YEAH BABY! YEAHAHAHAHA! – THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JIM’THE ANVIL’ NEIDHART

“You know, I can sum it up for the Hart Foundation: We’re gonna get hungry, and we’re gonna forget our manners. Yeahahahahaha.”

Such a great line from 1 of the greatest tag team wrestlers of all time which is saying something but that’s a hill I’m willing to die on bc the Anvil was much better than he gets credit for. People def love the Hart Foundation team and consider them 1 of the greatest of all time but I’m not sure that many people specifically know why the Anvil was so great. When it comes to hot tags, Jim The Anvil’ Neidhart was a master, knowing which moves he could do quickly but would make the biggest impact and bc of his size and athleticism, he was a like a wrecking ball flying all over the ring destroying everyone in his path. His facial expressions and body language were GOAT levels as both a heel and a babyface, every time he made a hot tag but the ref didn’t see it and sent him back, he reacted with his whole body and you as a fan felt that angst through the TV screen and def felt it live. As a heel, he knew when to snicker or laugh but then look worried, then look confident, then look evil, he made it so easy to suspend your disbelief and buy into the kayfabe of wrestling. He was always on the money to break up the pin in tag matches, no needing to slow down the count or kicking out to save it. The way he would remove Bret’s shades just added to their credibility as a team bc you knew only guys that really had each others back would do that. The Anvil is also up there with the GOATS when it comes to cutting an unhinged promo and ending it with a maniacal laugh lol that laugh is fn legendary

Hearing about his death death was very sad and shocking, I had heard rumblings of health issues but he was one of the guys that I expected to be around and become an old man but his legacy lives on strong as a Hall of Famer and with his children. Th Anvil was always 1 of my favourites due to his connection to the Harts but also his own talents bc when I first started becoming a fan of the Hart Foundation, as a stocky kid with athleticism, I was immediately drawn to the Anvil and became a fan instantly after the first hot tag. The Anvil was def someone you want fighting with you rather than against you and I always felt he was on my side. He might be a big , nasty Rhino but he’s our big nasty Rhino so the bad guys can bring whoever they want bc we got the fn Anvil. Never had good singles run but that def wasn’t bc of talent, other than substance issues there is no good reason he was never built up as a big heel challenger for a babyface world champion. Don’t think his ceiling was a challenger either as I believe he could’ve absolutely been a credible, heel champion. Just never seemed to have the ambition for it, from what ive always read, as long as he had enough to party, he was content. That’s why drugs are so horrible for people with great potential, drugs destroy brain paths and negatively effect decision making, ambition, etc… so there is no telling how big of a star a clean, healthy, motivated Anvil could have been.

Seriously a shame we never got a motivated Anvil as a badass heel challenger for Bret as WWF Champion, I know they had some house show matches but it could have been so much more. I guess with all the greatness he achieved in tag team wrestling, that was enough and he was content so he didn’t need or want a singles run. Jim ‘the Anvil’ Neidhart was born February 8, 1955 in Montebello, California and he certainly didn’t lack ambition early in life considering he set high school shotput records that stood for 12 years and then after high school, he went on to make the NFL rosters for Oakland and Dallas even competing in pre season games. Thanks to injuries, Jim never played in a regular season game but always made it really hard for the coaches to cut him. After being released from Dallas, Jim decided to give pro wrestling a shot since he was a fan and went up to Calgary to train in the Hart Dungeon with the legendary Stu Hart. He already had a reputation with Bret and the boys having heard about some of his legends like going nuts in college 1 night drunk and high, tore up his motel room, tied the bed sheets together, put a fire extinguisher on his back and swung down out of the 4th floor window and crashed through his coaches 1st floor window lol what a fn story. One day in Saskatoon, the Stampede boys were working out at a shitty little gym when Jim walked in with his shades pushed back, t-shirt and black wrestling leotard tights, stacked 550lbs on the bench press, pushed his shades down, slammed it up and down 3 times, said this bench is bullshit and left lol that’s what legends are made of, baby. Jim wrestled in Stampede from 1978-1985 winning multiple Tag Team Championships with Hercules Ayala and Mr Hito but still traveled all over the world to wrestler and won Tag Titles in Mid-South with Butch Reed, who was over in Florida, and Championship Wrestling in Florida with Krusher Kruschev. Even before the Hart Foundation, Jim established himself as a great Tag Team wrestler.

