Billy Riley
| Billy Riley | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Harold Riley |
| Born | 22 June 1896 Leigh, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 9 September 1977 or 15 September 1977 (aged 81) Wigan, England |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Billy Riley |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10.5 in (179 cm) |
| Billed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Trained by | Willie Charnock Peter Burns Vaino Ketonen |
| Debut | 1909 |
| Retired | 1968 |
William Harold Riley (22 June 1896 – 9 or 15 September 1977), known by the name Billy Riley, was an English professional wrestler, coach, promoter, and referee. A legitimately skilled wrestler, Riley's career began when professional wrestling bouts were still genuine contests. At various times, Riley was billed as the middleweight champion of the world, British Empire, and England. In 1948, he founded "The Snake Pit" gym in Wigan, where he coached for over 20 years, teaching the Lancashire style of catch wrestling to some of the leading post-World War II wrestlers, including Karl Gotch and Billy Robinson, among others. Riley's students were significant influences on professional wrestling, catch wrestling, and mixed martial arts (MMA), especially in Japan. Riley's Snake Pit has continued to operate and train wrestlers over 50 years after his death.
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