# tomato can

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. An inferior fighter in the sport of boxing. The insinuation is that an up-and-coming fighter takes on a "tomato can" to burnish his reputation and record.
2. By extension, an opponent who presents little challenge.
3. A boxer who takes a dive, or loses a fight on purpose.

## Etymology
Presumably because of tendency to bleed when battered, tomato juice leaking from a can being a metaphor for bleeding.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tomato-can