Jim Neidhart

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Jim Neidhart
An image of Jim Neidhart.
Statistics
Ring name(s) Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart[1]
Who[1]
Billed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1]
Billed weight 281 lb (127 kg)[1]
Born August 2, 1956 (1956-08-02) (age 51)[1]
Tampa, Florida[1]
Resides Calgary, Alberta[1]
Billed from Reno, Nevada[1]
Trained by Stu Hart[1]
Debut 1979[1]

James Henry "Jim" Neidhart (born August 2, 1956)[1] is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. He currently resides in Calgary, Alberta and holds dual citizenship in Canada and the United States.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Neidhart had a prodigious athletic career prior to his entrance into the world of professional wrestling. He first gained acclaim during high school for his success in many strength-oriented track and field events. A talented shot putter, Neidhart held the California high school record in the event from 1973-1985 for Newport Harbor High School (a school which was later made famous for its central role in the hit television show The O.C.). After graduating high school,[2] Neidhart pursued a career in the National Football League, where he played briefly for the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys in practices and preseason games. Although some biographies state that he played in the NFL for those teams,[3] DatabaseFootball.com contains no evidence that Neidhart ever recorded actual playing time in an NFL regular season game. In a shoot interview, Neidhart said that he spent some time in jail and actually saw Charles Manson during this period, as well.[2]

Neidhart achieved his nickname from setting a record at the Calgary Stampede games for throwing an anvil farther than anyone else.[4]

[edit] Wrestling career

[edit] Early career

Following his release from the Dallas Cowboys, Neidhart traveled to Calgary to train with Stu Hart and pursue a career in professional wrestling. He worked for Stampede Wrestling, Hart's Calgary based promotion, for several years, during which time he married Ellie Hart, one of Stu's daughters.[5] He thus became the brother-in-law of fellow wrestlers Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Ross Hart, Keith Hart, and Davey Boy Smith, and later the uncle of wrestlers Teddy Hart and Harry Smith.

[edit] World Wrestling Federation

When Stu Hart sold Stampede Wrestling to Vince McMahon, Jim Neidhart and Bret Hart were included in the deal. Originally, McMahon had Jim Neidhart slated to perform as a singles wrestler managed by Jimmy Hart - who has no relation to the Hart family - and McMahon wanted Bret Hart to perform under a "cowboy" gimmick. Bret Hart came up with the idea of a heel tag team with "The Anvil" called the Hart Foundation. WWF management liked the idea and decided to turn them into a heel tag team.[3]

While in the World Wrestling Federation, Hart and Neidhart formed a highly successful tag team, "The Hart Foundation". They were managed by "The Mouth Of The South" Jimmy Hart, who led them to their first Tag Team Championship. Jimmy Hart was also instrumental in ending the team's second championship reign at WrestleMania VII when he led The Nasty Boys to the titles against his former team. After Bret split off into singles competition, Neidhart teamed with Owen Hart as "The New Foundation".

While The New Foundation did not last long, Neidhart reappeared in the WWF at King of the Ring 1994 as the mystery cornerman of Bret Hart in his WWF Championship defense against Intercontinental Champion Diesel. The finish saw Diesel Jackknife Bret to the canvas, which would have assured him of capturing the Federation championship. However, Neidhart interfered, costing Bret the match, but allowing him to retain his title. Following the match, Bret was subject to a beatdown at the hands of Diesel and Shawn Michaels, but Neidhart did not come to Bret's aide. Later in the night, Neidhart reappeared at ringside during Owen Hart's match against Razor Ramon in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament. Neidhart assaulted Ramon behind the referee's back, allowing Owen to become the second WWF King of the Ring (after his brother Bret, who was King in 1993) on pay-per-view.

