Bret Hart Comments On Dynamite Kid’s Passing
Bret Hart and Dynamite Kid’s careers will forever be linked by their matches against one another in Stampede Wrestling. They would later feud as part of the Hart Foundation/British Bulldogs rivalry in WWE as well. Bret Hart is now the only surviving member of those legendary tag matches, however, as Jim Neidhart and Dynamite both passed this year. Davey Boy Smith passed away in 2002.
Hart posted the following to Instagram after learning of Dynamite’s passing:
"There are people in life that have a ripple effect both professionally and personally. Tom “Dynamite Kid” Billington was one of those people. The second professional wrestling match of my career was against Dynamite. I benefited from his greatness and through our matches in Stampede, WWE, and everywhere in-between, I became a better wrestler because of him. Dynamite truly was the best wrestler ever, pound-for-pound. Tom was family, my brother-in-law, and we were very close. In many ways I felt like one of the few people who truly knew him, both the good and the bad. I saw Tom one final time this past June in England and I can only hope he is finally at peace. My thoughts are with his children Browyne, Marek, and Amaris, and the entire Billington family."
Dynamite’s legacy in the wrestling industry is complicated, as is evidenced by Bret’s comments. The tales of Dynamite’s ability in the ring are often mixed with stories of an abusive, and angry individual. He has left complicated memories in the world of professional wrestling.
For many current active Superstars, however, Dynamite’s influence cannot be understated. Dynamite influenced those who now serve as influences to others. As Dynamite influenced names like Bret Hart, Chris Benoit, and others, those names then influenced many of the wrestlers we see active today.
