Go Pro Today

Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart, Former WWE Wrestler, Dies at 63

Daughter Natalya currently wrestles in WWE

and | August 13, 2018 @ 8:19 AM Last Updated: August 13, 2018 @ 8:53 AM
Jim "The Anvil' Neidhart

WWE.com

Former WWE wrestler Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart has died. He was 63.

“WWE is saddened to learn that Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart passed away,” the company wrote on its website. “WWE extends its condolences to Neidhart’s family, friends and fans.”

Neidhart’s daughter Natalya currently wrestles in the WWE.

Also Read: Nikolai Volkoff, WWE Hall of Famer, Dies at 70

Neidhart, a former NFL player with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, was the brother-in-law of Bret “Hit Man” Hart. Together, the two formed the legendary Hart Foundation tag team, winning two WWE World Tag Team Championships.

Hart paid tribute to Neidhart on his Instagram page on Monday, writing: “Stunned and saddened. I just don’t have the words right now.”

Stunned and saddened. I just don’t have the words right now.

A post shared by Bret (@brethitmanhart) on

Other WWE superstars, including Ric Flair and The Iron Sheik, also shared their condolences and memories of Neidhart.

“My Good Friend Jim Neidhart, A World Class Athlete And A Man Among Men. Rest In Peace,” wrote Ric Flair. The Iron Shiek added: “One of my oldest friends in the business Jim Neidhart. We travel together I love him forever like a brother. God bless family I never forget you Bubba.”

Neidhart was trained by WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart, the father of Bret and his younger brother and fellow WWE superstar Owen Hart, at the Hart Dungeon in Calgary. He earned his nickname, “The Anvil,” after winning an anvil throwing contest. He later married Stu’s daughter, Ellie. He, along with Bret, Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith, made the jump to the WWE when the company purchased Stu Hart’s Calgary Stampede Wrestling.

He was also tag team partners with Owen Hart for several years, in addition to doing some singles competition. The Hart Foundation re-formed for a short time in 1997 that consisted of Neidhart, Bret, Owen, Smith and Brian Pillman. The pro-Canadian group was famous for antagonizing the crowd with their anti-American sermons.

Neidhart last competed in the WWE in 1997.

Following the news of Neidhart’s death, the WWE community began to weigh in with their condolences, which you can read below:

Also Read: Nikolai Volkoff, WWE Hall of Famer, Dies at 70

WWE Superstar Shakeup 2018: 54 Wrestlers You'll Now Only See on 'Raw' (Photos)

1 of 43

You won’t see any of these guys and girls on “SmackDown Live” anymore

We all just lived through another WWE Superstar Shakeup, and if your head is still spinning, we're here to help: TheWrap has tracked down where all 96 main roster wrestlers now work.  

Readers can check out our "SmackDown Live" gallery tomorrow, though for this one, it's important to point out that we did not include the Cruiserweights. After all, the "Monday Night Raw" guests have their own show, "205 Live," and none of them would compete on "SmackDown" anyway.  

In our tallies, we only counted regular in-ring wrestlers, so no managers or agents or wives or escorts, etc. -- even if they step between the ropes once or twice a year. Though we listed the obvious and current stables and tag teams together, we counted wrestlers individually in our number.  

View In Gallery

Related Content