Billy Red Lyons
Willem Snip (17 May 1932 – 22 June 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler, who wrestled under the ring name Billy Red Lyons. He was an active wrestler between 1956 and 1985, and won numerous championships throughout his career. He worked for promotions in both Canada and the United States, particularly in Ontario, California, Minneapolis, Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma.
| Billy Red Lyons | |
|---|---|
Lyons as the AWA British Empire Heavyweight Champion | |
| Birth name | Willem Snip |
| Born | 17 May 1932 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 22 June 2009 (aged 77) |
| Family | Norma Thomson Snip (wife) Scott Snip (son) Elizabeth Snip (Daughter) Mitchell Snip (son) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Billy Red Lyons William Lyons Willem Snip |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Billed weight | 240 lb (110 kg) |
| Trained by | Jimmy Simms |
| Debut | 1956 |
| Retired | 1985 |
Lyons won numerous tag team championships throughout his career, including with Dick Beyer, who was his real-life brother-in-law, as well as Fritz Von Erich, Bill Watts, and Ray Gunkel. He also won singles championships, including the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship. Lyons also wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) at various times between 1976 and 1985.
After his retirement from in-ring competition, he would work for Maple Leaf Wrestling in Toronto and the World Wrestling Federation.