Tribute to JIm "The Anvil" Neidhart

   I feel like we have to talk about this situation almost every week; for sure more often than we should.  The wrestling world has lost another legend in Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, who passed away today at the age of 63.  Where do I even begin?  In the last nearly 40 years, the amount of wrestlers that died has continued to increase and it's just really sad.  The Anvil was a great tag team wrestler, a legit athlete, and had quite a personality.  Since learning this today, I thought it would be fitting to do a little tribute.  

   Jim Neidhart was a star athlete in school and his incredible feat of strength in the anvil tossing contest gave him the nickname "The Anvil."  When he got into wrestling, he was trained by the legendary Stu Hart in the infamous Hart family Dungeon.  It was during this time that Neidhart ended up marrying into the Hart family when he tied the know with Stu's daughter Ellie.  When Stu sold his Stampede promotion to the WWF, Vince McMahon brought in Jim Neidhart, Bret Hart, Davey Boy Smith, and Dynamite Kid.  At first, Neidhart was a singles wrestler but he was paired together with brother-in-law Bret to form a team known as the Hart Foundation, managed by Jimmy Hart (who was not related).  

  The Hart Foundation started off as heels and quickly made their way through the tag team ranks of the WWF.  While Bret was known for his no nonsense and cocky attitude, Neidhart was a little erratic.  He had a memorable laugh, unstable in interviews, and had one of the most iconic beards in wrestling history.  By late 1986, they got into a rivalry with family members the British Bulldogs, Davey Boy and Dynamite.  Davey was also related as he married Diana Hart, and Dynamite was Davey's cousin, yet this wasn't portrayed in kayfabe.  In January of 1987, the Hart Foundation defeated the British Bulldogs for the WWF Tag Team Titles, thanks in part to crooked referee Danny Davis.  The feud would continue through the year towards WrestleMania.  Davis teamed with the Hart Foundation against the British Bulldogs and Tito Santana.  Santana's presence made sense, as Davis was also the reason why Santana was no longer Intercontinental Champion.  This led into a feud between the Hart Foundation and Strike Force, the team of Tito Santana and Rick Martel.  In October of that year, the Hart Foundation lost the Titles to Strike Force.  

   The Hart Foundation continued to team into 1988.  At WrestleMania IV, both participated in a Battle Royal.  Bret Hart was betrayed by Bad News Brown in the end and after he and Neidhart broke ties with Jimmy Hart, they became fan favorites.  They soon began feuding with the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, who then embraced Jimmy Hart as their new manager.  After their feud with the Rougeaus ended in early 1989, they continued to feud with Jimmy Hart and his new team Rhythm & Blues, made up of the Honky Tonk Man and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.  At WrestleMania V, the Hart Foundation defeated Rhythm & Blues.  They soon got into a feud with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's Brain Busters, Arn Anderson and Tulley Blanchard, inadvertently gaining a shot at the Tag Team Titles, after the Brain Busters surprising upended the long reigning Tag Team Champions Demolition.  Unfortunately, the Hart Foundation were not successful in regaining the Titles against the Brain Busters at SummerSlam.

   After that, the Hart Foundation amicably split for a brief period, with both men trying to prove themselves as solo acts.  Neidhart found himself continuing a feud with the Heenan Family, as he joined the Rockers and the Ultimate Warrior at the Survivor Series.  In March of 1990, the Hart Foundation reformed and were focused on once again becoming the Tag Team Champions once again.  After defeating the Bolsheviks in less than a minute at WrestleMania VI, they showed how serious they were.  They were granted a Title shot against Demolition at SummerSlam in a two out of three falls match.  By this time, Ax and Smash of Demolition had added Crush to the team and would often defend their Titles under the Freebird rule, in which any of the two members could defend.  Unfortunately for Demolition, their problems with the Legion of Doom came back to bite them, as LOD foiled their plans to cheat, causing the Hart Foundation to once again reign as Tag Team Champions.

   The Hart Foundation went into yet another long reign as Tag Team Champions, taking on all comers.  This was also the first time they were Champions as fan favorites.  They had matches with several teams, such as the Rockers and Power & Glory.  In early 1991, their former manager Jimmy Hart once again stuck his nose in their business with his new clients the Nasty Boys.  The two teams went head to head for the Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania VII.  While the referee was incapacitated, Jimmy Hart assisted the Nasty Boys and helped them win the Titles.  After this, the Hart Foundation officially split up.   

   While Bret found success as a singles star, winning the Intercontinental Championship, Neidhart focused on commentary for a bit.  During a match with Ric Flair, Neidhart was ambushed by the Beverly Brothers and was injured.  Upon Neidhart's return, he had a new tag team partner in brother-in-law Owen Hart, and they became known as the New Foundation.  The New Foundation quickly disposed of the Beverly Brothers and at the 1992 Royal Rumble, they defeated the Orient Express.  Not long after, however, Neidhart was no longer with the company.

   Two years later, during Bret's WWF Title defense against Diesel at the King of the Ring, Neidhart seconded Bret to the ring.  He got into a scuffle with Diesel and Shawn Michaels and caused the match to end in disqualification, though Bret would retain the Championship.  Later that night was the King of the Ring finals between Razor Ramon and Owen Hart.  During the match, Neidhart showed up at ringside and attacked Razor, helping Owen to become King of the Ring.  Neidhart was now Owen's number one.

   At SummerSlam, Neidhart was spotted in the crowd.  This was during the falling out within the Hart family of Bret Hart and Owen Hart, who were to wrestle in a Steel Cage for the WWF Championship.  Neidhart was sitting alone, away from the rest of the Hart Family, who were also in the crowd.  In the front row, Davey Boy Smith, who now took control of the British Bulldog name, was there with wife Diana.  After Bret defeated Owen, the family stood up and applauded.  Suddenly, Neidhart jumped into the aisle and ran, clothes lining both the Bulldog and Diana over the rail.  Neidhart then locked himself and Owen in the cage with Bret to double team him, as the Hart family war raged on.

   Neidhart continued to be side by side with Owen throughout the rest of 1994 until he left the company again.  He returned briefly returned in 1995 but under a different persona.  He wore a mask was referred to as Who.  The reasoning was so that commentary could make "Who's On First?" jokes.  He made his official return in 1997 when he attacked Stone Cold Steve Austin during Austin's feud with Bret.  The Hart Foundation reformed with Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Owen Hart, British Bulldog, and Brian Pillman.  Neidhart would mostly be used as an enforcer of sorts but would team with the Bulldog sometimes.  After the Montreal Screwjob with Bret leaving for WCW, Neidhart remained briefly before being humiliated by Degeneration X.

   Neidhart and Bulldog followed Bret to WCW in December of 1997 and the two would continue to tag together until Neidhart left WCW in 1998.  After that, he wrestled in the Independents and spent time at wrestling conventions, but retired shortly after to be with his family.  He appeared on Raw in 2007 for a battle royal and actually appeared in TNA in 2009, defeating Jay Lethal.  Neidhart may have been done in wrestling but his family name continued, as his daughter Natalya debuted in WWE and continues to wrestle to this day, having won a few Women's Championships along the way.  My sincerest condolences go to Nattie and the entire Hart family for this loss.  

   This really hits home for me for two reasons.  I read that his death had nothing to do with his recent battle with Alzheimer's, or even from his wrestling career, but that he fell and hit his head, never to wake up again.  Unfortunately, I know what that is like as I had a death in my own family under similar circumstances.  The other is that I had the pleasure of meeting him in person in March of 2017.  I took a picture with him and obtained his autograph as well.  I treasure these items and moments even more now.  Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart was a legend in the business and he will be sorely missed.