“That was last time I ate solid food”- The Dynamite Kid nearly ended the WWE Hall of Famer’s career in 1986
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The Dynamite Kid in the WWF (Image Credits- Manchester Evening News)
The Dynamite Kid is considered one of the all-time great wrestlers, and many legendary wrestlers, like Bret Hart, Chris Jericho, Mick Foley, and many more, have hailed him as one of the finest guys to ever enter the squared circle.
Many of the WWE Champions that we have seen throughout the years in the WWE have been greatly influenced by The Dynamite Kid. The Dynamite Kid was one of the wrestlers who pioneered the art of technical wrestling.
Kid had a unique wrestling style that included both high-flying techniques and hard-hitting European elements. Having wrestled in many countries around the world, he increased the level of athleticism in the sport by combining the styles of Britain, Canada, Japan, and Mexico.
The Life of Dynamite Kid known as Tom Billington in real life was the subject of one of the episodes in the Documentary TV Series “Dark Side of the Ring” and his episode featured Mick Foley as well. Foley talked about his encounter with The Dynamite Kid in the episode. He claimed that he was thrilled to square off against one of his idols and that he quickly learned a lesson from him. Foley and Les Thorton faced the British Bulldogs in a tag team bout in 1986 at WWF Superstars of Wrestling show.
For the following three weeks, Foley claims he didn’t eat anything solid as during the match with Billington, the latter sent him to the ropes and had him hammered in the jaw with his bicep. According to Foley, he was not aware at the time that his jaw had been broken and that his encounter with Billington had nearly cost him his career. Foley said that he had no hard feelings and it was an honor to have wrestled against The British Bulldogs.
“I was excited, I’m in the ring with one of my heroes, Tommy…. he sent me into the ropes and he didn’t so much clothesline me as he clubbed me with his bicep in the jaw, and that was the last time I ate solid food for three weeks. I didn’t know it at the time but he had dislocated my jaw. I almost lost my career because of that.”
The Dynamite Kid led a turbulent life outside the ring
The Dynamite Kid was a part of the WWE from 1984 to 1988, where he formed a tag team with Davey Boy Smith and, together, they were known as the British Bulldogs. The British Bulldogs are regarded as one of the best and most popular tag teams in the history of WWE, having won the WWF Tag Team once during their time in the company.
The Dynamite Kid claimed in his book Pure Dynamite that he never bothered about gimmicks or being a great talker and only wanted to be the best wrestler he could be. He said that all he wanted was to be known for his skill in the ring.
The real-life Tom Billington, the Dynamite Kid, achieved international fame, but his destructive behavior harmed his body, his family, and at one time drove his wife Michelle to consider suicide as a result of domestic abuse. At one point, he even raised a shotgun to her head, terrifying her beyond belief.
Billington destroyed his body young and sacrificed his body for the sake of the art. His physical and mental health suffered greatly as a result of his persistent use of painkillers to ease the pain and steroids to build muscle.
After Michelle divorced him in 1991, Tom married a woman named Dot in 1997, and she took care of him until his passing. He suffered from several medical conditions, including leg and back problems, and in the late 1990s he was informed he would never be able to walk again. He also suffered from heart issues and suffered a stroke in 2013.
Tom Billington passed away at the age of 60. Although the reason for his death is undisclosed, it is one of his many health issues that led to his passing. He passed away on the 5th of December 2018, which also happened to be his birthday.
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