Tommy Billington Discusses AEW Debut, Showing Match To WWE HOFer

Tommy Billington, nephew of late wrestler The Dynamite Kid, made his AEW debut a few months ago, losing to Dax Harwood in a singles match on "AEW Collision." Billington turned some heads with his appearance, and following a second match in the promotion, Fightful Select recently reported that the new "Dynamite Kid" may already be signed by AEW. Speaking on an episode of "AEW Unrestricted," Billington looked back on his debut match and revealed that he didn't initially believe it was happening.

"One of my friends, who [knows] Dax, too, said, 'Be ready for a phone call today, because Dax from FTR is going to give you a call,'" Billington said. "I didn't believe him, and all of a sudden I get this text message."

Billington revealed that Harwood set up a call between the two and informed the young wrestler that he had him in mind as an opponent for the May 11 episode of "Collision" in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. After that, everything happened very quickly for Billington, and he wound up wrestling Harwood on TV two days later.

"I couldn't have chosen a better first opponent to debut with," Billington continued. "The nerves were kicking in, because, obviously, 'Dynamite Kid' Tom Billington, stuff like that — it's a lot of big boots to fill. I'm glad it was such short notice because I wouldn't have liked a month to sit on it."

According to Billington, Harwood is potentially the best wrestler in the world right now. Getting to participate in his first AEW match with the performer is something Billington said he will never forget. Despite his nerves, the 23-year-old was happy with the match and stated that he's had an incredible time in AEW thus far.

Following the match, Billington and Harwood reached out to Bret Hart, who Billington has known nearly his entire life. The two asked Hart if they could come to his house and watch the match with him to hear Hart's feedback, and the WWE Hall of Famer obliged.

"He just thought it was so fantastic," Billington said. "He couldn't be more [proud], especially of me, and of Dax. He was actually really proud of Dax, too, for giving such a good effort — for the both of us doing such a good job. ... I trust Bret's word above anybody's, so having him look it over and give me pointers here and there — I can't ask for anything better, to be honest."

The Billington and Hart families have been close for many years, with Billington's uncle Davey Boy Smith marrying Bret's sister Diana Hart in 1984, and friendships between the families dating back before that. Tommy Billington began his wrestling career on the United Kingdom independent scene in 2018, often tagging with his brother Mark Billington. In recent days, Tommy has made a name for himself as a rising singles performer, and it sounds as though he will continue receiving exposure on AEW TV.

In addition to revealing Hart's reaction to the AEW match, Billington also stated that it was Hart who pushed for him to utilize the "Dynamite Kid" moniker shortly before his AEW debut. Billington initially wanted to avoid relying on his uncle's name, but Hart pointed out that the young athlete resembled the original "Dynamite Kid" in so many ways that it just felt right.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "AEW Unrestricted" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.