WWE Legend Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart Dies at 63

Another tragic death has struck the wrestling community as former WWE Tag Team Champion Jim 'The [...]

Another tragic death has struck the wrestling community as former WWE Tag Team Champion Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart has passed away at the age of 63.

The news of Neidhart's death began circulating on Twitter Monday morning. The fears were confirmed by WWE.

Neidhart reportedly passed away Monday morning following a medical emergency at his home in Florida.

"The Anvil" rose to prominence in the mid-1980s as part of the Hart Foundation tag team alongside his brother in law, Bret Hart. The duo were brought in following Vince McMahon's buyout of Calgary's Stampede Wrestling. After both men tried their hand in singles competition for a brief amount of time, they were placed together in a tag team and skyrocketed up the ranks as one of the best teams of the 1980s. The Hart Foundation won the WWE Tag Team Titles on two different occasions.

Following the split of the original Hart Foundation team and Bret Hart's rise to prominence as a singles competitor, Neidhart was in and out of the promotion. He returned to team with Bret's younger brother, Owen Hart, in 1994 and also in 1997 as part of the new Hart Foundation stable. When Bret Hart left the WWE following the 1997 Survivor Series, Neidhart and "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith joined him in WCW.

Prior to his career in pro wrestling, Neidhart was a track and field star who held the high school shot put record in the state of California for over a decade. He also pursued a pro football career with the NFL, having brief stays with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. He played in preseason games but never played in an NFL regular season game.

In recent years, Neidhart has been most visible on the Total Divas reality show alongside his daughter, current WWE star Natalya.

Neidhart is survived by his wife, Elizabeth "Ellie" (Hart) Neidhart, and three children.

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