Owen was mired in a feud with Bret stemming from the 1994 Royal Rumble. Neidhart believed Owen when he said that Bret had been holding him down all his life and sided with him against his former tag team partner. Usually seconding Owen in his matches throughout the summer of 1994, Neidhart was seated in the third row at SummerSlam 1994 behind members of the Hart family, as well as Davey Boy Smith for the steel cage match pitting Bret against Owen for the Federation championship; this was the title that Neidhart had saved for Hart back at the King of the Ring so Owen could claim it at SummerSlam. Following a grueling match-up, Bret emerged triumphant, but was later subject to another beatdown at the hands of Owen and Neidhart, who locked themselves inside the caged ring while members of the Hart family tried to climb over the top to get in and help Bret. Neidhart joined Owen as part of Shawn Michaels' "Teamsters" team at Survivor Series 1994. After eliminating all the members of Razor Ramon's "Bad Guys" team except for Razor himself, Shawn Michaels inadvertently hit Diesel with the Sweet Chin Music. This move split up their tag team, as Diesel chased Michaels down the aisle. This cost their team the match as Neidhart and Owen were counted out along with the rest of the "Teamsters". Following Survivor Series, Neidhart disappeared from the WWF.

In 1996, he had a very short stint as the masked wrestler named Who, a gimmick purely designed for commentators Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler to make Abbott and Costello "Who's on First?" jokes during his matches. He last wore the mask at SummerSlam 1996 as part of the "Bikini Beach Blast-Off" party held during the Free For All pre-game show.

He later reunited with Bret as part of his stable of Canadian sympathizers. After Bret left the company on bad terms because of the Montreal Incident in 1997, Neidhart followed him to World Championship Wrestling (though not immediately--he would be beaten up and humiliated by D-Generation X prior to his departure) where he formed a tag team with The British Bulldog, who also followed Bret there. Although this was his first true big-money deal, they were rarely utilized by WCW. They achieved little in-ring success, and he was eventually released and returned to the independent circuit.

On Raw XV, the 15th-anniversary WWE Raw special on December 10, 2007, Neidhart participated in the 15th Anniversary Battle Royal, eventually making it to the final five before being eliminated by Skinner.

[edit] In wrestling

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

[edit] Personal life

Neidhart attended Katella High School in Anaheim, California, but he graduated[citation needed] from Newport Harbor High School in 1973.

Neidhart and ex-wife Ellie have three children - Jennifer, a master gourmet chef and caterer for one of the most prestigious companies in Calgary, Natalie, and Kristen ("Muffy"), who was married in early June 2007.[4] He is a fan of the Calgary Flames and owns several jerseys, including one signed by Theo Fleury. Neidhart, an avid fisherman, can often be found fly-casting in the lakes and streams of Alberta.

In early 2005, Neidhart and his wife Ellie were accused in a lawsuit of stealing almost $10,000 in valuables from businessman John McCann.[5] McCann claimed the items, mainly jewelry, disappeared after the couple visited his Calgary home and that he later bought them back from the pawn shop where they turned up.[5] The Neidharts denied any knowledge of the incident. The suit was later dropped and no charges were filed.[5]

Neidhart continues to wrestle on the Canadian independent circuit and is pursuing a career in real estate. His daughter, Nattie Neidhart, is also a wrestler and currently signed to a WWE developmental contract.[4] Nattie made her WWE debut on the April 4, 2008 edition of SmackDown!.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Jim Neidhart Profile. Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
  2. ^ a b "Shoot With Jim Neidhart" DVD synopsis. RFvideo.com. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
  3. ^ a b "Hart Foundation". www.WrestlingRevealed.com. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
  4. ^ a b c Lennie DiFino (June 27, 2007). Catching up with Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart. WWE. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
  5. ^ a b c d Kevin Martion (February 5, 2005). Neidhart accused of theft. Calgary Sun. Retrieved on 2007-07-09.
  6. ^ Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948-1990). Puroresu Dojo (2003). Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
  7. ^ Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 100 Tag Teams of the PWI Years. Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.

[edit] External links

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