Are you talking about the comic "Joe Palooka?" All I recall of it is that Joe Palooka was a boxer/prizefighter.
Dr. Bill?

OED on "PALOOKA" --an inferior or average prizefighter; a stupid or mediocre person; an oaf,
Slang, chiefly US, origin unknown. Now, did OED take "palooka" from the comic strip ? or vice versa ? Hmmmm