"Shooter" Billy Robinson in 1974.

Billy Robinson is a legendary British professional wrestler and Catch Wrestling instructor. Billy Robinson became popular in Japan where he has trained Mixed Martial Arts fighters in catch wrestling. Robinson is one of the few wrestlers who was successful in several continents (Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania), winning titles in promotions nearly everywhere he wrestled. Image File history File linksMetadata Shooter. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Shooter. ... ... Catch wrestling is a popular style of wrestling with origins in a variety of styles, most notably those of Lancashire, England, collar-and-elbow, and catch-as-catch-can (which is the immediate source of its name). ... Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport in which two competitors attempt to achieve dominance over one another by utilizing a wide variety of permitted martial arts techniques, including striking and grappling. ... European redirects here. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... For the fictional superstate in George Orwells novel, see Oceania (Nineteen Eighty-Four). ...

Career

Early days in Europe

Billy Robinson was born in 1939 in Great Britain.

Robinson began his amateur wrestling career in England. He was British National Wrestling Champion in 1957, and in 1958 was European Open Wrestling Champion in the light heavyweight class, beating an Olympic bronze medal winner in the finals.

Billy Robinson also attended the fabled "Snake Pit" started by legendary Billy Riley. The snake pit was one of the most respected Catch Wrestling training schools in all of the world. Legends such as Karl Gotch had trained in Catch Wrestling in the Snake Pit under Riley. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Categories: American professional wrestlers | Professional wrestling stubs ...

Robinson had to survive bare minimum amenities (luxuries such as a toilet were not provided at the Snake Pit), very rough training environment (Billy Riley was very impatient with those who showed even the slightest bit of weakness on the mat) and rigorous conditioning. Robinson stayed at the Snake Pit for eight years. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In North America

Billy Robinson travelled to North America in 1970 and began wrestling for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association. He was one of the successful wrestlers of the American promotion known for hiring the "Real Deals" in wrestling. Billy Robinson was also the AWA British Empire Heavyweight Champion; he defended the title in both the U. S. and Canada, but was the only champion. Verne Gagne (born May 10, 1923) is a former professional wrestler, trainer and wrestling promoter. ... The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was a professional wrestling organization, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ...

Billy Robinson's image as a legitimate wrestler landed him a role in the movie "The Wrestler" alongside Verne Gagne and Ed Asner. Verne Gagne (born May 10, 1923) is a former professional wrestler, trainer and wrestling promoter. ... Edward Asner Edward Ed Asner (born November 15, 1929) is an American Actor best known for his Emmy-winning role as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and later continued in a spinoff series, Lou Grant. ...

Japan

Billy Robinson travelled to Japan where he became immensely popular as a legitimate wrestler versed in submission holds. He participated in a professional wrestling match against legendary Antonio Inoki in 1975. The match was billed as "The match between the world's top two technicians" by the Japanese press. Antonio Inoki (アントニオ猪木), real name Kanji Inoki (猪木寛至 Inoki Kanji, born February 20, 1943) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides in New York City. ...

Billy Robinson continued an active professional wrestling career, travelling throughout the world to participate in various events.

Japanese professional wrestlers learnt the art of "hooking" and "shooting" by another of catch wrestling's greatest icons, Karl Gotch. The new movement led to the formation of the Universal Wrestling Federation (Japan). Categories: American professional wrestlers | Professional wrestling stubs ... The original Japanese-based Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion from 1984 to 1986, formed by wrestlers who had left New Japan Pro Wrestling. ...

The UWF had wrestlers like Yoshiaki Fujiwara who had personally been to the Snake Pit in Wigan. Billy Robinson was became a part of the shoot style movement including a memorable match for the UWF against fellow AWA legend Nick Bockwinkel on May 8, 1992. Yoshiaki Fujiwara applying the Fujiwara armbar Yoshiaki Fujiwara (藤原喜明 Fujiwara Yoshiaki) is a Japanese professional wrestler who has worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, and UWF. // Career Fujiwara was the first graduate of the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo (Mr. ... Nick Bockwinkel Nick Bockwinkel was a professional wrestler, mainly competing in the AWA in the United States. ...

After wrestling

Apart of being one of the important "shooters" of the shoot style movement, Billy Robinson began training youngsters in catch wrestling at the UWF Snake Pit in Japan. Billy Robinson has contributed immensely in training several Mixed Martial Arts legends including Kazushi Sakuraba and Josh Barnett. Currently, he trains up and coming fighter Manabu Inoue. Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport in which two competitors attempt to achieve dominance over one another by utilizing a wide variety of permitted martial arts techniques, including striking and grappling. ... Kazushi Sakuraba (Japanese: 桜庭和志, Sakuraba Kazushi, born July 14, 1968 in Akita Prefecture) is a Japanese professional mixed martial arts fighter. ... Josh Barnett (born November 10, 1977, in Seattle, Washington) is an American heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter and a professional wrestler. ...

Robinson was inducted into the International Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003.

Championships and accomplishments

• Amateur Wrestling

• 1-time British National Wrestling Champion
• 1-time European Open Light Heavyweight Wrestling Champion

• Joint Promotions

• 1-time British Heavyweight Champion

• American Wrestling Association

• 1-time AWA British Empire Heavyweight Champion
• 2-time AWA World Tag Team Champion (once with Verne Gagne and once with Crusher Lisowski)

• International Pro Wrestling (Japan)

• 2-time IWA Heavyweight Champion

• All Japan Pro Wrestling

• 1-time NWA United National Champion
• 1-time PWF Heavyweight Champion

• Australia

• 1-time IWA (Australia) Heavyweight Champion

FILA Greatest Wrestler of 20th Century (Greco-Roman) Alexander Karelin throws Olympian Jeff Blatnick with his Karelin Lift Andrell Durden (top) and Edward Harris grapple for position during the All-Marine Wrestle Offs. ... The British Heavyweight Championship is the top title competed for throught out the British wrestling circuit. ... The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was a professional wrestling organization, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... The AWA World Tag Team Championship was the tag team title for the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991. ... Verne Gagne (born May 10, 1923) is a former professional wrestler, trainer and wrestling promoter. ... Reginald Lisowski was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, The Crusher. ... International Pro-Wrestling (国際プロレス興行;, Kokusai Puroresu Kogyo, International Wrestling Enterprise) was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1967 to 1981. ... All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) (全日本プロレス, zen nihon puroresu) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. ...

External links

• International Wrestling Hall of Fame
• Obsessed With Wrestling

• Website of the film 'Catch - the hold not taken', a documentary on the history of Riley's gym where Robinson trained