![]() Whilst Bret was undoubtedly the more successful of the two, Anvil was no slouch and could easily hold up his end of the bargain.Īnvil wouldn’t be without a partner (or brother-in-law) for too long, as The New Foundation would debut in late 1991 with Neidhart teaming with Bret’s younger brother Owen. The mix of Bret’s technical ability and Anvil’s raw power were a match made in heaven. The team would split for good after losing the Tag Team Titles but are still revered to this day. This was short lived as the Foundation would once again the tag titles in a 2/3 falls match against Demolition at SummerSlam ’90, when they held them until WrestleMania VII where they lost them to the Nasty Boys. While the team wouldn’t officially separate, Hart and Neidhart would compete in singles matches throughout 1989, briefly coming together to have a blistering match against the Brain Busters in the opener of that year’s SummerSlam, before once again going back to singles competition. Bret would be the last eliminated from the match which for me would set the tone of most of the rest of Neidhart’s WWF career – Anvil would continually get the raw deal with the company’s attempts to give Bret a singles run. They would continue through the year as the premier team in the division before losing the titles to Strike Force in November.Īnvil took part in the WrestleMania IV battle royal, eventually won by Bad News Brown. The team won their first WWF Tag Team Championship on the Februedition of Superstars defeating perennial rivals (and fellow Stampede alumni) The British Bulldogs. This proved to be a fantastic suggestion to the boss as the newly coined Hart Foundation (named after their manager, not because of the team’s real-life family ties) went on to be one of the greatest teams in company history. The strange pairing of Fuji and Neidhart was short-lived however, as his contract was soon sold to “Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart after his brother-in-law Bret Hart suggested to Vince McMahon that he and Anvil team up. In between his Stampede days and his arrival in the World Wrestling Federation, Neidhart would tour the US territories with runs in Mid-South, Memphis and Florida, winning gold along the way.Īnvil finally made it to the WWF in January 1985, debuting at Madison Square Garden under the tutelage of Mr. The nickname finds its origins from his win in an anvil toss at the annual Calgary Stampede, with a throw of over 11 feet. ![]() During this time, he would also get the nickname that he is still known by today – “The Anvil”. Neidhart would have a successful run in Calgary, winning the International Tag Team Championship twice. ![]() Neidhart started training with Stu Hart and would debut with Stampede Wrestling in 1979, the same year in which he married Stu’s daughter Elizabeth. It was following his release from the Cowboys that Neidhart moved to Calgary and found his calling. From high school, Neidhart went straight to the National Football League where he was on the practice squad, and played pre-season games, for the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys. ![]() Indeed, he set his school’s shot-put record, which stood for over 10 years. I would like to take this moment to pay tribute to the legendary superstar.īorn February 8 th, 1955 in Tampa, Florida, James Henry Neidhart was an acclaimed track-and-field athlete in high school. There was no immediate word on funeral arrangements.Earlier today it came to light that the wrestling business had lost another family member as it was announced that Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, member of the famous Hart Family and father of current WWE Superstar Natalya, had passed away at home aged 63. His daughter, Natalya, currently wrestles in WWE. The two Hart brothers joined Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith and Brian Pillman in a re-formed Hart Foundation faction that enjoyed a strong run in 1997.Īfter leaving WWE later that year, Neidhart had a brief run in then-rival World Championship Wrestling. Neidhart also teamed with Bret’s younger brother, Owen, and wrestled in singles competition. They enjoyed another long reign as champs after defeating Demolition in mid-1990. Known for their striking pink and black outfits and no-nonsense style, Neidhart and Hart held the tag belts for nearly a year after beating The British Bulldogs in early 1987. I just don’t have the words right now," Hart posted on Twitter along with a photo from their championship heyday. Trained by WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart in Calgary, Neidhart achieved his greatest success in the ring as a tag team with brother-in-law Bret (Hit Man) Hart. Neidhart, a native of Tampa, Fla., played with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys before turning to pro wrestling.
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