While working for Stampede, Stu wanted some promotion for his new wrestler so he offered Jim $500 if he could enter and win an Anvil throwing contest at the Calgary Stampede. I think it’s fairly obvious what happened next lol he tossed it over 11 feet more than earning his nickname. But Jim almost got on Stu’s bad side when he first started working Stampede and lit up a joint on the bus telling Stu it relaxes him but Stu made him toss it and gave him a lecture. Then the next day he stretched him in the dungeon lol The Anvil is one of the handful of wrestlers that can say they were legit trained by Stu as he worked with Jim and taught him everything. Obviously saw a lot of potential and must have been happy to see Jim realize some of it winning the Anvil contest. I think that is such a cool story bc man what a pressure situation, Stu is not only his boss/trainer but also the father of the woman Jim is interested in dating so failure was not an option. That’s an ultimate badass move to step up in a situation that separates the pretenders from the contenders and hit a home run. Not only did that performance win over Stu but it was extremely important to his wrestling career bc The Anvil name was such a natural fit that it was easy to buy into him. This story is how I know his ceiling was so much higher than what we saw bc if he pushed himself to be the best, he could have been and that’s not just hyperbole, he proved it. In the early 80’s, Stampede had working relationship with NJPW so the Anvil got to experience working in Japan including a match that just recently surfaced on Twitter vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara, the man that created the Fujiwara armbar 1 of MMA’s most deadliest submission holds. It was only clips strung together but it looked like a good match and The Anvil had so much charisma and his neanderthal grunts made it all the more intense lol But he would have 1 bug single moments winning the NWA Southern Heavyweight Title, definitely the most significant victory of his singles career. The Anvil would bounce around working in Germany and other places in Europe as well as the US until finally heading to the WWF in 1985.

The WWF was eating up all the territories and Stampede was no exception as Stu couldn’t compete with the WWF machine so he sold Stampede and their TV spots to Vince with part of the deal being Vince would give jobs to Jim, Bret, Dynamite and Davey in the WWF. Jim had some singles matches with Bret during this time but it was Cowboy Bret Hart, not the Hitman lol it’s crazy to say that early in their careers, the WWF saw more potential in Jim than Bret but that’s exactly how it was. The Anvil wasn’t in the main events by any stretch but was in a much better position than Bret and had potential to rise up the card while Bret’s future in the WWF looked hopeless. In a desperate attempt to shed the Cowboy character, Bret suggested to Jay Strongbow that they should make him and Jim a tag team called the Hart Foundation and shortly after that, Cowboy Bret Hart was just a painful memory. Thank God lol It absolutely cannot be overstated what Jim did for Bret early in his career by agreeing to be in the Tag Team bc Bret never asked Jim first, he just assumed Jim would be cool with and he was. But he easily could have said ‘fuck that I don’t wanna be a tag team’ and Bret would’ve been done. It didn’t end there, Jim was more than comfortable on the mic so he started taking over the interviews until Bret could work through his shyness and get comfortable and it was crucial to be able to do this while in a good spot on the card instead of jobbing out every night. That’s what Jim did for Bret in agreeing to be in the Hart Foundation. Without that, wrestling history is a whole lot different. Bret and Jim bumped into the Bulldogs at the hotel bar after to tell them the good news about their new team and getting a push to work with the Bulldogs who only worked the main shows with Hogan and Dynamite nicknamed Bret and Jim the Push Brothers after this lol

The Hart Foundation started out as heels and soon added Jimmy Hart as their manager which not only gave them a heat magnet to guarantee noise in their matches but it gave them credibility as a team to be with 1 of the best managers in wrestling. The matches that the Hart Foundation had vs Bulldogs, Rougeau’s, Demolition, Brain Busters, Killer Bee’s, Young Stallions, Strike Force, etc… are so fcking good it’s unbelievable. Pick a team, put on a match and you will be lovin it. Unfortunately a majority of their best stuff was at house shows so the videos don’t exist, just the testimonies of thousands of blown away wrestling fans. There are still great matches on video but even the guys themselves say the best stuff was when they could just let loose and fn go out on the road. The Hart Foundation have a bunch of classic matches vs the British Bulldogs that took place on the MSG Network and the PRISM Network that give you a good idea of how good all 4 were. The Anvil would have a place on the card for WrestleMania II being a participant in the battle royal that took place in Chicago and would be in the final 3 with Bret and Andre The Giant but the Foundation was no match for the Giant as he eliminated them both and won it. But the battle royal was entertaining with the finish getting a great reaction so they earned respect from the office but more importantly from the Boss, Andre. 1 of my favourite Hart Foundation promos, the ‘Bitch’ promo lol Anvil’s reaction to it is fn great:

KEN RESNICK: Before we get into any other topics, just what exactly Anvil, kind of research are you involved in at the Hart Foundation?

