10 Greatest WWE Cruiserweight Wrestlers Ever

Dynamite Kid is the kind of wrestler who simultaneously could not exist in today’s environment, but would also thrive. On the one hand, the man was a problem. He bullied his colleagues, refused to do business, and struggled with substance issues for much of his career.

In the ring, though, he was phenomenal, like no one else around. Few performers have lived up to their name like Dynamite, an explosive performer who packed so much fire, strength, and intensity into a relatively small package (height-wise, anyway - the Kid was stacked).

After tearing the house down in his native England, he travelled the globe, excelling particularly in Japan. His legendary matches with Tiger Mask are some of the most heralded in light heavyweight history, with the two putting on early ‘80s bouts that have barely aged a day.

Kid’s WWE run was great, too, teaming with cousin Davey Boy Smith to create one of the most genuinely frightening tag teams around. Personal problems were spelling the beginning of the end in the USA, but even in his late period he was wrestling with - and hugely influencing - upcoming stars like Chris Benoit.

You wouldn’t want to go for a pint with him, but it’s worth lifting a glass for what the late Thomas Billington gave to the industry.