It was his last truly great match with WWE. The Anvil joined Bret, Owen, Smith and Brian Pillman and regularly clashed with the likes of Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Ken Shamrock and Goldust, not to mention the Legion of Doom.Īt In Your House: Calgary Stampede, Neidhart was part of a huge 10-Man Tag Team main event that saw the Hart Foundation defeat Austin, Shamrock, Goldust and LOD in a five-star classic. The return of the Hart Foundation in 1997 and Bret Hart's vendetta against an ever-changing American society saw Neidhart return to WWE to aid his friend and partner. Unfortunately, more disagreements between Neidhart and WWE management necessitated his disappearance from television. Together, Neidhart and Owen did battle with Bret and "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith in arenas across the country, usually in high-quality tag team bouts. Jumping the Hitman following a grueling Steel Cage match at SummerSlam, Neidhart made it clear that he was siding with the deceitful Owen in his war with his more accomplished older brother. In 1994, Neidhart again returned to WWE, this time to take part in the family feud between Bret and Owen that had taken WWE by storm. Neidhart and his future brother-in-law capitalized on the momentum they had coming out of WrestleMania II and parlayed it into WWE Tag Team Championship opportunities against the British Bulldogs, a dynamic and skilled team that consisted of Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid.īoth of those Superstars had trained in the Hart Family Dungeon and were very familiar with Neidhart. What could have been a demoralizing loss was anything but. He dumped both men with relative ease and celebrated his win. Unfortunately for them, the only other man standing was Andre the Giant, the king of the Battle Royal and the greatest attraction in pro wrestling history. WrestleMania II saw the greatest exposure of Neidhart's young career, as he and Bret managed to stick around in the 20-man Battle Royal just long enough to be in the final three. Tag Team Champions and the Feud with the Bulldogs Shortly after his debut with the company, he was paired with Bret Hart and legendary manager Jimmy Hart, and the trio soon became recognized as the Hart Foundation. So he made offers to stars from territories across the country, one of them being Neidhart. In 1985, McMahon expanded his sports entertainment empire, and in doing so realized the need for more talent. He worked in Japan, Florida and Georgia, learning a little more at every stop and becoming a performer whom Vince McMahon in New York could see succeeding in World Wrestling Entertainment. A former professional football player with the Dallas Cowboys, Neidhart had the raw skill and athleticism necessary to make it in the pro wrestling industry and needed the guidance of someone well-versed in the industry to help him along.Īfter learning his craft in the Great White North, he ventured into other territories to receive some fine-tuning. Stampede Wrestling, the Territories and Signing with Vince McMahonĪs was the case with all of the Hart family members to ultimately wind up inside the squared circle, Neidhart got his start in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling. In celebration of one of wrestling's unsung heroes and one of the more underappreciated stars of wrestling's first major boom period, here is a look back at the greatest matches and moments of Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart's legendary career. The truth of the matter is that without the over-the-top cartoon nature of the Anvil character and the burst of energy he brought to every match, there was nothing really to separate the Hart Foundation from some bottom-of-the-barrel team such as the Young Stallions, at least personality-wise. There are those today who downplay the Anvil's place in history thanks to the overwhelming success that Hart would go on to enjoy as a singles star. He was everything a star of that era was expected to be, which captivated audiences. While Bret was much more subdued, Neidhart was loud and dynamic on the mic. His ring work was not the only part of his act that was absolutely integral to the success of the Hart Foundation. It was that dynamic that set the team apart from others, and without Neidhart it is highly unlikely that the Hart Foundation would have reached the level that it ultimately did.
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