Profiles: Billy Riley

Billy posing for a publicity shot with his British Empire Championship belt.

Billy Riley is a legend of wrestling.

As an apprentice moulder, Billy trained with the Wigan miners in the traditional art of Lancashire Catch-as-Catch-Can, at a time when it was one of the most popular sports in the area.

In the 1930s Billy went on to become the British Empire Champion at middleweight in South Africa, breaking his opponents arm in the process: this was definitely not show wrestling.

Billy toured America twice and was recognised internationally for his skill in the sport.

When he opened his gym in the 1950s on Vine Street in Wigan, it fast developed a reputation as one of the most formidable schools every known.

People travelled from all around to train at Riley’s. It is said Billy had two mottos – “Billy is always right” and “you can never train too hard”.

You can never train too hard

The gym was little more than a tin hut with very few facilities. But it turned out many champions, including the likes of Billy Joyce – who many regard as the greatest Catch wrestler to ever step in the ring (or onto a field for that matter).

Belgian Wrestler Karl Gotch helped spread the fame of Riley’s when he told people in America and Japan where he acquired such a formidable style.

Although Riley’s is the most famous of Wigan gyms, there was a time when there were many rival clubs turning out top Catch exponents.

The Belshaws were one of the Riley gym’s greatest rivals – a family of local undertakers (and take down specialists). But it is Riley’s gym – and Billy Riley himself – whose shadow is cast longest over wrestling’s largely forgotten history.

Roy Wood who was one of the last wrestlers to be trained by Billy described the training as more akin to ‘having a fight’.

Roy continues the legacy of Riley’s, in new premises at Aspull Olympic Wrestling Club.

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