I just found out that Billy Smith who played 'Thunder' on tv's AMERICAN GLADIATORS died last summer. Apparently he developed an infection following knee surgery and it spread throughout his body and killed him. He was only 56. I knew him years ago. When we young guys, we both worked at Merritt Athletic Club in Towson, MD. We all called him Bill not Billy. He huge then: a muscular behemoth with a handsome face and big strong jaw. We knew was Hollywood bound. After his stint on AMERICAN GLADIATORS from 1991-1993 and approaching age 30, Bill decided to venture into the nutrition aspect of taking good care of one's body. The company he created, INTRAFITT is still doing well. I re-connected with him on Facebook about 8, 9 years ago. Bill was happy, married and living in North Carolina and loving life. He told me that his life had greatly improved after he had truly found Jesus and would usually end his texts and messages with a biblical passage. Hadn't messaged him in over a year except to wish him a 'Happy Birthday' to which he would usually reply. He didn't this year, and I didn't think anything of it but his name came up the other day and I pulled him up online and saw that he had passed. Though his siblings still live in the area, I saw nothing about his passing in the paper etc and it was a bit of shock. He had always been so larger than life. Rest well Bill !
Bill on far right in 1992 with the rest of that season's AMERICAN GLADIATORS.
Bill in the late 1980s in one of Weider's muscle mags.
Bill in 2012 at age 48
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