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The Snake Pit (Wigan)

53°33′57″N 2°35′12″W / 53.5658°N 2.5866°W / 53.5658; -2.5866 (The Snake Pit)

This article is about the wrestling gym in Wigan, England. For the movie released in 1948, see The Snake Pit. For other uses, see Snake pit (disambiguation).
The Snake Pit
Also known asRiley's
Riley's Gym
蛇の穴 / スネーク・ピット
Aspull Olympic Wrestling Club
Aspull Wrestling Club
Wigan
Date founded1948
Country of originEngland
FounderBilly Riley
Current headRoy Wood, Andrea Wood
Arts taughtCatch wrestling
Freestyle wrestling
Ancestor artsLancashire wrestling
PractitionersKarl Gotch
Billy Robinson
Bert Assirati
Jack Dempsey[a]
Billy Joyce
Les Thornton
Dynamite Kid
Maria Dunn
See more
Official websitesnakepitwigan.com

The Snake Pit is a wrestling gym and organisation in Aspull, Wigan Borough, England. It hosts the Aspull Olympic Wrestling Club.[b] Founded in 1948 by Billy Riley in the town of Wigan, it was originally known as Riley's Gym. Riley was succeeded by Roy Wood, one of his last living students.[2][3] In December 2023, Wood was recognised on the 2024 New Year Honours and awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) "for services to wrestling and young people" after coaching for almost 50 years.[4][5][6] An exhibition about Riley and the gym began at the Leigh Town Hall in April 2024.[7]

The gym has been a significant influence on the evolution of catch-as-catch-can (CACC), freestyle, and professional wrestling, as well as mixed martial arts (MMA), especially in Japan. Riley was the head coach for over 20 years, teaching the Lancashire style of catch wrestling, and the gym became known in Britain and internationally for producing skilled wrestlers. Riley closed the gym in the early 1970s due to theatrics overtaking legitimate skills in pro wrestling but it was soon revived through a community effort, with Roy Wood becoming head coach, assisted by Riley and other veteran wrestlers. The gym switched to freestyle wrestling, producing champions and international competitors, and hosting the Aspull Freestyle Wrestling International for over 35 years. The gym moved to Aspull during this time, establishing the Aspull Olympic Wrestling Club.[2][3][8][9][10]

The gym continued to be one of the most essential sources for preserving catch wrestling and began to formally promote the style again in 2012 through competitions, training, and certification.[2][3][8] The Snake Pit has hosted the Catch Wrestling World Championships since 2018.[11] The 2024 Catch Wrestling British Championships took place on August 10, followed by the World Championships on September 7.[12][13]


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ "Aspull Warriors Wrestling Club". sportsinbolton.com.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Gould, KJ (2011-11-24). "Interview: The Return of Catch Wrestling's Snake Pit". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  4. ^ Lawton, Maisie; Walker, Amy (2023-12-29). "Full list of Greater Manchester people recognised in New Year Honours 2024". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  5. ^ "Roy WOOD | British Empire Medal | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  6. ^ McAllister, Josh (January 3, 2024). "Local wrestling club legend named on The King's New Year honours list". Wigan Today. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  7. ^ Cunningham, Conal (2024-04-12). "Exhibition to commemorate Leigh moulder who had a worldwide influence in wrestling". Leigh Journal. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  8. ^ a b Elliott, Brian (2007-06-22). "Catch DVD preserves Snake Pit's legacy". Slam Wrestling. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  9. ^ Grant, T.P. (2012-02-12). "MMA Origins: Catch Wrestling Travels to Japan". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  10. ^ Oliver, Greg (January 12, 2015). "Talking Billy Riley with Greenfield & De Courcy". Slam Wrestling. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference :66 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "Snake Pit World Championships 2024". Snakepit Wigan. 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2024-11-18.

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