Tomato can (sports idiom)

In boxing, kickboxing or mixed martial arts, "tomato can" or simply "tomato" or "can" is an idiom for a fighter with poor or diminished skills (at least when compared with the opponent they are placed against) 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. 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."^[1]

Characteristics

A "tomato can" is usually a fighter with a poor record, whose skills are substandard or who lacks toughness or has a "glass chin." 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. When referring to a distinguished fighter, opponents with passable careers who simply aren't at the same level can also be considered "tomato cans". Such an individual is an attractive opponent if his name still carries prestige but his diminished skills make him an easy conquest.

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.^[2] 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 to a TKO in the 15th round.^[3] Wepner's bout with Ali provided the inspiration for Sylvester Stallone's movie Rocky. Rocky III would continue this trend where Rocky himself was accused by Clubber Lang of defending his championship with "tomato cans", which Rocky's trainer later confirmed was in fact true (though Rocky didn't realize it at the time).^[4]

In a fight on February 11, 1990, Mike Tyson lost his championship to James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo.^[5] 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.^[6] 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.^[7]

The biggest upset in mixed martial arts is considered by many, including ESPN and UFC president Dana White, to be Matt Serra's TKO victory over UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 69 on April 7, 2007, as an 11–1 underdog.^[8][9]

Known Tomato Cans

• Brian London^[10]
• Jean-Pierre Coopman^[11]
• Randall "Tex" Cobb^[12]
• Lucien Rodriguez^[12]
• Scott Frank^[12]
• Reggie Strickland^[13]
• Mitch Hicks^[13]
• Bruce Strauss^[13]
• Eric Esch^[13]
• Clifford Etienne^[13]
• Lou Savarese^[13]
• Peter McNeeley^[14]
• Julius Francis^[15]

See also

• Glass Joe
• Gatekeeper (boxing)
• Journeyman (boxing)

References