WWE Jim Neidhart is survived by his wife, Ellie, and three daughters.
Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart has died at 63-years-old, per a tweet by friend and colleague “Killer Bee” B. Brian Blair. The cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Neidhart was a professional wrestler who received his nickname for his success as a shot putter in high school. He won the Tag Team Championship twice with Bret “Hitman” Hart, appeared on “Impact Wrestling,” and even played NFL preseason games with the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys at one point.
Neidhart is survived by his wife, Ellie, and his three daughters, Jennifer, Natalie, and Kristen. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Ellie Hart’s Brothers Are Wrestlers Owen Hart & Bret Hart
Stunned and saddened. I just don’t have the words right now.
Little is known about Ellie Hart, beyond the fact that she is a member of the Hart family of wrestlers. Bret “Hitman” Hart competed with Neidhart, as mentioned above, and is Canadian-American retired professional wrestler. Of Neidhart’s passing, he tweeted, “Stunned and saddened. I just don’t have the words right now.”
Owen Hart was also a professional wrestler, who fell to his death in 1999 after a malfunction with a wire led to his being dropped during a stunt. Over 16,000 people were in attendance and saw it happen, though the paper-per-view program did not broadcast it.
2. Ellie Hart’s Father Was Stu Hart, the Patriach of the Hart Wrestling Dynasty
Stu Hart was the patriarch of “one of professional wrestling’s greatest families,” according to WWEE. He was the father of Owen and Bret Hart, the father-in-law of Jim Neidhart, and the grandfather of wrestlers Natalya Neidhart and David Hart Smith.
In addition to his own professional wrestling accolades, Stu Hart founded “The Dungeon,” a makeshift gym where all of his relatives, and several other well-known wrestlers like Billy Graham, Brian Pillman and the British Bulldogs, have trained. He trained wrestlers well into his 80s, and passed out in 2003 at 88 years old, according to WWE. In 2000, three years prior to his death, Stu Hart was given the order of Canada, the highest honor in the country.
3. Neidhart’s Daughter, Natalie, Is Also a Professional Wrestler Who Goes by ‘Natalya’
Natalie “Natalya” Neidhart is a professional wrestler currently signed to the WWE. She is a former Divas Champion and a SmackDown Women’s Champion. She’s also the first third-generation female wrestler in the world.
Natalya Neidhart trained in the “Hart Dungeon”, a training gym where her grandfather, Stu Hart, has trained several professional wrestlers, including Natalya Neidhart’s uncles, Bret and Owen Hart.
Of her foray into wrestling, she said to the Midland Daily News, “I’ve always had an affinity for theatrics and athletics, so it was a good fit. I’ve blazed my own trail, but I obviously have big shoes to fill coming from the Hart family.”
Natalya has not yet commented on her father’s passing publicly.
4. Jennifer Neidhart Is a Gourmet Chef & Caterer
Little is known about Jennifer Neidhart, besides the fact that she is a gourmet chef and caterer. Jennifer, nicknamed “Jenni” by her family, can be seen in Natalya Neidhart’s social media feed. She has not yet commented publicly on her father’s death.
5. Kristen Culbreth Is a Teacher in Florida
At my sister Muffy’s graduation!!!! So proud of her! She’s going to be a teacher! http://t.co/DKVtpbeMkE
Kristen “Muffy” Culbreth is the youngest Neidhart daughter. Her LinkedIn page reports that she is currently a teacher in the school district of Indian River County in the Melbourne, Florida area. She attended the University of Central Florida. and has not yet commented on her father’s death.