconds short of the distance, before losing by TKO in the 15th round. [4] Wepner's bout with Ali provided the inspiration for Sylvester Stallone's movie Rocky . [5]

In a fight on February 11, 1990, Mike Tyson lost his championship to James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo. [6] The victory over Tyson, the previously undefeated "baddest man on the planet" and the most feared boxer in professional boxing at that time, at the hands of the 42–1 betting odds underdog Douglas, has been described as one of the most shocking upsets in modern sports history. [7] Douglas was widely regarded as a tomato can, lined up to provide an easy victory for Tyson at that time. Later, Douglas lost his first title defense against Evander Holyfield and was never able to successfully compete at such a high level again. [8]

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. [9] [10] 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. [11] [12]

Outside combat sports

The term "tomato can" is primarily used in the context of individual combat sports: boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and other sports of similar structure. The concept—if not the term—is also prevalent in team sports. In American college sports, it is common for teams in major conferences to schedule games against squads in conferences of lesser renown, with the expectation that the game will be a blowout in favor of the major conference team, in exchange for paying the less-renowned school a financial windfall. Like the tomato can in boxing, the less-renowned school can occasionally perform far beyond expectation, serving as potentially major embarrassment for the major college and having major ramifications on opinion polling.

A webcomic based on the idiom with the same name, The Tomato Can, launched on the webcomics platform WEBTOON.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lennox Lewis</span> British-Canadian boxer (born 1965)

Lennox Claudius Lewis is a boxing commentator and former professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division from 1989 to 2003. He was a three-time world champion, a two-time lineal champion, and held the undisputed championship. Holding dual British and Canadian citizenship, Lewis represented Canada as an amateur at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics; in the latter, he won the super-heavyweight gold medal. Lewis is regarded by many as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, and one of the greatest British fighters of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Boxing Council</span> Sanctioning organization for professional boxing bouts

The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Wepner</span> American boxer (born 1939)

Charles Wepner is an American former professional boxer. He fell just nineteen seconds short of a full fifteen rounds against world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in a 1975 championship fight. Wepner also scored notable wins over Randy Neumann and former world heavyweight champion Ernie Terrell. He was also the last man to fight former undisputed world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buster Mathis</span> American boxer (1943–1995)

Buster Mathis was an American boxer who competed from 1965 to 1972. He was a top contender throughout his career, beating other top contenders including George Chuvalo and Chuck Wepner. He fought Heavyweight greats such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Jerry Quarry and Ron Lyle; he also notably beat Joe Frazier as an amateur to qualify for the Olympics but was later replaced due to a hand injury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heavyweight</span> Weight class in combat sports

Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.

Buster Mathis Jr. is an American former professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division. He held the regional IBF-USBA Heavyweight title, winning the belt in 1994, making two successful defenses until losing to Lou Savarese in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oleksandr Usyk</span> Ukrainian boxer (born 1987)

Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Usyk is a Ukrainian professional boxer. He has held the unified world heavyweight championship since 2021, and the Ring magazine title since 2022. He has held the undisputed championship in two weight classes—cruiserweight and heavyweight—and reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from May to June 2024.

<i>Tyson</i> (1995 film) 1995 American TV series or program

Tyson is a 1995 American biographical drama television film based on the life of American heavyweight boxer Iron Mike Tyson. Directed by Uli Edel and written by Robert Johnson, it stars Michael Jai White as Tyson alongside George C. Scott as Cus D'Amato and Paul Winfield as Don King. The film is an adaptation of the 1989 biography Fire and Fear: The Inside Story of Iron Mike Tyson by José Torres, a former boxer and former chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission, and depicts events from Tyson's troubled childhood in Brooklyn through his conviction in 1992 for the rape of beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Ruiz Jr.</span> Mexican-American boxer (born 1989)

Andrés Ponce Ruiz Jr. is an American professional boxer. He is a former unified world heavyweight champion, having held the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF), and World Boxing Organization (WBO) titles in 2019. He also held the International Boxing Organization (IBO) title during that reign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas</span> Boxing competition

Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas, billed as Tyson is Back!, was a professional boxing match that occurred at the Tokyo Dome on February 11, 1990. The then-undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson lost by knockout to the 42-1 underdog Douglas. The fight is widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in sports history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Parker</span> New Zealand boxer (born 1992)

Joseph Dennis Parker, OM is a New Zealand professional boxer. He has held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim heavyweight title since March 2024. Previously, he held the WBO heavyweight title from 2016 to 2018. At regional level, he has held multiple heavyweight championships, including the WBO Oriental, Africa, and Oceania titles; as well as the PABA, OPBF, and New Zealand titles. As an amateur, he represented New Zealand at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the super-heavyweight division, and narrowly missed qualification for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Joshua</span> British boxer (born 1989)

Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua is a British professional boxer. He held the unified world heavyweight championship twice between 2016 and 2021. At regional level, he held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles from 2015 to 2016.

