European World Mddleweight Title NOT!!!

[necrosis215]

O.K. I train at Aspull Olympic Wrestling Club which is the offspring club of the Snake Pit. My trainer Roy Wood was trained by the man himseld Billy Riley and after a great competition in Scotland, we were talking about Billy on the way back. I was impressing with my knowlege of the titles that Billy had won and Roy told me something that will change the history of this belt. Billy NEVER lost the title!!! His family still posses the belt pictured here and Roy saw it not very long ago. Now, the site http://www.wrestling-titles.com/europe/eu-world-m.html has it that Billy lost the title back to Bob the year after winning it. But that is untrue. Also, the title wasn't called the World Middleweight Title, it was the British Empire Middleweight Title. It was created at the time of the commonwealth and that's why the match was held in S. Africa. I asked Roy if he was confusing the title with the British Middleweight Title http://www.wrestling-titles.com/europe/uk/bri-m.html but he assured me that it was the belt that he won in S. Africa. I have Wrestling Title Histories and have seen the same erroneous information. Could I ask if you know what sources told you that Bob won back the title? I think that my sources are very reliable seeing as Roy is now that father of the Snake Pit and has a great love of wrestling. He received an award recently for a lifetime's dedication to wrestling.

Any insight Hisa? Would you like for me to ask anything to Roy?

necrosis215

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

My main source is of course WHT, and that's from where I got this info.

According to the book, Riley won the world title in 22 from Bob Myers but lost back in 23 (both took place in S. Africa). However, WHT also has a history of British Empire/Commonwealth Middleweight Title which Riley won from John van Rensburgh in 23 and kept until he retired in 46. Could this be the title Roy is talking about?

I don't have the listing on my website, though. I'll soon add the lists for Empire/Commonwealth titles from different weight divisions.

[necrosis215]

I've just checked in WTH and the title does seem a little familiar to what Roy was saying. I'll take him the book on Wed (training night) and ask. I had completely missed that title out.

necrosis215