WWE legend Jim Neidhart dies of head injury at 63
Former WWE star Jim Neidhart died at age 63 on Monday, the organization stated.
Neidhart, who was nicknamed “The Anvil,” died after he hit his head while falling at his home in Florida. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office told ESPN the former wrestler “succumbed to his injury.”
Neidhart and his 61-year-old brother-in-law Bret Hart won two WWE World Tag Team titles together.
In a press release, WWE said Neidhart’s final WWE competition came in 1997.
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On Monday evening, the wrestler’s daughter Natalya “Nattie” Neidhart — who also competes in the sport — posted a tribute to her father on Instagram:
“I can’t put into words how hard it is going to be for myself and our family to have to say goodbye to my dad,” the 36-year-old wrote. “He meant the world to us, and nothing will ever replace the special times we shared together as a family.”
Natalya Neidhart continued: “My dad was always a fighter and an incredibly special person. There was no one like him!”The reality star, who followed in her father’s footsteps and became a pro wrestler, shared, “We are going to hold all of the moments we had with him close to our hearts forever and never let them go.”
Jim Neidhart, his daughter and his wife Elizabeth often appeared on the E! reality television series Total Divas, which showed how close Natalya and her father were.
Neidhart’s professional wrestling career started in 197. The famous Stu Hart trained him in Canada. Neidhart also made occasional appearances during NFL preseason games with the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders.
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Hart,, Hulk Hogan, Triple H and Ric Flair were among the many former or current WWE legends who paid tribute to Neidhart on social media:
Even former UFC star and new WWE member Ronda Rousey expressed condolences to Natalya and the rest of Neidhart’s family following the wrestler’s death. Rousey paid tribute to Neidhart on Monday night RAW:
Neidhart is one of several famous ex-wrestlers to die in recent months, after Leon “Vader” White, Brian Christopher Lawler and Bruno Sammartino.
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