ANVIL: Well let me tell you something Ivy League, at the foundation, Jimmy Hart has set aside many, many rooms, for many, many different purposes. We got a high flying room so the Hart Foundation can keep up with all the high flyers. We got a weight room. We got lifts shades 1 heck of a secretary, who is very, very efficient pushes shades down

HITMAN: We have a psychiatrist who analyzes and comes up with what’s in the minds of our opponents, we have an advantage all the time, we know what theyre thinking before they think it.

RESNICK: Speaking of your opponents, foremost on your mind, Bret the Hitman’s, would be the Tag Team Champions the British Bulldogs.

ANVIL: You know you’re always askin us questions, always askin us questions, well let me ask you a question all right?

RESNICK: Be my guest.

ANVIL: What exactly is a female dog?

HITMAN: Answer that one..

RESNICK: It’s called a bitch.

ANVIL: HAHAHAHAHAH A what!?

RESNICK: The terminology is a bitch for a female dog

ANVIL: HAHAHAHAHAHAH that’s the Bulldogs new manager.

HITMAN: It’s bad enough, its bad enough you gotta take orders from a dog, but you gotta take orders from a bitch

ANVIL: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH Boy they’re really using their brains aren’t they, they could have a foundation of their own HAHAHAHAHAHA

HITMAN: Does she got a tiny little belt too?

ANVIL: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

LOL so good. The biggest moment of the Anvil’s career was right around the corner but unfortunately it was bittersweet bc it came at the expense of a brother. The 100 miles an hour style Dyanamite had been running all these years combined with steroids finally caught up with him when he was running the ropes and just collapsed. Multiple discs in his back were destroyed with more significant damage and it looked like his career was over but the Bulldogs were still the Tag champs. Vince wanted Dynamite to just hand over the belts but Dynamite refused saying he would only drop the belts to the Hart Foundation as he thought if he just handed it over, Vince would give them to another team. Somehow Dynamite gutted through the pain and got into the ring for the match but was taken out immediately by a megaphone shot and eventually, the crooked ref Danny Davis helped the Hart Foundation win their first WWF Tag Team Titles. Their first title defense was on Saturday Night’s Main Event vs Dan Spivey and Tito Santana in a good match but nothing special. Next up was 1 of the biggest moments in The Anvil’s career, wrestling in front of 93k+ in the Pontiac Silverdome for WrestleMania III in a match that saw the Hart Foundation and Danny Davis defeat Tito Santana and the British Bulldogs after Davis hit the Bulldog witht he megaphone and got the win. The Anvil was all over this one breaking up pin attempts. The British Buldogs got a rematch at the next Saturday Night’s Main Event in a 2 out of 3 falls match that saw the Hart Foundation lose 2-0 but they got DQ’d for the first fall so the titles didn’t change hands. Frustrating twist but great match. But there were more pinfall finishes on house shows so that’s why the best matches were those ones.

After a great 274 day run as Tag Champs, the Hart Foundation would lose their titles to Strike Force, Tito Santana and Rick Martel, after an awesome match that is prob * for an under 10 min match. The Hart Foundation had so much chemistry with both Tito Santana and Rick Martel that the matches vs Strike Force were always great. At the inaugural Survivor Series, the Hart Foundation were part of a 10 Team Elimination Tag match and got a measure of revenge when the Anvil pinned Tito eliminating Strike Force from the match. But they were eliminated after Jim Brunzell pinned Bret and their team ended up losing the match but it was actually a great match and 1 of the best Survivor Series elimination matches. At the 1st Royal Rumble, The Anvil entered #6 lasting over 19min which was 3rd longest in the match and sharing 1 elimination of Tito Sanatana with Bret. Good showing for both men as Bret was in the ring the longest. The Hart Foundation would get a rematch with Strike Force for th Titles on The Main Event I that was famous for Hulk Hogan being screwed out of the title by a crooked referee so that Andre won and then immediately sold the belt to The Million Dollar Man. The tag titles match was the main event for this show that ended up setting the record for viewership with 33 million viewers, a staggering number. Despite the loss, being on this show and having a great match helped Bret and Jim become household names as wrestling’s popularity continue to soar to record heights.

