Tommy Billington, better known to wrestling fans as The Dynamite Kid, has passed away at the age of 60.
There was a time when professional wrestling was the land of the giants. Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, even a man who was almost a literal giant, Andre The Giant. If you weren't well over six feet tall and at least pushing 300 lbs, it was highly unlikely that WWE would have given you a second look. That is not the case any longer.
Thankfully, some revolutionary wrestlers came along and broke the mold. We have those wrestlers to thank for Superstars such as AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan. People like Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Chris Jericho, and Eddie Guerrero proved that you didn't need to be a man mountain to make it in the wrestling business. Another name that cannot be overlooked when compiling that list is The Dynamite Kid.
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Sadly, it was revealed during the early hours of Wednesday, December 5, 2018, that Dynamite Kid has passed away. Trainer Marty Jones tweeted the news, revealing that the innovative wrestler had died on his 60th birthday. It is currently unclear what caused Kid's death, but he has been suffering with health problems for more than 20 years. His left leg has been paralyzed since 1997 and in 2015 he suffered a stroke.
Kid's influence on the wrestling we watch to this day cannot be understated. As pointed out above, without his contributions, who knows what wrestlers we might not have today. The former WWE Tag Team Champion will be remembered most for his time alongside his real-life cousin Davey Boy Smith as one half of The British Bulldogs. Together, they had some legendary matches against The Hart Foundation.
2018 has been a sad year for pro wrestling. We have lost a number of big names and with less than a month left of the year to go, that list continues to grow. Speaking of his cousin and The Hart Foundation, now that Dynamite Kid has passed away, the only person left alive from those matches is Bret Hart. The Hitman is likely still recovering from the loss of Jim Neidhart, and now he was this to deal with too.