News

WWE Legend Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart Dies At 63 After Head Injury; Tributes Pour In

Former WWE star Jim Neidhart died at age 63 on Monday, the organization stated.

WWE Star Jim Neidhart Dies At 63

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.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams! 

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.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

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.

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.

Recent Posts

US Open Mixed Doubles Set For Massive Success With New Changes To Format

Last year, the US Open decided to format its mixed doubles championship differently than it…

18 hours ago

Streamer N3on Gives Formerly Homeless NBA Star Delonte West $50K To Help Him Start His Own Streaming Channel

If the name Delonte West sounds familiar, it probably has more to do with his…

21 hours ago

Dae’Quan Wright Set To Join LSU Following NFL Exit In A First

The Dae'Quan Wright story confuses a lot of football fans. Wright is headed back to…

21 hours ago

Extra Year Of Eligibility Denied For Some In New Court Ruling

The NCAA won in court on Friday, reversing a federal judge's earlier order that would…

3 days ago

Argentine Players Banned For Role In World Cup Brawl After Finals Loss

FIFA handed three Argentina players bans on Friday for the post-match brawl in the World…

3 days ago

Marshall Manning, Peyton Manning’s Son, Debuts As High School Team’s QB

Peyton Manning's son, Marshall Manning, is the quarterback at Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and…

3 days ago