The Dynamite Kid speaks!
By JOHN MOLINARO -- SLAM! Wrestling
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 writer XXXX 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."
NOTE: SLAM! Wrestling will have a review of Pure Dynamite next week.
