The Dynamite Kid has passed away today, on what was his 60th birthday.
A former WWF Tag Team champion, Dynamite Kid Tommy Billington will always be remembered as a pioneer of Junior Heavyweight Wrestling and his legendary series of matches in Japan with Tiger Mask in the early 1980s. In WWE, Dynamite was best known as one half of the British Bulldogs tag team with Davey Boy Smith, who sadly passed away in 2002. Billington held championships in All Japan Pro Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and was also the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from Tokyo Sports in 1991.
The Bulldogs’ lone WWF Tag Team Championship reign came in 1986 at Wrestlemania 2, lasting an impressive 294 days before being defeated by The Hart Foundation.
It deeply saddens me to announce the passing of Tom Billington the “Dynamite Kid.” ???I was really happy and glad I got to see Dynamite one last time last June in the UK. ?? ❤️?. Dynamite was certainly an inspiration to myself and many others and really revolutionized pic.twitter.com/req7CWTdxm
— Harry Smith, “Davey Boy Smith JR” (@DBSmithjr) December 5, 2018
Unfortunately, Dynamite suffered many health issues and spent latter part of his life bound to a wheelchair, being cared for by his wife. There’s a fantastic documentary on the Highspots Wrestling Network narrated by Davey Richards which is all about Billington titled A Matter of Pride.
WrestleZone sends its condolences to the family and friends of The Dynamite Kid Tommy Billington.