At WrestleMania IV, the Hart Foundation were again featured in a battle royal that they lost but this time they would leave a different team than they went in as. Bret was 1 of the final 2 with Bad News and they made a deal to split the prize money but Bad News double crossed Bret to get the win so Bret smashed the trophy as the fans went crazy and the hated heels were now beloved babyfaces. The next few weeks saw more babyface actions from the Hart Foundation which led to increased friction with their manager Jimmy Hart who was very much still a little asshole lol they finally broke free from Jimmy Hart and were full fledged babyfaces heading into the 1st SummerSlam where they lost to WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition in a damn good match after Ax hit Bret with a megaphone. They would have a rematch on Saturday Night’s Main Event but lose again thanks to the Rougeau’s. Man what I wouldn’t give to see a house show loop with all these great teams tearing the house down. Next up was Survivor Series 1988 as another 10 man Elimination Tag that tore the house down thanks in part to the Hart Foundation and some say it was even better than the year before. I’ve heard people write them off as a clusterfck but I think they are awesome and are 1 of the reasons I love going back to watch the first few shows. My favourite Hart Foundation promo, the 25% promo lol

HITMAN: You know what really irks me? You know what really makes me sick? Jimmy Hart has signed on the Fabulous Rougeau’s but worse than that, he’s taking 25%, 25% of my hard earned money! YOU’RE NOTHIN BUT A BLOOD SUCKER, JIMMY HART! YOU’RE A BLOOD SUCKER AND I’VE HAD ENOUGH!

Bret gets riled up so Anvil steps in to calm him down

ANVIL: Easy, easy Hitman, Easy cool down baby, cool down. That’s 25% harder, WE’RE GONNA PUNCH EM! That’s 25% harder, WE’RE GONNA SLAM EM! That’s 25% harder, WE’RE GONNA GIVE EM THE BIG ELBOWS! That’s 25% harder, WE’REARGHAGAHAGAHA THAT’S 25%! ARGHAHAHAGAG THAT’S 25%!

Anvil gets riled up so Bret steps in to calm him down

LOL just love how they both get riled up and have to calm each other down. At Royal Rumble 89, they would end the feud with the Rougeau Brothers in a 6 man tag with Hacksaw Jim Duggan defeating the Rougeau’s and Dino Bravo in a 2 out of 3 falls match that ended up being very good which isn’t a surprise considering the talent in the match. WrestleMania V saw the Hart Foundation have a good match with Greg Valentine and the Honky Tonk Man that the Foundation won after the Anvil tossed Bret the megaphone and Bret hit Honky with it to get the win. The Hart Foundation def knew how to fight fire with fire. Bret’s popularity was hitting levels that made Vince want to try him as a singles star so 1 of those attempts was between WM 5 and SummerSlam but this promo shows where the Anvil’s head was at,”

ANVIL: YaHaHaHaHa Ya know something? The Hart Foundation, we work in mysterious ways yahahaha ya know the Hitman and I we have been the World Tag Team Champions, but if the Hitman, if he has a person al issue that he wants to take care of, that’s fine with me. And if I got a personal issue that I gotta take care of personally, that’s fine with me too and fine with the Hitman. But when you get the Hitman and the Anvil together, as a group, as a team yehaha as a well meshed, oiled team and moving and gelling and going..BABY WE ARE GOOD! Yeahahah…possibly the best YeaHaHaHaHaHa”

He had such great delivery the way he would change his voice and add in the unhinged laughs, nobody else cutting promos like that. But Vince changed his mind and put the Hart Foundation back together and they were on the SummerSlam losing an awesome match to the Brain Busters, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. No 10 Team Tag on Survivor Series 1989 and Bret and Jim are even on seperate teams as the Anvil wrestles in the main event on The Ultimate Warriors, The Ultimate Warrior, Jim Neidhart, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, defeating The Heenan Family, Bobby Heenan, André the Giant, Haku and Arn Anderson. The Anvil entered the 1990 Royal Rumble #20 lasting over 8 minutes and being a part of the group that eliminated Earthquake before he was eliminated by the Ultimate Warrior, Ted Dibiase and Rick Martel. WrestleMania VI was the first WrestleMania in Canada taking place in Toronto, Ontario at Skydome so the Hart Foundation wanted to have a good showing and while it wasn’t a 5 star classic, they looked like a million bucks beating the Bolsheviks in 19 seconds. Volkoff starts by singing the russian national anthem and in the background, the Anvil is getting increasingly agitated until he finally snaps and attacks them from behind and 19 seconds later, we know who the #1 contenders for the Tag Titles are. That was a * squash lol 2 awesome promos towards Demolition, 1 right after WrestleMania and the othe right before the match at SummerSlam which is another of my favs:

