[7] The gym has had 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 Lancashire style catch wrestling, and the gym became known in Britain and internationally for producing skilled wrestlers.
[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][14][15][16] Riley trained in pubs like the Crispin Arms or at his home before he and a handful of other wrestlers, who were also tradesmen, combined their resources to purchase a plot of land and build a dedicated gym in the Whelley area of the town of Wigan.
[2][20] The original building was described as a shed or shack with a tin roof, bare bricks inside, a worn wrestling mat stuffed with horse hair, a coal stove for heat, no toilet, rusting weights, and a shower in the corner that only had cold water.
[31] Although the training was tough and many visitors were one-time-only, the gym had unwritten rules against breaking limbs, eye-poking, hair-pulling, and similar behaviour.
[2][3][35][36] As well as Bob Sherry (Jimmy Niblett),[37][38] El Diablo (Tony Francis),[39] George Gregory,[29] Count Bartelli (Geoff Condliffe),[40] Jack Mountford,[25] Johnny Eagle (Roy Boyd),[41] and Tommy Heyes.
[14] The gym became well-known internationally and hosted wrestlers from countries including France, Belgium, Italy, Finland, Spain, India, Pakistan, Turkey, the United States, and Canada.
It was directed by Michael Elster, filmed by David Wood, produced by Denis Mitchell, edited by Leonard Trumm, with sound recording by John Muxworthy.
Riley's converted to freestyle wrestling because there were no opportunities for catch wrestlers in Britain coupled with safety concerns for training youth.
[53][54] On February 7, 1989, the documentary series First Tuesday premiered "The Wigan Hold", produced by Roger Finnegan, focusing on Riley's gym.
[3][58] In 1990, Japanese pro wrestlers Kazuo Sakurada and KY Wakamatsu approached Billy Joyce, who directed them to Wood, with an offer to coach in Japan for Super World of Sports (SWS).
After a training session, Wood and Joyce took them to the ruins of Riley's, where the visitors looked noticeably upset by the famed gym's condition and offered financial assistance to rebuild it.
[45][62][74] In 2000, Roy Wood and his daughter Andrea helped establish freestyle wrestling programs at several schools in Greater Manchester, one of which quickly won back-to-back British championships for boys and girls.
"[4][5][6] The medal was presented to Wood in a ceremony at Gorton Monastery by Diane Hawkins, the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, in October 2024.
[11][99] After the death of coach Ian Bromley in February 2019, The Snake Pit partnered with the charity Andy's Man Club (AMC) to raise awareness and combat stigma around mental health.
[103] The number of entrants for the event doubled from the previous year, including accomplished grapplers and mixed martial artists such as Olga McGlinchey (2012 world championships bronze medallist and Olympian), UFC fighters John Hathaway and Tom Watson, and Nathaniel Brown, a 2019 British freestyle silver medallist.
[101][104] In January 2022, documents found in the Snake Pit's archives helped reveal Britain's first black Olympian - Louis Bruce, a biracial wrestler and tram driver from Edinburgh, Scotland.
[105] After a two-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Catch Wrestling World Championships took place on June 4, 2022 at the University of Bolton Stadium.
[19] The Snake Pit held the 2023 Catch Wrestling British Championships on August 5 at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan, England.
[110][111] This event had the most international competitors to date, including an American team assembled by Barnett - the ACWA Warbringers, all of whom reached the finals in their divisions.
[7] The Snake Pit held the 2024 Catch Wrestling British Championships on August 10 at Robin Leisure Park in Wigan, England.
His students included Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami, Satoru Sayama (the first Tiger Mask), Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Akira Maeda, Nobuhiko Takada, Minoru Suzuki, and Masakatsu Funaki.
Sayama founded Super Tiger Gym [ja] followed by Shooto in 1985, to combine catch wrestling with striking for legitimate competition.
[146] Americans Maurice Smith[147][148] and Frank Shamrock,[149][150] and the Dutch Bas Rutten[151] also trained in the catch-based Pancrase style and went on to become UFC champions.
Hume was a pioneer of American MMA, having co-founded the AMC Pankration gym several years prior to combine grappling and striking.
[152][155] Hume was a primary coach for world champions Josh Barnett,[156][157] Demetrious Johnson,[158] Jeff Monson,[156] and Rich Franklin.
[159][160] Barnett became one of the most prominent modern catch wrestlers, also trained under Robinson and Paulson, and coached Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, Marina Shafir, and Victor Henry.
"[103] After a two-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Catch Wrestling World Championships took place on June 4, 2022 at the University of Bolton Stadium.
Superfightː Owen Livesey (2022 heavyweight champion) defeated Josh Barnett (2018 super heavyweight champion) Angel Verduzco was named the Ian Bromley Cup "outstanding wrestler", Brett Pfarr was named "best male wrestler of the night", Nikki Hilton was named "best female wrestler of the night", Jordan Stott received the Nathan Tully award for "dedication to grassroots/paying it forward", and Mike Clark received the Jack Carroll award for fastest win (pin or submission).