James Henry "Jim" Neidhart (born August 2, 1956)
is an
American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the
World Wrestling Federation as
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, and is the father of
WWE Diva Natalya. Among other accolades, he is a
two-time WWF Tag Team Champion with
Bret Hart as part of the original
Hart Foundation.
Neidhart holds
dual citizenship with Canada and the United States.
Early life
Neidhart had an athletic career prior to his entrance into the world of professional wrestling. He first gained acclaim during high school for his success in many strength-oriented
track and field events. A talented
shot putter, Neidhart held the California high school record in the event from 1973–1985 for
Newport Harbor High School (a school which was later made famous for its central role in the hit television show
The O.C.). After graduating high school,
["Shoot With Jim Neidhart" DVD synopsis. RFvideo.com. Retrieved 2007-09-22.] Neidhart pursued a career in the
National Football League, where he played briefly for the
Oakland Raiders and
Dallas Cowboys in practices and preseason games. Although some biographies state that he played in the NFL for those teams,
[ DatabaseFootball.com contains no evidence that Neidhart ever recorded actual playing time in an NFL regular season game. In a shoot interview, Neidhart said that he spent some time in jail and actually saw Charles Manson during this period, as well.]
