Former WWE superstar Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart has reportedly passed away at the age of 63. According to TMZ Sports, Neidhart died early Monday morning after suffering a medical emergency at a home in Florida.
The father of current WWE star Natalya, Neidhart is best known for his role with the Hart Foundation as the tag team partner of his brother-in-law, Bret "Hit Man" Hart. According to WWE, Neidhart began his in-ring career after playing professional football with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. He was trained by WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart in the legendary Hart Dungeon in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and earned his ring nickname, The Anvil, after winning an anvil throwing contest. He later married Stu's daughter, Ellie, before making the leap to WWE along with Bret Hart, Dynamite Kid and the "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, after WWE purchased Stu Hart’s Calgary Stampede Wrestling.
During his time with the WWE in the mid-80s and 90s, Neidhart won two WWE World Tag Team championships and established himself as an enforcer with the pro-Canadian Hart Foundation along with Bret and Owen Hart, as well as Davey Boy Smith and Brian Pillman. Neidhart left the WWE in 1997 but returned in 2007 for the Monday Night Raw XV special, in which he competed in the 15th Anniversary Battle Royal.
He is survived by his wife, Ellie, and three daughters including Natalie, aka Natalya.
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