International Wrestling Hall of Famer Billy Robinson passes away at 75

Billy Robinson

Billy Robinson a former British professional wrestler and catch wrestling instructor passed away recently at his home in Little Rock, Ark. Robinson was also an author and was famous in Japan for the lessons he imparted to mixed martial arts fighters in catch wrestling. Robinson has won titles almost everywhere he wrestled and he was successful in not only Europe but also North America, Asia and Oceania.

In 1957 he was crowned the British national wrestling champion followed by the European Open Champion in 1958. He later joined the “Snake Pit” of Billy Riley, considered one of the best catch wrestling schools in the world, where he spent eight years learning the art.

He then came to the United States in 1970, where he participated in the American Wrestling Association, where he made his name for being a top contender for the AWA titles and also for matches against Legendary players including The Iron Shiek, Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat among others. In 1975, he also competed in Japan against Antonio Inoki in a famous match.

Following his retirement from professional wrestling, he taught catch wrestling to mixed martial arts wrestlers like Kazushi Sakuraba and Josh Barnett. In 2003, Billy was inducted in the International Wrestling Hall of Fame

Although the cause of the death of Robinson is unknown, it is believed that he died peacefully in his sleep at his home, where he has been teaching Westside Kick-boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.