VIEW FROM THE RISING SUN
by Masanori Horie

Dynamite Kid dives on Tiger Mask
Dynamite Kid dives towards Tiger Mask (Satoru Sayama), 8/5/83
(Photo courtesy Masanori Horie)

Kamisori Fighter

Tom Billington will become 40 years old on 12/5/98. Yes, he is still 39 years old now. He had influenced a lot of young talent, including Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho, for years. He ran at full speed past us, and left the great name of "Dynamite Kid" behind him. He is too young to preserve silence. Are his biographies on the Internet? I don't know. If he were wrestling in WCW, WWF, or ECW today, what would happen? Too bad.....it would never happen. (Actually, Sabu reminds me of Dynamite Kid very well.....voice, mood, disposition [something of a BOSS], and BIG HEART. Even scars. And his partner, Johnny Smith, is the best technical wrestler in All Japan Pro today.)

Tom was born in Lancashire, England on 12/5/58 (Davey Boy Smith is from Manchester). He started amateur wrestling when he was 13 years old. He became a professional wrestler in '75, and won the British Lightweight title on 4/23/77, and the Welterweight title on 1/25/78. He was scouted by Stu Hart, and moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada in '78. He won the British Commonwealth Mid-heavyweight Title (4 times), International tag team title (5 times), North American title (he beat Killer Khan on 3/9/84), and World Mid-heavy weight title (2 times) in Calgary Stampede Wrestling.

Dynamite Kid's very first Japan tour was not for New Japan Pro or All Japan Pro. There were only 4 promotions (New Japan, All Japan, IWE, and All Japan Women) in those days ('79). He was booked to International Wrestling Enterprise (International Wrestling Alliance) from 7/19 to 7/25/79. He was traveling with Andre the Giant, Alexis Smirnoff, Ox Baker, Haystacks Calhoun, Texas Outlaw (Bobby Bass), Moondog Ed Moretti, and The Mongolians, managed by Percy Pringle, III (a.k.a. Paul Bearer; the Mongolians were actually two Samoans from Tennessee.)

Stu Hart and Stampede Wrestling switched their business relationship from I.W.E to Antonio Inoki's New Japan in Summer '79. Dynamite Kid got his greatest rival, Tiger Mask (the original, Satoru Sayama) in New Japan. He wrestled for New Japan from 1/4/80 to 8/2/84 (Bret Hart was his partner in New Japan in the early '80s.) He jumped to Giant Baba's All Japan in November, '84. He wrestled for All Japan from 11/16/84 to 12/6/91.

Dynamite Kid in Michinoku Pro Wrestling, 10/10/96
(Photo courtesy Masanori Horie)

[Dynamite Kid's history of Japanese titles:]

[7/20/79 Odate, Akita]
WWU World Junior Heavyweight Title match:
Ashura Hara draw Dynamite Kid
(18:37 double count out of the ring)
World Wrestling Union's World Junior Heavyweight Title was made for pushing Ashura Hara in '79. WWU was a so-called European wrestling organization.

[7/21/79 Murakami, Niigata]
WWU World and British Commonwealth Mid-heavy weight title match:
Ashura Hara draw Dynamite Kid (4 minutes - 7 rounds)

[8/17/79 Stampede Grand Victoria Pavilion, Calgary, Alberta, Canada]
WWF and British Commonwealth Mid-heavy weight title match:
Tatsumi Fujinami draw Dynamite Kid
(20:33 double count out of the ring)

[2/5/80 Aichi Gym, Nagoya]
WWF Junior Heavyweight Title match:
Tatsumi Fujinami beat Dynamite Kid (14:54)

[4/10/81 Kita-kyushu, Fukuoka]
WWF Junior Heavyweight Title match:
Tatsumi Fujinami beat Dynamite Kid (18:37)

[1/1/82 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo]
WWF Junior Heavyweight Title match:
Tiger Mask (Satoru Sayama) beat Dynamite Kid (8:31)

[8/5/82 Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo]
WWF Junior Heavyweight Title match:
Tiger Mask beat Dynamite Kid (15:58)

[8/30/82 Madison Square Garden, New York]
WWF Junior Heavyweight Title match:
Tiger Mask beat Dynamite Kid (9:36)

[4/3/83 Kuramae Kokugikan]
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title match:
Kuniaki Kobayashi draw Dynamite Kid
(15:19 double count out of the ring)

[4/4/83 Niigata City Gym]
WWF Junior Heavyweight Title match:
Kuniaki Kobayashi draw Dynamite Kid
(12:58 double count out of the ring)

Both NWA and WWF junior heavyweight titles were vacated after Tiger Mask (champion) was injured by Dynamite Kid in a tag match in 4/01. Kid and Kobayashi met for the vacant titles, but had no winner decided.

