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| Photo Credit: Billy Robinson's Facebook |
He passed away peacefully in his sleep earlier today. He was 74 yrs old. Posting some videos as tribute to one of the last great catchwrestlers.
Hoping he's wrestling with Lou Thesz and Karl Gotch up in Heaven!
RIP Billy Robinson
Turning back the clocks once again. However, not quite as far back as before, but still a good thirty five years or so. Billy Robinson was quite arguably the best pure wrestler to come out of Great Britain in the 1960s. Born in 1939, he spent his childhood honing his grappling skills, and won quite a few amateur wrestling competitions before deciding to turn pro. Upon that decision, he joined the legendary Snake Pit, the same school that trained the likes of Karl Gotch. Here, Robinson learned the finer points of Catch Wrestling, and survived through training regimens and living conditions rarely seen outside of the dojos in Japan. Robinson survived, and made his professional debut in 1960. He won his first title, the European Mid Heavyweight Title in 1961. Arguably his biggest win in his early career would come in 1969, when he defeated Killer Karl Kox for the IWA Australia World Heavyweight Title. He would also win the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title, defeating Abdullah the Butcher. In 1970, he joined up with the AWA, and found tag team success while there, holding the AWA World Tag Team Titles twice, including once with Verne Gagne himself. In 1975, he journeyed to Japan, wrestling the legendary Antonio Inoki, as well as Jumbo Tsuruta, whom Robinson defeated for the NWA United National Heavyweight Title(now a part of the Triple Crown Heavyweight Title). As the years wore on, Robinson would still press on, even defeating young upstart Rick Martel for the Montreal International Wrestling Title. His last match would come in 1992, wrestling fellow legend Nick Bockwinkle in an exhibition match for the UWFi promotion in Japan. Robinson's training in the Snake Pit certainly paid in dividends. The skills he picked up stayed with him for his entire career, making him one of the most respected technical wrestlers of his time. He could slam his opponents with his Backdrop Backbreaker, and just as easily stretch them into submission with the Boston Crab or the Abdominal Stretch. Robinson is also one of the earliest known users of the Belly to Belly Piledriver, commonly referred to as a Tombstone Piledriver today.
Karl Gotch vs Billy Robinson 4/2/71
Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon discuss Catch Wrestling
Billy Robinson on Barnett, Couture, & the first Scientific Wrestling certification
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