Thomas Billington

Thomas Billington (5 December 1958 – 5 December 2018), best known by the ring name the Dynamite Kid, was a British professional wrestler.

He competed in the World Wrestling Federation, Stampede Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid-to-late-1980s. With his cousin Davey Boy Smith, he is also known for having been one half of the tag team The British Bulldogs. He also had notable feuds with Tiger Mask in Japan and Bret Hartin Canada.

Billington is considered by many, including Bret Hart and Dave Meltzer, to have been one of wrestling's most influential in-ring performers, having innovated the level of athleticism involved in the art and merging styles from Britain, Mexico, Canada and Japan.

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Early life

Billington was born in Golborne, Lancashire. He has two sisters and a younger brother named Mark. His father Bill and uncle Eric Billington were boxers in their youth and his grandfather Joe Billington was a bare-knuckle boxer. He was a member of the Billington family. One of his ancestors James Billington was also a wrestler.

Academic work was not a priority to him, but he was drawn to sports at his comprehensive school; his adherence to it, particularly wrestling and gymnastics, helped him develop a relatively small but powerful and agile shape. In addition, he had also received training in boxing during his formative years, which helped instill toughness in him before his career.

His father, the brother of Davey Boy Smith's mother, was a miner and itinerant labourer who often took the young Billington to see wrestling matches in Wigan, well known for its wrestling tradition. It was during a home visit that he caught the attention of Ted Betley, who had been running a professional wrestlingschool in his home; it was here that Billington began his training, as a way of avoiding the back-breaking work of the coal mines.

Personal life

In 1991, he was divorced from his first wife Michelle Smadu (the sister of Bret Hart's then-wife Julie), with whom Billington had one son and two daughters (Marek, Bronwyne and Amaris). Following the end of his marriage to Michelle, he moved from Canada back home to Wigan with his parents.

Billington was a close friend of Wayne Hart. When Billington was living in Calgary they co-owned an apartment together where they lived with their respective girlfriends.

Health problems

In 1997, after having a great deal of complications he was experiencing with walking due to the large number of back and leg injuries he suffered during his career, Billington lost the use of his left leg. He had a paralysed left leg and used a wheelchair; he was cared for by his second wife, Dot. Billington was told he would never be able to walk again. Harley Race, the inventor of the diving headbutt, has stated that he regrets ever inventing the move, because it appears to cause spinal problems as well as concussions, and may have contributed to Billington's disability. In addition to his paralysis, Billington also suffered from heart problems. In November 2013, Billington reportedly suffered a stroke. In 2015, he was named in a lawsuit filed by WWE after they received a letter from him indicating that he intended to sue them for concussion-based injuries sustained during his tenure with them. He was represented by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who is involved in several other lawsuits involving former WWE wrestlers.

Altercations with other wrestlers

Billington had several violent interactions with fellow wrestlers. One such event was with Bruce Hart, in which Billington broke Hart's jaw after Hart stole his Sky remote. Another was while in WWF, where wrestler Jacques Rougeau Jr. felt that Billington had bullied him and punched Billington in the face.

Death

Billington died on December 5, 2018, his 60th birthday.

Legacy

Billington's British training, combined with an aerial arsenal honed during numerous tours in Japan, influenced a generation of later wrestling stars, especially those normally associated with Stu Hart's "Dungeon". A follower was the late WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, who idolized Billington while growing up and adopted a similar moveset that included the swandive headbutt and the Snap suplex.

The playable character in the Mat Mania/Mania Challenge/Exciting Hour arcade games of the mid-1980s named Dynamite Tommy, is frequently presumed to be modeled after Billington.

In February 2013, Highspots.com released a documentary named Dynamite Kid: A Matter of Pride on the Dynamite Kid. In October 2014, Billington was presented with a lifetime achievement award at GloucesterLeisure Centre by Superstars of Wrestling UK.

Billington is featured in the 2016 documentary Nine Legends.

Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Pro Wrestling
  • All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Johnny Smith
  • NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • World's Strongest Tag Determination League Fighting Spirit Award (1984, 1985) – with Davey Boy Smith
  • World's Strongest Tag Determination League Skills Award (1989) – with Davey Boy Smith
  • World's Strongest Tag Determination League Fair Play Award (1990, 1991) – with Johnny Smith
• Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling
  • AGPW International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Joint Promotions
  • British Welterweight Championship (1 time)
  • British Lightweight Championship (1 time)
  • European Welterweight Championship (1 time)
• New Japan Pro Wrestling
  • WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Greatest Gaijin Junior Section (2002)
• Pacific Northwest Wrestling
  • NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Assassin
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him # 5 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Davey Boy Smith in 2003.
  • PWI ranked him #41 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship (5 times, inaugural)
  • Stampede International Tag Team Championship (6 times) – with Sekigawa (1), Loch Ness Monster(1), Kasavudo (1), Duke Myers (1), Davey Boy Smith (2)
  • Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Stampede World Mid-Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
  • Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Tokyo Sports
    • Lifetime Achievement Award (1991)
• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Davey Boy Smith
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Best Flying Wrestler (1984)
  • Best Technical Wrestler (1984) - tied with Masa Saito
  • Best Wrestling Maneuver (1984) Power clean dropkick
  • Match of the Year (1982) vs. Tiger Mask on 5 August, Tokyo, Japan
  • Most Underrated (1983)
  • Tag Team of The Year (1985) - with Davey Boy Smith
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
• Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2001