[4/21/83 Kuramae Kokugikan]
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title match:
Tiger Mask draw Dynamite Kid
(11:12 double count out of the ring)
Extension:
Tiger Mask draw Dynamite Kid
(6:52 double count out of the ring)
Kid and Tiger Mask met for the vacant title, but had no winner decided.

[2/7/84 Kuramae Kokugikan]
WWF Junior Heavyweight Title match:
(1) The Cobra (George Takano) draw Davey Boy Smith
(9:55 double count out of the ring)
(2) Dynamite Kid beat Davey Boy Smith
(14:03 counted out)
(3) Dynamite Kid beat The Cobra
Kid became the 10th WWF junior heavyweight champion.

[7/5/84 Osaka Gym]
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title match
The Cobra (George Takano) draw Dynamite Kid
(11:38 double count out of the ring)

[7/20/84 Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido]
WWF Junior Heavyweight Title match:
Dynamite Kid beat Davey Boy Smith (15:52)

WWF junior heavyweight title was vacated on 8/12/83, when Tiger Mask retired. Kid won a triangular match defeating Smith and Cobra on 2/7/84. The title was vacated in November '84, when the British Bulldogs (Kid & Smith) jumped to All Japan Pro.

[6/8/85 Takamatsu, Kagawa]
NWA International Junior Heavyweight Title match:
Dynamite Kid beat Mighty Inoue (11:47)
Kid became the 15th NWA Int'l Junior Heavyweight Champion.

[6/13/85 Koga, Ibaraki ]
Kuniaki Kobayashi beat Dynamite Kid by D.Q. (9:56)
Kobayashi became the 16th NWA Int'l Junior Heavyweight Champion.

[5/25/89 Akita Gym]
World tag team title match:
Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu beat Dynamite Kid & Davey Boy Smith
Tsuruta b. Smith (16:47)

"Champion Carnival tournament" from 3/23 to 4/18/91 had New British Bulldogs (Kid & Johnny Smith), Dory & Terry Funk, Andre the Giant, Stan Hansen & Danny Spivey, Terry Gordy & Steve Williams, Johnny Ace, Can-Am Express (Danny Kroffat [Phil LaFon] & Doug Furnas), Southern Rockers (Rex King & Steve Doll), Texas Terminator Hoss, and Cactus Jack (25 years old, his very first Japan tour). Cactus could learn a lot of things from Kid and Terry in this time.

[4/6/91 Osaka Gym]
All Asian tag team title match:
Dynamite Kid & Johnny Smith b. Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi
Kid b. Kikuchi (18:06)
New British Bulldogs (British Bruisers in Calgary) became the 54th All Asian tag team champions.

[4/20 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo]
All Asian tag team title match:
Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas b. Dynamite Kid & Johnny Smith
Furnas b. Smith (12:16)
Can-Am Express became the 55th All Asian tag team champions.

Dynamite Kid was suffering from years of injuries stemming from his "Dynamite Kid style" or "Calgary style", which he did for promoters of Stampede, New Japan, All Japan, WWF, and us wrestling fans. His favorite moves were the Diving Head Butt from the corner post, and his Vertical Suplex, which was the reason why fans called him "Kamisori (razor) Fighter". He took great bumps against much bigger opponents for years, he gave us big courage. Take a look at his scars!

He suddenly announced his retirement after he and Johnny Smith beat Johnny Ace and Sunny Beach at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on 12/6/91. He had a great retirement ceremony. He came back to Japan as a special guest with Lord James Blears on 2/28/93, and he said he was going to send his 17 year old little brother to All Japan's Dojo, but it wasn't realized.

Just like Terry Funk and Atsushi Onita, he came back to the squared circle on 7/28/93, and he was planning to promote an All Japan show in his country in '94. That wasn't realized, either, and he didn't come back to All Japan anymore. After 2 years absence, he was invited to small Michinoku Pro-wrestling in Northeastern Japan in '96. A man, named Dynamite Kid, who writhed with pain, his fighting spirit couldn't mesh gears with his body, in front of us. If we call it one of the wrestler's destinies, it would be so merciless. I was captivated by Dynamite Kid, his guts, his hard-hitting style, and great matches. He was not only a superman, but a plain human who had heavy pain and loved to drink chu-hi.

["Chu-hi" is Shochu-highball (soda). Shochu is a Japanese distilled liquor made from grain. A lot of gaijin (foreign) wrestlers like it.]

Tommy Billington (The Dynamite Kid), (l) on his retirement day 12/6/91, and (r) on 7/28/93
(Photos courtesy Masanori Horie)