Jarrell Miller is an American professional boxer and former kickboxer who competes in the heavyweight division. He first came to prominence in 2007 when he competed for the New Jersey Tigers in the World Combat League and made it to the finals of the New York Golden Gloves tournament that same year. Miller was due to challenge Anthony Joshua for the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles in 2019, but was denied a license to box after failing multiple drug tests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield III</span> 1995 boxing match

Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield III, billed as "The Final Chapter", was a professional boxing match contested on November 4, 1995. The non-title match marked the third and final fight in the Bowe–Holyfield trilogy.

<i>Chuck</i> (film) 2016 American film

Chuck is a 2016 American biographical sports drama film directed by Philippe Falardeau and written by Jeff Feuerzeig, Jerry Stahl, Michael Cristofer and Liev Schreiber, who also stars in the title role. The cast includes Elisabeth Moss, Ron Perlman, Naomi Watts, Jim Gaffigan, Michael Rapaport, Pooch Hall, Morgan Spector, Jason Jones and Catherine Corcoran. The film depicts the life of heavyweight boxer Chuck Wepner and his 1975 title fight with the heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali, which inspired Sylvester Stallone's character and screenplay for the 1976 film Rocky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr.</span> Boxing competitions

Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. was a heavyweight professional boxing match contested between undefeated and unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO champion Anthony Joshua, and former world title challenger Andy Ruiz Jr. The bout took place on June 1, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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.

Anthony Perez was an American boxing referee and judge of Puerto Rican descent. During his career, he refereed many major boxing fights and participated in a number of boxing related documentaries.

Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is a proposed heavyweight professional boxing superfight contested between former WBC champion, Tyson Fury, and former WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO champion, Anthony Joshua. Fury and Joshua have shared a long-running and at times bitter rivalry, leading to their highly-anticipated fight being dubbed as the "Biggest fight in British boxing history" and "The Battle of Britain".. However, despite widespread public demand for the fight and numerous years of speculation and negotiations, as of January 2025, no agreement has been reached which secured a fight between the two heavyweights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk</span> Boxing competition

Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk, billed as The Perfect Storm, was a professional boxing match that was contested between WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, and former undisputed cruiserweight champion and the WBO's heavyweight mandatory challenger, Oleksandr Usyk. The bout took place on 25 September 2021 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Usyk winning by unanimous decision.

References

  1. ↑ "UFC News Archives". September 23, 2018.
  2. ↑ Mary PIlon (September 18, 2013). "Tomato Can Blues". New York Times. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Chuck Wepner", New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, inducted October 29, 1982, Retrieved on June 20, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Tomato Cans: Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner", CNN / SI , Retrieved on March 31, 2007.
  5. ↑ Chuck Wepner, The Real Rocky, Planetrapture.com, Retrieved on March 31, 2007.
  6. ↑ Kincade, Kevin., "The Moments": Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas Archived November 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , Eastsideboxing.com, July 12, 2005, Retrieved on March 26, 2007.
  7. ↑ Staff, Page 2's List for top upset in sports history, ESPN.com, May 23, 2001, Retrieved on March 26, 2007.
  8. ↑ Kanew, Evan., "Tomato Cans: James (Buster) Douglas vs. Mike Tyson", Sports Illustrated , Retrieved on January 15, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Anthony Joshua STOPPED by Andy Ruiz Jr in one of biggest upsets in boxing history", Daily Express , 2 June 2019, Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "Greatest upsets in heavyweight boxing - including Joshua's defeat to Ruiz Jr"., Talksport , 3 June 2019, Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  11. ↑ "Sources: 'Big Baby' Miller failed three drug tests", ESPN.com, 19 April 2019, Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  12. ↑ "Report: Jarrell Miller's drug tests revealed a cocktail of banned substances", sports.yahoo.com, 19 April 2019, Retrieved 6 January 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.