A club fighter (or clubfighter) is a professional
boxer who usually fights locally and has a mediocre record. Club fighters generally are not nationally recognized and have not won any fights that show the ability to win a championship. The term is often used as a
pejorative
A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...
for over-hyped fighters or for older boxers when they begin to decline. For example,
Floyd Mayweather Jr. called
Arturo Gatti
Arturo Gatti (April 15, 1972 – July 11, 2009) was an Italian-Canadian professional boxer who competed from 1991 to 2007. A world champion in two weight classes, Gatti held the IBF junior lightweight title from 1995 to 1998, and the WBC supe ...
"a blown-up club fighter", even though Gatti was the
WBC super lightweight champion at the time.
A club fighter is less respected than a contender, who defeats
''gatekeepers'',
journeymen
A journeyman, journeywoman, or journeyperson is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that fie ...
and club fighters in order to establish himself as a challenger for a world title. A journeyman is slightly more respected than a club fighter—often by way of having a superficially good record.
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Boxing terminology
Pejorative terms for people