Billy Robinson
Photo: This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1931 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. For further explanation, see Commons:Hirtle chart as well as a detailed definition of "publication" for public art. Note that it may still be copyrighted in jurisdictions that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works (depending on the date of the author's death), such as Canada (50 p.m.a.), Mainland China (50 p.m.a., not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany (70 p.m.a.), Mexico (100 p.m.a.), Switzerland (70 p.m.a.), and other countries with individual treaties. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Grappling & BJJCatch WrestlingFreestyle Wrestling

Billy Robinson

Born William Alfred Robinson

The Snake Pit graduate who taught a generation to hook

Tale of the tape
Born
September 18, 1938, Manchester, England, UK
Died
February 27, 2014 (aged 75)
Nationality
England
Height
180 cm (5′11″)
Style
Snake Pit technician
Weight
Light-heavyweight (amateur), Heavyweight (professional)
Active
1957–1992

The story

Billy Robinson came from a Manchester boxing family, but an eye injury as a boy ruled out a boxing licence, so he took up wrestling at 14. A year later his father introduced him to Billy Riley's gym in Wigan, the Snake Pit, where he learned catch-as-catch-can and in 1957 won the British senior freestyle title at light-heavyweight. As a professional he held the British and European heavyweight titles, then became a star in North America with the AWA and in Japan, where his 1975 match with Antonio Inoki was named match of the year by Tokyo Sports. After retiring in 1992 he became an influential coach, teaching catch wrestling to Kazushi Sakuraba, Josh Barnett, Kiyoshi Tamura and Shayna Baszler, and passing on Riley's favourite instruction: do it again.

Signature weapons
Catch-as-catch-can 'hooking' submissions Snake Pit conditioning ('do it again')Coaching shoot-style and MMA fighters

Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.

Titles
  • British Senior freestyle champion (1957, light-heavyweight)
  • British and European heavyweight champion (Joint Promotions)
  • AWA British Empire Heavyweight Champion (3 reigns)
  • PWF World Heavyweight Champion (All Japan Pro Wrestling)
Honours
  • Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1995)
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (1996)
  • George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (2003)
  • Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (2011)

Defining matches

  1. 1957
    Won the British Senior freestyle title (light-heavyweight)
  2. 1965
    Beat Billy Joyce for the European heavyweight title
  3. 1967
    Beat Billy Joyce for the British heavyweight title
  4. 1975
    Tokyo Sports match of the year with Antonio Inoki
  5. 1992
    Final match: vs Nick Bockwinkel for UWF International
Steal this

Learn Robinson's catch-style ride: keep your weight on the opponent's hips, grab a wrist every time they post a hand, and turn that wrist into a double wrist lock or a pin instead of giving them room to stand.

More Grappling & BJJ legends

Facts checked September 2026 against en.wikipedia.org and nwhof.org. Photo: This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1931 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. For further explanation, see Commons:Hirtle chart as well as a detailed definition of "publication" for public art. Note that it may still be copyrighted in jurisdictions that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works (depending on the date of the author's death), such as Canada (50 p.m.a.), Mainland China (50 p.m.a., not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany (70 p.m.a.), Mexico (100 p.m.a.), Switzerland (70 p.m.a.), and other countries with individual treaties., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, shown in black and white with a halftone effect. The Hall of Fame is editorial; it doesn't imply Billy Robinson endorses Satori Fight Club.