ANVIL: Well congratulations Demolition, YOU MADE THE BIG SCORE, YOU MADE THE BIG TD! Congratulations from the Hart Foundation on your WWF Tag team belts that you got back. We’re happy for ya right Hitman! We’re tickled pink yeahahahahah

HITMAN: Let me say something right niw, the Hart Foundation we’re not afraid to be in this situation, we’re not afraid to go in the ring and show the world who si the best tag team? The Hart Foundation we believe deep down inside, deep in our hearts that we are in fact the best! The very best that there is , and Demolition we got a lot of respect for you, but we got more respect for ourselves.

ANVIL: Yeheheheheh!

____________________________ __________________

MEAN GENE: Hart Foundation is must have been a little disconcerting not to know which 2 members of Demolition you would be facing for the Tag Team Titles but gentlemen it appears that the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place.

HITMAN: I must admit it’s been a little confusing but i thought all along that it was gonna be the 2 original and most experienced members of Demolition, Ax and Smash.

MEAN GENE: What about you Anvil, what do you think?

ANVIL: Think!? Yahahahaha! They don;t pay me to think, they pay me to be tough..like an Anvil! Hence the name, right. Right!? Yahahahahaha! It never mattered to me bc when I get in the ring, I JUST. DON’T. CARE! Yahahahah!

HITMAN: Settle down Anvil, settle down! He’s a little anxious and so am I! Anxious to once again be the WWF Tag Team Champions! And now since we only have to worry about 2 Demolition, you can bet the Hart Foundation, are gonna make flatliners out of Ax and Crush!

ANVIL: Yeah Demolition! After the Hart Attack we’re gonna give you, you’ll be buying pacemakers by the truck load baby! Yahahahahah!

HITMAN: It’s like Phil Collins says, what we have here, are 2 Harts beating as 1!

ANVIL: YehehehHAHAHAHAH

MEAN GENE: Let’s get back to ringside!

‘They don’t pay me to think’ lol no doubt. This leads to the greatest match The Anvil and the Hart Foundation ever had at SummerSlam 1990 vs Demolition, prob some better Hart Foundation matches on the house shows but out of the ones we saw, that match is mountaintop. Crowd is on fire all match but esp for the finish which saw LOD remove Ax from under the ring and knock Crush off the top as the Anvil did the slingshot and smoked Smash as Bret waited to roll him up for the 3. Always loved that slingshot over the ropes man just like a submarine coming out of the water and smashing anything in its path. Great moment for the Hart Foundation. It looked like it was gonna be a short reign for the Hart Foundation as they were set to lose them to the Rockers, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty on Oct 30 but during the match, the top rope broke and wasn’t fixed so they tried to have the match without it but it ended up being a disaster. The Rockers won the match and celebrated with the titles but Vince ended up changing his mind about taking the belts off the Hart Foundation and decided not to air the match on TV or re-do it and to return the title to Bret & Jim. Obviously Jim was beyond relieved to have their run as champs extended bc you obviously made better money as a champion. The Hart Foundation had great chemistry with the Rockers and their matches were almost always amazing and to show you how good their chemistry was, they had classic matches 3 years in a row from 1989 @ MSG, 1990 Saturday Night’s Main Event and 1991 SWS WrestleFest in the Tokyo Dome. 1 more Hart Foundation promo towards Power & Glory:

ANVIL: Power and Glory. Mighty Hercules and bad attitude Paul Roma, let me tell you something, new kids, get off the block bc when you fac the Hrat Foundation ina WWF Tag Title match, you better be in good shape right Hitman..

HITMAN: That’s right Anvil, you know Hercules likes to think he’s real strong..points at Anvil this is strong! Paul Roma mR bad atttitude, likes to think he’s real fast and mr technical, well elt me tell you something right now Paul Roma you’re up against the excellence of execution and you’r eup against tag team wise, the very best in the world today. Right Anvil.

