HE WAS wearing much less than a cape and red tights, but this South Philly native still showed he was a real-life hero.

In a series of events that could have been lifted straight out of a movie script, a likable professional wrestler from South Philadelphia, clad only in his boxer shorts, recently chased down a mugger on skates who had snatched the purse of a neighbor.

"My job in wrestling is to be a good guy, but it's staged," said Billy "The Real Deal" Riel. "I got a chance in real life to prove that I am a good guy."

Riel, 23, a South Philly native and ex-World Wrestling Federation competitor, buck-naked except for a pair of gray and black Calvin Klein boxers, chased the man nine blocks through the neighborhood that inspired the movie "Rocky."

Along the way, he borrowed the parked mountain bike of an attractive, dark-haired young woman who was sipping coffee at a sidewalk cafe at 7th and Fitzwater streets.

And, in a classic Hollywood ending, the bad guy on skates who Riel eventually chased down turned out to be a former college classmate.

"You gotta let me go Billy, I need help," Riel was told by former Penn State classmate Jeffrey Stapleton, who was eventually charged with felony robbery.

Riel, known in the wrestling world as a "baby face," or a good guy, responded to Stapleton: "There's no way I'm going to let you go, but where you're going, you'll get help."

The drama began on Friday morning about 11, as Riel was playing video games at his mother's house on Delhi Street near Catharine in Bella Vista.

Riel had spent the night there consoling his younger brother John, 16, who said he had been unfairly suspended from high school after an altercation with a teacher. The suspension was eventually expunged.

With his brother fast asleep, Riel heard a familiar voice screaming for help.

From his third-floor window, he saw one of his mother's best friends, Josephine Rubens, 61, struggling with a ruffian on in-line skates.

"This fellow came by on Rollerblades and snatched my purse out of my hand," said Rubens, who had just returned from shopping at the nearby Italian Market.

"The fellow threw down my purse and skated away, and Billy must've heard me screaming because he came running out of the house in his underwear."

Riel had raced down three flights of steps wearing only his skivvies and, without a second thought, gave chase.

"Get him Billy, get him," cheered neighbors from their upstairs windows who had also heard the screams.

But the barefoot, shirtless, and un-supported Riel was no match for the Rollerbladed robber.

"I was wearing nothing but boxer shorts, boxer shorts with no buttons," Riel said delicately. "He was gaining distance with each block."

Riel spotted a woman eating breakfast at an outdoor cafe a few blocks into the chase. Beside her was a 10-speed mountain bike. He pleaded to borrow her two-wheeler.

"Yeah, like I'm going to give my bike to some guy in his underwear?" she said incredulously.

She relented, and Riel resumed his chase. After making a right turn onto Bainbridge Street, he finally spotted Stapleton half a block away on a pay phone.

Laying aside the bicycle, Riel tackled the unsuspecting thief.

Police Officer James Burns, responding to neighbors' calls, arrived on the scene and arrested Stapleton on Bainbridge Street near 7th. Stapleton faces charges including felony robbery, theft, receiving stolen property and simple assault, police said.

After finding the dark-haired woman and returning her bike, Riel, who lives on Camac Street near Tasker, walked back to his mom's neighborhood and returned Rubens' wallet.

"He's a hero, I've known him since he was born," said Rubens. "Billy's always been a good boy."

Riel, a part-time professional wrestler since he was 15, worked for the then-WWF in 2000 before hurting his shoulders and breaking his collarbone and sternum in a match in July 2000.

Riel dropped out of Penn State, gave up a college baseball career and suspended his professional wrestling dream. After surgery and physical rehabilitation, he is wrestling again, albeit at smaller venues.

His next appearance will be at 8 p.m. Nov. 8 at St. John Neumann High School, which he once attended.

"Sometimes you get a chance to step up to the plate, and you have to be ready," Riel said of his experience. "I was glad I got the opportunity to help my community."