Tom Billington, known professionally as the Dynamite Kid, came out of seclusion last night to answer questions as part of a live chat on his website, www.dynamitekid.com.
Ever since retiring in 1991, Billington has been a recluse. Unable to walk, he spends his days in a wheel chair, the result of steroid abuse, absorbing crushing blows and taking crazy bumps inside and outside the ring.
For years, reporters and the wrestling media had tried contacting Billington to talk about his career. Late last year, Billington finally broke his silence, granting an exclusive interview to Power Slam, the U.K.’s leading wrestling publication. The interview was so well received that Billington sat down with a writer and wrote Pure Dynamite: The Autobiography of Tom “The Dynamite Kid” Billington.
Last night, Billington fielded questions for over an hour from fans in cyberspace. Covering his start in England, his tenure in Stampede, his stints in Japan and his career in the WWF, Billington mostly answered questions that were covered in his book. Traditional questions such as ‘who was your toughest opponent?’ (Meng), who was your best matches with? (Tiger Mask) and ‘do you have any regrets?’ (none) were all asked, making it clear that the majority of fans participating in the chat hadn’t read the book.
Billington openly addressed his abuse of steroids saying, “Nobody told me to take steroids, but if I didn’t use them, I would never have had a job with the WWF. I was too small. Steroids were maybe partly to blame, but mostly it was down to the way I wrestled.”
Billington did manage to weigh in on today’s wrestling scene. Asked about his thoughts on Chris Benoit, Billington answered, “When I watch him, it’s like going back in time and watching myself=85 I hope he gets the title at Mayhem on Sunday.”
Billington was also asked his opinion of Mick Foley, saying that “he’s put his heart and soul into the business and for that he deserves respect.”
Asked about the new direction of the WWF, Billington called the Paul Wight cancer angle “disgusting”, but at the same time said “(the WWF today is) a lot different to the one I remember. All I can say is time stands stil for nobody.”
Billington also reaffirmed his hatred for his cousin Davey Boy Smith, saying that if he could only have one more match it would be a shoot match against his former tag-partner.
Asked if there was a chance of smoothing things over with Smith, Billington answered, “there will never be a reconciliation.”
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