ANVIL: Right, baby! Yeahahahahahahah!

Both just all over Roma lol ‘this is strong!’ damn right. At Survivor Series 1990, The Anvil was part of history as one of the first opponents for the Undertaker who made his debut in the match that saw The Million Dollar Team, Ted DiBiase, The Undertaker, The Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine defeat The Dream Team, Dusty Rhodes, Koko B. Ware, Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart. Awesome match, the Anvil eliminated the Honky Tonk Man before being eliminated by Dibiase. They would feud briefly with other Jimmy Hart managed teams like Rhythm and Blues, Honky Tonk Man and a miserable Greg Valentine lol but they actually had some good matches together. The Anvil entered Royal Rumble 1990 #26 but didn’t eliminate anyone before he was tossed out by Rick Martel after 11+ minutes. This brings us to WrestleMania VII and unfortunately it would be the end of the Hart Foundation as they lost the tag titles to Nasty Boys, Knobbs and Saggs, and it is one of the most frustrating moments of my wrestling life lol as a kid I was so mad that Jimmy Hart grabbed Bret’s leg allowing Anvil to get smoked with the motorcycle helmet and pinned. Like almost in tears I was so mad hahaha it was a great match so I’m happy a team of their calibre went out on a high note but that was it. They would wrestle a few more matches as a team but not on TV and shortly after WrestleMania, Bret would start his singles run leading to an IC Title match at SummerSlam. It was an unbelievable run of excellence for the Hart Foundation and they were GOAT level at everything from match quality to the awesome Hart Attack finisher to their banger of an entrance theme. The Hart Attack finisher seems easy to pull off but somehow nobody else can make it look as good as the Hitman and The Anvil. Absolutely no doubt that the Hart Foundation are in the convo for GOAT tag team.

The Anvil transitioned to commentary for a few months but not too long after that, he formed the New Foundation tag team with Owen Hart returning on Dec 1 Superstars rocking a new look of parachute pants with black n white checker board designs. It was not a long run but they did have a 5 star match vs the Orient Express at Royal Rumble 1992 that showed the team could have picked up right where the Hart Foundation left off. Unfortunately Jim refused to take a drug test knowing he would fail and smashed a TV monitor so he was fired shortly after and left the WWF to have a short run in WCW, NJPW and even early ECW vs the Sandman at the inaugural November to Remember 1993. The Anvil returned to the WWF at King Of The Ring 94 first to help Bret but then later to help Owen and I felt betrayed lol it was revealed that Anvil only helped Bret retain the WWF Title vs Diesel so Owen could win it from him at SummerSlam 1994. Bret and Owen would meet for the WWF Title in a Cage Match at SummerSlam with the Anvil in Owen’s corner and the Hart family watching at ringside. After Bret won the match, the Anvil clotheslined Davey Boy Smith who was with the Harts and then got Bret back into the cage and locked it so him and Owen could continue beating Bret until Davey and the rest of the Harts finally got into the cage and ran off Jim and Owen. It was def a great heel run w Owen and Jim def helped legitimize him as he got his shot in the main events. Not many matches together but there was an awesome tag match on RAW btwn Bret/Bulldog vs Owen/Anvil. But once again personal demons caught up with Jim at the worst time as he was set to win the Tag Titles with Owen but had substance issues resulting in a string of no showing events so he was released. Would’ve likely been Owen’s pratner at WrestleMania XI instead of Yokozuna, def a shame.

The Anvil once again made the round of the US independent scene even returning to the WWF for a short run under a mask as ‘Who’ lol so dumb bc everyone knew it who it was. It looked like his wrestling career was sinking fast but there was a life preserver thrown to him in the form of the 1997 Hart Foundation. Bret had turned heel against the American fans after WrestleMania 13 and re-united with Owen and The Bulldog with Brian Pillman joining them shortly after. I think all eyes shifted to the Anvil wondering when he would show up and that question was answered on RAW April 28, 1997. Stone Cole thinks he has Bret all to himself on the top of the ramp as Bret just had knee surgery and was in a wheelchair and had crutches, but when Austin is about to attack, the Anvil returns and beats down Austin until Bret finally hits him with a crutch knocking Austin off the stage. Awesome moment that had me so pumped watching as a kid, The Anvil was the last piece of the Hart Foundation puzzle bc w him you knew nobody was gonna fck with the Harts without paying the price and it wouldn’t have been the same without him. The 1997 Hart Foundation was now complete and ready to fire on all cylinders. At King of the Ring 1997, Anvil, Bulldog and Owen defeated SID and the LOD in a good match and we got to see the Anvil’s slingshot again so I was happy. Anvil got a 1 on 1 match vs Stone Cold but it wasn’t great and showed that Jim had def lost a step.

