“Cowboy’s Softball” Brings Too Big of Crowds to Lyerly

Samuel Weaver, better known as “Cowboy” and by his Facebook page Cowboys Softball, has quickly become one of the most talked-about names in Chattooga County. Over the last several weekends, Weaver has been organizing boxing and MMA-style fights at his home in Lyerly, drawing crowds that have outgrown the small town.

What started as backyard bouts has now exploded into a viral phenomenon. Videos of the fights—known to fans as “The Pit”—have reached more than 8 million views online.

Weaver, a 2016 graduate of Trion High School, says his path into fighting was anything but conventional. After serving two years in prison, he found fighting as a way to channel his energy into something constructive. “It gave me a way to get something out,” he said.

But Weaver is quick to insist that the success of The Pit is not about him. “There’s tons of people helping make this happen,” Weaver explained. “People are watching people fight who would have never been watched otherwise. This is about giving people something to do, and for some, a way to get frustration out.”

Once the crowds grew close to 500 people, Weaver ran into roadblocks with authorities—from complaints about roads being blocked, disturbances, to Lyerly not having the security resources to manage the gatherings, and now questions regarding the promotion of the fights themselves. AllOnGeorgia is hoping to receive clarification from state officials early next week regarding the legality of these events. Weaver stresses that fighters are of adult age, agree to participate, and sign waivers before stepping into The Pit.

Although plans had been made to move the event to a larger venue in Trion this weekend, Weaver confirmed that the location fell through. As a result, the next round of fights will once again take place privately at his home in Lyerly, without spectators. However, the event will still be livestreamed on Facebook beginning at noon, where the fights have already built a massive audience.

For now, Cowboy remains focused on what he sees as the heart of the movement: community. “At the end of the day, it’s about people coming together. Nobody expected this to take off like it has.”

This is a developing story. AllOnGeorgia will provide updates once officials clarify the rules surrounding The Pit.