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Former WWE star Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart dies

Posted at 10:44 AM, Aug 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-13 12:00:37-04

Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, who teamed with Bret “Hit Man” Hart to form one of the WWE’s most famous tag teams, has died at age 63, the company confirmed Monday.

In a statement posted on WWE.com, the company said, in part:

WWE is saddened to learn that Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart passed away.

Best known as the powerhouse of the legendary Hart Foundation tag team with his brother-in-law, Bret “Hit Man” Hart, Jim Neidhart was also the father of current WWE Superstar Natalya.

Neidhart began his 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 infamous Hart Dungeon in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and earned his ring nickname, The Anvil, after winning an anvil throwing contest.

Neidhart married Stu's daughter, Ellie, to become a member of the legendary Hart Family before making the move to WWE along with Bret "Hit Man" Hart, Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith when WWE purchased Stu Hart’s Calgary Stampede Wrestling.

The cause of Neidhart’s death was not immediately available.

Reaction to Neidhart's death poured in on social media, with many of the wrestler's former colleague's sharing their thoughts: