Palooka: What Does It Mean in Boxing Terms?

By Anne “Boxologist” Whitlock

I spend most of my time answering questions given to me by fans and followers of which I enjoy doing so..Here is one of my favorite requests asked of me.

What does Palooka mean in boxing and where does it come from?

A palooka is a tenth rater, a nobody, and a lousy boxer with no ability who usually loses his fights in four or six rounds to boxers who are just starting out in their careers. It’s synonymous with tomato can or ham and egger. There was a comic strip created by Ham Fisher in 1928 that featured a good-hearted, slow-witted and inarticulate boxer named Joe Palooka.