Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart Dies After Fall at Age 63

Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, a popular professional wrestler in the 1980s and '90s who competed with the Hart Foundation, died Monday at age 63 from injuries resulting from a fall at his home in Wesley Chapel, Florida.

Police said the death was accidental and that no foul play was suspected, ESPN reported.

Neidhart married into the Hart family after playing professional football with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, according to the WWE website. He was trained by his father-in-law Stu Hart at the Hart Dungeon in Canada and won an anvil throwing contest to earn his nickname.

When WWE bought out Stu Hart’s Calgary Stampede Wrestling, Neidhart became part of the Hart Foundation with brother-in-law Bret “Hit Man” Hart others. He won two WWE World Tag Team Championships. Neidhart played the “bad guy” to Brett Hart’s charm.

Neidhart spent some time competing solo and with Brett Hart’s younger brother Owen Hart, and after a somewhat controversial revival of The Hart Foundation in 1996 and 1997 that featured Anti-American sentiments and a rivalry with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Neidhart retired from wrestling professionally.

He last appeared sporadically on the WWE reality TV show “Total Divas,” ESPN reported.

Brett Hart is the only surviving wrestler from the Hart Foundation, ESPN reported. He tweeted Monday, “Stunned and saddened. I just don’t have the words right now.”

Brother-in-law Ross Hart said Neidhart had Alzheimer’s disease and that a grand mal seizure may have caused his fall, ESPN reported.

Neidhart’s daughter Natalya is now a popular professional wrestler for WWE.

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