Full Career Retrospective and Greatest Moments for Jim Neidhart

Over-the-top characters dominated professional wrestling in the 1980s and early '90s. They were loud, animated and jumped off the screen and into the living rooms of children watching World Wrestling Entertainment's programs every Saturday morning. They were stars who captured the attention of the fans via their uniqueness and hooked them, ensuring they would be fans for life.

One of those personas was Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, one-half of the legendary Hart Foundation tag team with Bret "Hitman" Hart.

Over the years, the powerhouse of the duo has failed to receive the respect and accolades he deserves for his part in the all-time great team. After all, a major part of their success was the way that Hart wore down the opposition with technical skills while Neidhart exploded into the squared circle with an arsenal of power moves.

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. 

His ring work was not the only part of his act that was absolutely integral to the success of the Hart Foundation. While Bret was much more subdued, Neidhart was loud and dynamic on the mic. He was everything a star of that era was expected to be, which captivated audiences.

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. 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.

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.

Stampede Wrestling, the Territories and Signing with Vince McMahon

As 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. 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.

After learning his craft in the Great White North, he ventured into other territories to receive some fine-tuning. 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.

In 1985, McMahon expanded his sports entertainment empire, and in doing so realized the need for more talent. So he made offers to stars from territories across the country, one of them being Neidhart.

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.

Tag Team Champions and the Feud with the Bulldogs

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. 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.

He dumped both men with relative ease and celebrated his win.

What could have been a demoralizing loss was anything but. 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.

Both of those Superstars had trained in the Hart Family Dungeon and were very familiar with Neidhart.

The teams battled in arenas across the country, the top prize in tag team wrestling on the line each and every night. The matches were outstanding and helped revolutionize WWE's tag team division. Fans had never seen bouts the quality of what the Hart Foundation and British Bulldogs were producing on a nightly basis, and a buzz began surrounding the two teams.

That buzz grew louder when Neidhart and Hart won their first WWE Tag Team Championships from the Bulldogs on February 7, 1987 in controversial fashion, generating a ton of heat for themselves and intensifying their feud with the Brits.

Their rivalry came to a head at WrestleMania III, as the Hart Foundation teamed with crooked official Danny Davis to square off with the Bulldogs and Tito Santana, who had found himself on the wrong end of Davis' unfair officiating.

The heels won the match thanks to a well-placed shot to the back of the head with Jimmy Hart's trademark megaphone.

The Demolition Feud and a Trial Separation

The Hart Foundation turned babyface in 1988 following WrestleMania IV, where Bret Hart was double-crossed by the villainous Bad News Brown.

From there, the team felt like the perfect fit to feud with Demolition, who had risen to stardom and won the WWE Tag Team Championships from Strike Force at the same event.

Without Neidhart, the Hitman would have never stood a chance against the two hulking brutes. Ax and Smash pounded the competition with tremendous strength and an unrivaled mean streak. Bret needed the Anvil to supply the power if the duo was to knock off the surging champions.

After several failed attempts to do so, the Hart Foundation split briefly. There was talk of a singles push for Bret, one that would maybe see him climb into contention for a singles midcard push, while Neidhart's future was somewhat murky.

He wrestled matches against fellow powerhouses early on house-show cards and was a solid addition to an already jam-packed midcard scene, but he never really accomplished all that much on his own.

That is not necessarily a bad thing. Some guys thrive in tag team wrestling. Without them, the art form would never have become as prevalent or as enjoyable as it did.

In 1990, with too many big stars for Hart to bypass en route to even the Intercontinental Championship, the Foundation was reunited and wasted little time making a major impact.

At WrestleMania VI, they defeated the Bolsheviks in near-record time before heading into SummerSlam and defeating Demolition for the tag titles in a 2-Out-of-3 Falls match.

It was their last shot at glory, a reward for their hard work over the previous four years. Unfortunately, the desire to break Bret away from Neidhart and make him a star would rear its head again. In the summer of 1991, it would happen, and this time there would be no looking back.

Various Returns

In 1992, Neidhart returned to WWE after a year-long absence and began teaming with Bret's younger brother Owen in a team known as the New Foundation. Wearing MC Hammer pants and checkered headbands, the team looked absolutely ridiculous. In fact, so bad were their outfits that it became difficult to take them seriously whether they won or lost.

The team was short-lived.

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. 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. 

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. Unfortunately, more disagreements between Neidhart and WWE management necessitated his disappearance from television. Again.

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. 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.

At 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.

It was his last truly great match with WWE.

His Legacy

There are many who believe Jim Neidhart was the weak link of the Hart Foundation, that he was carried to great matches by partner Bret Hart, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers of all time.

While that may be the case, minimizing the importance of the Anvil to the Hart Foundation and robbing him of his place in WWE history is unfair to both him and his family.

Simply put, the Hart Foundation would not have worked without Neidhart. He had a presence and charisma that the team absolutely needed to get over. As great as Bret was between the ropes, he did not have the personality necessary to connect with the WWE audience of the late 1980s. Neidhart did, and it was the contrast between the two that made the team a success.

A tag team specialist, Neidhart rarely found success on his own. But that does not matter. What does is that he was a key piece of one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history at a time when tag team wrestling was as big, if not more so, than singles.

He not only deserves a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame but greater recognition from both the company and the fans.

The father of current WWE Diva Natalya, Neidhart's influence is felt by today's fans every time his daughter steps foot inside the squared circle.