Dynamite Kid, celebrated for his in-ring prowess, also left behind a trail of controversy and regret.
As we delve into the annals of wrestling history, we confront the unsettling truths of his legacy. From backstage brawls to reckless behaviour in the ring, the British Bulldog’s career was marred by a series of alarming incidents.
Infamous for his volatile temper and disregard for safety, his actions had lasting repercussions, tarnishing his once illustrious reputation. While his body of work makes him seem like a guaranteed Hall of Famer, it seems obvious why Dynamite Kid isn’t in the WWE Hall of Fame.
In this exposé, we shed light on the darkest chapters of Dynamite Kid’s (real name Thomas Billington) journey, revealing the worst deeds that defined his wrestling career.
Dynamite Kid was a “bully” according to Bret Hart
We’ll start off slow with Dynamite Kid’s biggest controversies. Bret Hart was his brother-in-law, having married a pair of sisters while they wrestled together in Stampede Wrestling, in Canada.
The Hitman accused Dynamite of being a bully, something many other wrestlers (who we’ll get to later) corroborated.
Speaking during episode 19 of “Confessions Of The Hitman“, Hart spoke about his relationship with Dynamite Kid, and how he saw him as being a bully during his time in the wrestling business.
“He had a lot of enemies and he did a lot of lousy things to people. He was a real bully and, I mean, he would pick on guys that were minding their own business. Even me, when I first wrestled Dynamite, my first match, one of my first matches, my second match of my career against Dynamite and I really had no business being a wrestler, and I knew that and I said that.
“Like, ‘I don’t have the experience to wrestle a guy from England. I don’t think I can wrestle you, Dynamite.’ He really took liberties in the ring with me. He busted my face open with an elbow smash, he busted my nose open, and he kicked me in the face one time.”
The Wrestler Attacked Jacques Rougeau, But Got His Comeuppance
The repeated abuse of Jacques Rougeau was one of the worst things Dynamite Kid ever did. At least, in this case, he got his comeuppance in the end.
Backstage at a WWE event, the Rougeau’s came back from their match to find their clothes had been tampered with, and allegedly cut into ribbons while they were wrestling in the ring.
With the British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith) known as keen pranksters in the locker room, they were instantly suspected. The Rougeau’s went straight to Vince McMahon to complain about the prank, and he swiftly disciplined the English pair.
This lead to Dynamite Kid assaulting Jacques Rougeau in the locker room, leaving him bloodied in the locker room in one of the worst backstage moments in WWE history.
Rougeau eventually got his revenge, sucker-punching Billington with a role of quarters that destroyed his face and humbled him somewhat. He never messed with the Canadian again, although he did plan to murder him during a match at Survivor Series 1988.
Dynamite Kid Broke A Girl’s Kneecaps To Collect Insurance Money
Wrestlers have done horrible things over the years, but Dynamite Kid really pushed the boat out when he attacked a child for money. The former WWE Superstar agreed to break the kneecaps of his friend John Foley’s daughter, in order to help him claim more money on his insurance.
The daughter had been part of a horrific car accident, and was due money for the damages caused by the crash. However, the pair decided this was enough, and decided to inflict even more damage on the poor girl, breaking both of her legs from the kneecaps down.
While they claimed that she was in on it, it’s hard to believe any minor would accept having her legs broken. Given the liberties he took in the ring with people who trusted him with their lives, it’s not hard to imagine Dynamite Kid going a bit too far with this one.
Mick Foley Had His Jaw Dislocated In His First Match Against Dynamite Kid
If injuring a small girl isn’t beyond his capabilities, then a low-level WWE jobber will definitely not be able to avoid Dynamite Kid’s wrath.
Mick Foley has spoken at length about the time he shared the ring with the English grappler. In a tag match in 1986, Foley teamed with Les Thornton to take on the British Bulldogs in the WWF. He was honoured to be facing a legend like Dynamite Kid, but soon regretted it.
Early on in the three-minute squash match, Dynamite Kid laid a huge elbow into Foley’s face. This dislocated the WWE Hall of Famer’s jaw, rending him unable to eat for weeks and months. Foley did speak respectfully about the legendary wrestler, but was not happy about the liberties taken.
He Threatened To Shoot His Wife In The Head In Front Of Their Children
There are few things worse than attempting to murder your wife in front of your children. Luckily, Dynamite Kid only pretended he was going to.
He would regularly threaten his wife, saying that he would kill her if she left him. This was usually taken lightly by Michelle, although that is likely due to the years she spent in an abusive relationship.
In an episode of “Dark Side of the Ring“, Michelle detailed how he threatened to kill her with a shotgun in front of her children. He put the shotgun up to her chin, and told her that he was going to shoot her in the head. This was in full view of their two children, who cried and pleaded for their daddy to stop.
Michelle bravely called his bluff, the pair eventually split up due to his abuse. She bought him a one-way ticket to England, where he lived the rest of his days.
“I’m trying to act like, “No, daddy’s having a moment, it’s gonna be fine, he’s gonna leave”. He goes, “No. I think you should f***ing go”. I was like, I’m the one pregnant, I’m the one with a toddler.” Michelle said.
In the episode, Michelle said: “‘All my stuff is here. All their clothes are here. He went downstairs and got a gun and said, “If you’re not out in 15 f***ing minutes, I’m gonna blow your f***ing head off.” I was like, “No you’re not”. He’s like, “I f***ing will.”
And don’t worry. If you don’t believe her, Dynamite Kid admitted it himself!
