Because of a large amount of back and leg injuries he suffered during his career, he is disabled and uses a wheelchair. He was told he would never walk again. The inventor of the diving headbutt Harley Race, has stated that he regrets ever inventing the move because of the fact that it appears to cause spinal problems, and may have contributed to Billington's disability. Billington also has suffered from heart problems. On November 23, 2013 it was reported that Billington suffered a stroke.