Jim Neidhart

James Henry Neidhart (February 8, 1955 – August 13, 2018) was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, where he was a two-time WWF Tag Team Champion with his real-life brother-in-law Bret Hart in the Hart Foundation.

He also won titles in Stampede Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Mid-South Wrestling, Memphis Championship Wrestling and the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation.

He was part of the Hart wrestling family through marriage to his wife Ellie Hart, teaming with various members throughout his career, and appearing with his daughter Natalya Neidhart on the reality television show Total Divas.

At Newport Harbor High School, Neidhart first gained athletic acclaim for his success in strength-oriented track and field events.

He set a California high school record in shot put in 1973 which stood until 1985.

After graduating from high school, Neidhart pursued a career in the National Football League (NFL), where he played for the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys in practices and preseason games.

Following his release from the Dallas Cowboys, Neidhart traveled to Calgary to train with Stu Hart and pursue a career in professional wrestling.

He worked for Hart's Stampede Wrestling from 1978 to 1983, and again in 1985, during which time he married Ellie Hart, one of Stu's daughters.

He was a two-time Stampede International Tag Team Champion, with Hercules Ayala in 1980 and Mr. Hito in 1983.

Stu Hart, seeking publicity for Neidhart, promised him $500 to enter and win an anvil toss at the Calgary Stampede.

He did, throwing it 11 feet, 2 inches.

This earned him the nickname "The Anvil", replacing his prior nickname, "The Animal".

In September 1981, Neidhart appeared in Germany with the Catch Wrestling Association, taking part in the World Catch Cup.

From April to May 1982, Neidhart wrestled in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) on its Big Fight Series tour as part of Stampede Wrestling's working relationship with NJPW.

In January 1983, he made a second tour with NJPW, competing in its New Year Golden Series.

Neidhart teamed twice with King Kong Bundy for Georgia Championship Wrestling in November 1983.

From September 1983 to February 1984, he worked for Mid-South Wrestling, where he and Butch Reed held the Mid-South Tag Team Championship for two and a half months.

In March 1984, he made a third tour of Japan with NJPW.

From April to August 1984, Neidhart worked for the Continental Wrestling Association.

In August 1984, he moved to Championship Wrestling from Florida, winning the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship and NWA United States Tag Team Championship.

In January 1985, he left Florida to join the World Wrestling Federation.

When Stu Hart sold Stampede Wrestling to Vince McMahon, owner of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Neidhart and Bret Hart were included in the deal.

Initially a singles wrestler, managed by Mr. Fuji, Neidhart debuted on January 21, 1985, in Madison Square Garden, defeating Tony Garea.

He wrestled Hart, who had a cowboy gimmick, to a draw twice.

Bret, upset with his gimmick, suggested to McMahon that he form a tag team with Neidhart.

The new team was dubbed the Hart Foundation and was managed by Jimmy Hart (no relation to Bret).

They made their pay-per-view debut at WrestleMania 2, where they were the last two eliminated from a 20-man battle royal by André the Giant.

The Hart Foundation won their first WWF World Tag Team Championship on the February 7, 1987, episode of WWF Superstars (taped January 26) from The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid), with the help of referee Danny Davis, who was continually "distracted" by checking on Dynamite (laid out of the match early by a megaphone shot from Jimmy), allowing the challengers to double-team Smith.

Davis was subsequently fired as referee and began wrestling, aligned with The Hart Foundation.

They lost the titles on the November 7 episode of Prime Time Wrestling (taped October 27), to Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana).

The Hart Foundation wrestled in another 20-man battle royal at WrestleMania IV.

Bad News Brown attacked and eliminated Hart to win.

Neidhart eventually joined Bret's side in the feud with Brown causing a rift between the team and manager Jimmy Hart.

This led them to fire him and before starting a feud with The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers.

In the fall of 1988, Jimmy Hart began managing the Rougeaus.

The Hart Foundation unsuccessfully challenged Demolition (Ax and Smash) for the tag title at the 1988 SummerSlam, when Ax hit Hart with Jimmy Hart's megaphone for the pin (Hart accompanied Demolition's manager, Mr. Fuji, solely to further his feud with the challengers).

The Hart Foundation continued feuding with Jimmy Hart's wrestlers for the next year, teaming with Jim Duggan to defeat Dino Bravo and The Rougeaus in a 2/3 falls match at the 1989 Royal Rumble, then defeating The Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine at WrestleMania V.

In April 1989, both Hart Foundation members began wrestling singles matches at house shows.

Neidhart also had a few shots at Ravishing Rick Rude's Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship in August.

The Hart Foundation reformed full-time in March 1990 in Las Vegas.