Viro Small
Encyclopedia
Collar-and-elbow
Collar-and-elbow wrestling is a style of folk wrestling native to Ireland that can be traced back to the 17th century but it has ties to the Games of Tailtinn between 632 BC and 1169 AD. Though originating in Ireland, the style flourished in America. The style is often compared to Catch wrestling,...
and boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
of African descent 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Viro Small was born into slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in Buford, South Carolina
Buford, South Carolina
Buford is an unincorporated community in Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States...
in 1854. He gained his freedom at the end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
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 (town), Vermont
St. Albans is a town in Franklin County, Vermont. The population was 6,392 at the 2010 census. The town completely surrounds the city of St. Albans, which was separated from the town and incorporated in 1902. References to "St. Albans" prior to this date generally refer to the town center, which...
and Rutland, Vermont, 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
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. 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 City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
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
Owney Geoghegan
Owney Geoghegan 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”, and weighed between 130 and 140 pounds....
. 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 aim a gun at the referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
'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
Harry Woodson was a professional boxer, nicknamed The Black Diamond, who was active during the 19th century in the Cincinnati area...
, and Joe Ryan.
Small's last recorded match took place in 1885.