Mike Russell (billiards player)

Mike Russell (born 3 June 1969 in Middlesbrough, England), is an eleven-time professional World Champion in the game of English billiards, the greatest number in the postwar era. He also has six amateur IBSF World Billiards Championship titles standing to his name. Russell, who turned professional in 1989, is the no. 1 player in the world as of late 2010.

He has been described as an "archrival" of India's prodigy, Geet Sethi, an eight-time World Champion, and each of them had defeated the other for the title, with Russell victorious in 1996, and Sethi the winner in 1998, as of their next encounter at the 2007 event. Both scored two triple centuries apiece, but Russell knocked Sethi out in the semi-finals, 1835–1231, (65.5 vs. 45.6 average). Russell went on to win the title for the ninth time and a £6,000 prize, solidly beating Chris Shutt, 2166–1710 (52.8 vs. 42.8 avg.), with four double and four triple centuries to Shutt's four and none, respectively.

At the IBSF World Billiards Championships 2010, Russell not only claimed the 150up- and time-format title, but also recorded a break of 1137 points in the time-format final. Even though the amateur rules applied in this tournament do not include the "Baulk line rule" used in professional events, he is only the fourth player ever to score a break of over 1000 in an official match under modern rules.