James Henry Neidhart (February 8, 1955 – August 13, 2018) was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the WWF, where he performed as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.
He got his start in the NFL, playing for the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. After leaving football, he traveled to Calgary, and trained with Stu Hart to become a professional wrestler.
With his brother-in-law Bret Hart, they made up part of The Hart Foundation. He was also headliner for two of WWF's pay-per-view events: Survivor Series 1989 and In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede.
Through his marriage to Elizabeth Hart, one of Stu Hart's daughters, he is part of the Hart Family. The couple had three children, one of whom, Natalie, currently wrestles for WWE.
He died on August 13, 2018, after suffering a head injury from a fall.
As for his in-ring achievements, he was a 2x WWE World Tag Team Champion
with Bret Hart as The Hart Foundation, a 2x Stampede International Tag Team Champion (1x w/Hercules Ayala and 1x w/Mr. Hito), a 1x Mid-South Tag Team Champion with Butch Reed, a 1x NWA (Florida) United States Tag Team Champion with Krusher Khrushchev (Barry Darsow), a 1x MEWF (Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation in Maryland) Heavyweight Champion, he and The Blue Meanie were the inaugural MCW (Memphis) Southern Tag Team Champions, he was a 1x TRCW (Manitoba) International Heavyweight Champion, and he and Greg Valentine were 1x PWO (Ohio) Tag Team Champions.
"Anvilized Tropes":
- Actually Pretty Funny: He faced Marty Jannetty at ECW's July 28, 1995 show in Middletown, NY, and laughed when the crowd chanted "WE WANT BRET!"
- Badass Teacher: He was one of Roderick Strong's trainers.
- Commuting on a Bus: After the Hart Foundation split in 1991, he faded into the background until he left in March 1992. He returned at King of the Ring in June 1994 and was gone by the end of the year. He made one appearance under his own name in 1996 before his short-lived repackaging as "Who." He returned properly in 1997 for the Hart Foundation reunion and left in December. Returned in 2007 for the Raw 15th Anniversary Battle Royal.
- Fastball Special: The Rocket Launcher, where The Anvil would throw Owen Hart off the top rope onto their opponent
- Finishing Move: Camel Clutch, Anvilizer (Swinging Cobra Clutch)
- It Runs in the Family: He was an in-law to one of the all-time great wrestling families.
- Power Stable:
- (in Memphis) The First Family, led by "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart.
- Neidhart's Raiders, which led after splitting from The First Family.
- (in WWE): The 1997 edition of The Hart Foundation.
- (in Memphis) The First Family, led by "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart.
- Real Men Wear Pink: The Hart Foundation's colors were pink and black.
- Red Baron: "The Anvil"
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: He was very much the Red to Bret Hart's Blue, being loud and hammy.
- Tag Team: With Bret as the Hart Foundation.
- The New Foundation, with Owen in late 1991 to early 1992.
- Who's on First?: It was the source of his short-lived masked "Who" gimmick in mid-1996.
- Wrestling Family: He married into the Hart family and his daughter is Natalya Neidhart.