But everyone in the Hart Foundation was at their best for In Your House: Canadian Stampede from the SaddleDome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, one of the greatest nights in wrestling history and the peak of the 1997 Hart Foundation. It was such an amazing time period with the Hart Foundation despised heels 1 week in the US and beloved heroes the next in Canada but this crowd was on another level. 12k+ ready to jump the barricades and go to war with the Hart Foundation if it came to that. The cameras were literally shaking the crowd was so loud at some points and those in attendance say the building was shaking. The Hart Foundation made their way out 1 at a time with the Anvil coming out second to a huge roar and he was fn fired up lol that moment where they all pause briefly before heading to the ring is an emotional moment bc it was such a high for the Hart family but we know that there were many lows to come so you really appreciate this one even more. The match was incredible with bell to bell action that saw the Anvil show off his power and it was def the best he looked in years. Just a fcking great night. The roof almost came off when Owen rolled up Austin to get the 3 count and afterwards the entire Hart family came into the ring to celebrate with eachother and it was a special moment for Jim getting to share the moment with his family.

Leading into SummerSlam 1997, Jim didn’t have a match but with all the other Hart Foundation members agreeing to do something if they lost their match, the Anvil said if any of the Hart Foundation lost he would shave his goatee. 2 out of 4 members lost but like a true heel, the Anvil kept his goatee lol during this run the Anvil acted more as the muscle of the group accompanying the guys to the ring rather than actually wrestling. I think he knew his best days were behind him and he could be more effective in a bodyguard type of role and he def was. This brings us to the infamous Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997 that would be the end for the 1997 Hart Foundation and the Anvil’s run in the WWF. The Anvil wrestled on the show teaming with the Bulldog, Furnas and Lafon defeating Vader, Goldust, Marc Mero and Steve Blackman in a good match but Anvil was the 2nd wrestler eliminated. In the main event, Vince McMahon screwed Bret out of the WWF Title by instructing the time keeper to ring the bell while Shawn Michaels had Bret in a Sharpshooter signalling a submission but Bret def did not give up. In the aftermath, Bret knocked out Vince and then left for WCW, Bulldog paid to get out of his contract but they refused to let Owen out of his contract so he negotiated a raise and stayed.
After the Screwjob in Montreal, Anvil would be granted his release from the WWF but not before being humiliated on TV by DX and I was so disgisted by this I don;t even want to talk about it. Really bad few weeks in wrestling.

The Anvil would have a brief stint in WCW teaming with the Bulldog for a few shows but it wasnt a great run and he would be released before winding down his in-ring career. He would actually return to WWE for the 15 year Battle Royal and even made an appearance in TNA defeating Jay Lethal lol yes that’s a thing that happened. The Anvil has more on his resume than people might think. The 15 year Battle Royal was his last televised match and his last official match was on an independent show that saw Jim, Koko B Ware and Frankie the Pizza Guy team up as they defeated Nikolai Volkoff, Clay Dasher and Shawn Andrews. Jim Neidhart’s wrestling career was over but we would still be entertained by the Anvil on the reality show Total Divas and it was great to see him having fun and playing along. The time he got to spend with his daughter Nattie was priceless and you know it meant so much to him to see her not only following his footsteps, but taking the Neidhart legacy even further than he did. Jim had been having some health problems and on August 13, 2018, got out of bed to adjust the temperature but had an event that caused him to fall against the wall and floor. Ellie called 911 and Jim was rushed to the hospital but sadly passed away at the age of 63. His death caught me off guard, I was thinking he was going to live longer than other wrestlers of his generation but unfortunately it was not to be. 63 is way too young but for his time pn the earth, he had one heck of a life.

