TAMPA, Fla. — Former professional wrestler Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, who famously teamed with his brother-in-law, Brett “The Hitman” Hart to form “The Hart Foundation,” in the 1980s and 1990s, has died. He was 63.
The WWE announced his passing Monday morning.
Neidhart, a former professional football player with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, was trained by Stu Hart in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Stu Hart is the father of Brett Hart and the patriarch of the Hart family wrestling stable, which also included the late Owen Hart, and the late Davey Boy Smith.
Neidhart earned his nickname by winning an anvil-throwing contest, according to WWE. He made his ring debut in 1979 as part of Stu Hart’s Calgary Stampede Wrestling federation and joined the Hart family when he married Stu Hart’s daughter, Ellie.
When he moved to the WWE, he teamed up with Bret Hart to form the Hart Foundation, which won two WWE Tag Team championships.
Neidhart last competed in WWE in 1997. His daughter, Natalya, is a current member of the WWE women’s division.
