Viro Small (born ) was a
collar-and-elbow wrestler and
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
* Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
* Boxer snipe ee ...
of
African descent
Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in s ...
who was active in the late 19th century. He is notable for being one of the first professionals of African descent in these fields in the United States.
Viro Small was born into
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
in
Buford, South Carolina
Buford is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 398. It lies at the intersection of South Carolina ...
in 1854. He gained his freedom at the end of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
and moved north.
Career
Viro Small's career as a boxer began in 1870. There is debate over whether his wrestling career started at this point or later in 1881. The match in 1881 was a collar-and-elbow match against Mike Horogan as a substitute for another wrestler. While he lost, Horogan was very impressed with Small's ability and agreed to train him.
Viro Small's career began to take off after this. Wrestling under the name Black Sam, out of
St. Albans
St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman ro ...
and
Rutland, Vermont Rutland, Vermont may refer to:
*Rutland (city), Vermont
* Rutland (town), Vermont
*Rutland County, Vermont
*West Rutland, Vermont
West Rutland is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The t ...
, Small won 63 matches between 1882 and 1892 and the Vermont Collar and Elbow Championship twice. These wins made him possibly the first champion of African descent in the United States, but there are conflicting accounts and competing claims to this distinction.
These titles also gave Small the chance to travel in the county fair circuits in
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. At the fairs, Small and Horogan would team up for various shows. Horogan would challenge members of the audience to get into the ring with Small and the volunteer could win money if he lasted a certain amount of time in the ring.
Small moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and wrestled in some of the toughest parts of the city, including at a tavern named Bastille of the Bowery, owned by former boxer
Owney Geoghegan
Owen "Owney" Geoghegan (1840 – January 19, 1885) was a lightweight bare-knuckle boxer. Geoghegan claimed the Lightweight Championship of America in 1861, and held it until his retirement in 1863. He stood 5' 6" (167.64 cm) and weighed betwe ...
. The bar contained two rings for boxing and wrestling contests, and was notorious for crooked management, rowdy patrons and an overall seedy atmosphere. Geoghegan reportedly won a decision over an opponent in the Bowery by having his
henchmen
A henchman (''vernacular:'' "hencher"), is a loyal employee, supporter, or aide to some powerful figure engaged in nefarious or criminal enterprises. Henchmen are typically relatively unimportant in the organization: minions whose value lies prim ...
aim a gun at the
referee
A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...
's head after the fight.
On September 3, 1882, at Bowery, Small had a match with Billy McCallum that ended in a no-contest after a major argument started between them. Upset by the fight, McCallum attempted to murder Small later that evening while he was sleeping, shooting Small in the neck, but Small survived. Other frequent opponents in New York included Captain James C. Daley,
Harry Woodson
Harry Woodson (c. 1852 – October 15, 1887) was a professional boxer, nicknamed The Black Diamond, who was active during the 19th century in the Cincinnati area. Due to the political reality of the time Woodson mostly fought other black boxer ...
, and Joe Ryan.
Small's last recorded match took place in 1885.
Championships and accomplishments
:*Vermont Collar and Elbow Championship (2 times)
Representation in Media
A documentar
Black Sam's Statueon Viro Small's life was made by Elliott Marquis and released in February 2015.
Viro Small is also a character in the historical thriller BLEECKER
STREET by Ted Lampron
See also
*
List of bare-knuckle boxers
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
References
External links
Profile on cyberboxingzone.comBiography from onlineonslaught.comMatch count*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Small, Viro
1850s births
American male professional wrestlers
American bare-knuckle boxers
Year of death missing
St. Albans, Vermont
People from Lancaster County, South Carolina
African-American professional wrestlers
American male boxers