Billy Riley
British professional wrestler (1896–1977)
ビリー・ライレー · 빌리 라일리
- Born
- 17 May 1889, Wigan
- Died
- 27 August 1977, England
- Citizenship
- United Kingdom
- Sport
- amateur wrestling, professional wrestling
- Occupation
- amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, catch trainer
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 nearly 50 years after his death.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q4913244 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.