Billy Riley was an English practitioner and teacher of catch wrestling. As a trainer in the sport, he taught some of the leading post-World War II figures in catch wrestling at his training school "The Snake Pit" in Wigan, Lancashire, England.
Billy Riley
Catch wrestling is a classical hybrid grappling style and combat sport. It was popularised by wrestlers of travelling funfairs who developed their own submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents. Catch wrestling derives from various different international styles of wrestling including several English styles. The training of some modern submission wrestlers, professional wrestlers and mixed martial artists is founded in catch wrestling.
Catch wrestling
A hammerlock as demonstrated in Farmer Burns' correspondence course, 1913
Catch (or Freestyle retroactively) wrestling at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Professional match between Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt, 1908