Dynamite Kid
Thomas Billington (5 December 1958 – 5 December 2018), best known by the ring name the Dynamite Kid, was a British professional wrestler.
| Dynamite Kid | |
|---|---|
Billington as part of The British Bulldogs | |
| Birth name | Thomas Billington |
| Born | 5 December 1958 Golborne, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 5 December 2018 (aged 60) Ince, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England |
| Spouse(s) | Michelle Smadu
(m. 1982; div. 1991)Dot Billington
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 3 |
| Family | Billington Hart (by marriage) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Dynamite Kid The Dynamite Kid |
| Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Billed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Billed from | Liverpool, England Manchester, England |
| Trained by | Ted Betley Jack Fallon Billy Riley John Foley Stu Hart |
| Debut | 24 December 1975 |
| Retired | 10 October 1996 |
Trained by former wrestler "Dr Death" Ted Betley, he competed in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Stampede Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). With his cousin Davey Boy Smith, he was also known for being one half of the tag team The British Bulldogs.
He had notable feuds with Tiger Mask in Japan and Bret Hart in Canada.
Billington is considered by many, including Bret Hart, to have been one of wrestling's most influential in-ring performers, having increased the level of athleticism involved in the art, bringing together styles from Britain, Mexico, Canada and Japan.