For Immediate Release:

Legendary fighter Billy Robinson releases new memoir

In his new autobiography Physical Chess: My Life in Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling (June 2012, ECW Press), legendary British fighter Billy Robinson takes readers on a fascinating trip back in time using his own experiences, both inside and outside the ring, to explore the roots of modern day wrestling and mixed martial arts.

At 74 years old, Robinson (better known in professional wrestling circles as “The British Lion”) is one of the last of the famed Lancashire submission experts. Dubbed “catch wrestlers,” these tough-as-nails fighters were known for their excruciating holds and brutally efficient techniques. Catch wrestling is the great-granddaddy of today’s mixed martial arts, professional wrestling, freestyle wrestling, and other reality-based self-defense systems. In the foreword to Physical Chess, co-author Jake Shannon describes these little-known fighters as “the men who broke their bones, spilled their blood, and bet the wages they earned after a long day in the coal mines, steel mills, or lumberyards, merely to see who was the better man.”

Covering his humble beginnings in post-WWII England amid a family of fighters, his encounter with Hemingway in Spain and worldwide travels as a wrestler, and his ongoing work as a trainer, Robinson shares the details of an extraordinary life. Told in his inimitable voice, he also provides lots of entertaining anecdotes including:

• who won the infamous street fight between Billy Robinson and superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s grandfather.
• how Billy Robinson’s family was pivotal in introducing “God of Wrestling” Karl Gotch to Billy Riley’s gym and the sport of catch-as-catch-can wrestling.
• the accomplishments of some of the greatest competitive grapplers the world has ever seen.

With charm and candor, Physical Chess fills a crucial gap in the history of wrestling and MMA. As he has done training generations of fighters, Robinson’s book passes down a lifetime of knowledge and experience about a proud tradition that he has kept alive.

Billy Robinson (born 1938) is a British professional wrestler and catch wrestling instructor. He was successful in Europe, North America, Asia, and Oceania, winning titles in promotions nearly everywhere he wrestled, and is well known in Japan where he has trained MMA fighters in catch wrestling. He lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Jake Shannon is the author of Say Uncle!, the founder of ScientificWrestling.com, inventor of the Macebell, and a master hypnotist. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Title: Physical Chess: My Life in Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling
Author: Billy Robinson with Jake Shannon
Publisher: ECW Press
Publication: June 2012
Price: $19.95 US/CDN
Available at bookstores and online booksellers

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