Like every wrestling Dad, Jim was away far more than he wanted to be and sometimes had to buy presents at the store open latest but when he was there, he tried to give his daughters and then his grandkids the best of himself and create lasting memories. Jim found his soulmate in his wife Ellie and while they had their ups and downs including a divorce, they later remarried after Jim got his life together and lived happily together until his passing. Jim and Ellie’s 1st wedding was a spectacular affair, this comes from Bret’s book:

When I got home, everyone was busy planning Ellie and Jim’s wedding, Hart House had never looked so grand as it did on their wedding day. The chandeliers were polished and shone so brightly that you could see their glow all the way from the highway. Outside, snow hid the skeletons of the dead Cadillacs. Inside, logs crackled on the fire places, a teenage musician strummed her acoustic guitar, a hired had in a tuxedo tended bar, and the dining room table was piled high with hors d’oeuvres. Owen entertained everyone, sprawled on the carpet in the living room, pitting Heathcliff the cat against his arch nemesis, the stuffed monkey lol the 3 of them put on a fine show, rveersing in and out of hold, with Heathcliff’s tail pounding on the rug as he tried to think of a counter move.

At last Stu escorted Ellie down the main stairs and she looked resplendent. When the reverend asked whether there was anybody who objected to the marriage, none of us were going to pipe up: we thought Jim was a perfect match for Ellie, as he was the only man we knew with a personality just as combustible as hers.

They were a perfect match for each other and their love will never die. They had 3 daughters, Kirsten, Natalya and Jennifer and Jim loved being a father to his girls. From the 1st time he showed up on screen with Stampede, to the last with Total Divas, The Anvil was a character that you would never forget. The legacy of Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart first and foremost will be as 1 of the great Tag Team wrestlers in wrestling history, a master of the hot tag. bUt a big part of his legacy will also be as the Scottie Pippen to Bret’s Michael Jordan bc without the Anvil and Pippen, Bret and MJ do not become the GOATS. In the amazing Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance, MJ says that when people speak his name, they should also speaks Scottie Pippen’s bc of the impact he had on Jordan’s career and I believe the same is true about Bret and the Anvil. When you speak of Bret Hart, you must also speak of the Anvil bc if it wasn’t for Jim embracing the Hart Foundation tag team and allowing Bret to grow and turn his shortcomings into skills. Bret was never considered a GOAT on the mic but he still became fn great esp for the run in 1997 but that doesn’t happen without the Anvil. His best legacy will be his 3 daughters who have become good people making a good living. The bets of his wrestling legacy will be Natalya, who was able to surpass her father in terms of greatness achieved in wrestling and nobody was cheering louder than the Anvil. His legacy will be one of the crazy, entertaining characters in wrestling with the big bear physique and the laugh and the Yeah Baby! lol I’ll remember him as one of my tough Uncles, the muscle for the good guys and 1 of the best hot tags in wrestling. Also loved that he was a big weed guy, would’ve loved to share a joint with the Anvil.

The final resting place of his career is where it belongs, in the Hall of Fame with Bret as the Hart Foundation but of course it wasn’t without controversy even tho Anvil is gone lol a fan tried to attack Bret until the wrestlers at ringside intervened but they got control and Bret finished the induction. Scary moment esp with Bret’s health history but it turned out fine and serves as a great example of why Bret needed the Anvil lol just wish he could have been there in person but Natalya and Bret did a great job for him. Jim will long be remembered through all the classic matches the Hart Foundation had. I know Jim ‘the Anvil’ Neidhart wasn’t perfect, he lived closer to the worst version of himself at times, he had his run ins with the law and struggles with substance abuse but the best of him shines so bright it overwhelms the bad. Stu saw the best in Jim and that’s why he always went to bat for him, love the stories from Bruce Prichard’s podcast about Stu advocating for a spot for Jim. But Stu was just looking for another moment like Jim winning the Anvil throwing contest, if Jim found the right spot to push himself in, he could succeed at the highest levels. The Anvil was always 1 of my fav wrestlers and if I was putting together a team of badasses to fight the worst kinds of evil, I’d be calling the Anvil no doubt. I really enjoyed this look at his life and career, he def doesn’t get the respect he deserves but maybe something like this will change that. I’m grateful to the Anvil for helping 1 of my biggest heroes, Bret Hart, become that hero but I first saw Bret with Jim so he was every bit of a hero to me as Bret back then. I will def do everything I can to make sure his contributions are remembered and celebrated.

Love and prayers out to the fam, his friends and his fans. You know Stu has already talked to God to get a spot for the big Rhino lol much love and God Bless, Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart!