Bret Hart Posts Moving Tribute To Jim Neidhart

Farewell Anvil. Last month, the wrestling world was shocked by the sudden passing of Jim the Anvil Neidhart. Over the course of a long career, Neidhart was known as being very charismatic and over the top with awesome power and a great beard. As far as his in-ring time went though, Neidhart was best remembered as part of the Hart Foundation with his brother-in-law Bret Hart. Therefore, a lot of fans were interested in what Hart would say about Neidhart’s passing.

They were a heck of a pair

On Tuesday, Hart posted his tribute to Neidhart on Instagram. Hart talked about his time with Neidhart, mainly those that took place in the ring. He praises Neidhart for being an inspiration to him and a source of laughter for him over the years. One of the statements that will probably receive more attention is Hart saying that of all the people he has lost over the years, Neidhart’s is the one that hurts him more than any. Here are his comments:

"I've lost a lot of friends over the past few years. One of the things you realize about getting older is that not everybody is going to get older with you." – Cormac McCarthy I'm sorry for taking so long in making a statement about the recent passing of my longtime friend and companion Jim "Anvil" Neidhart. No loss has ever dimmed the light in my heart as this one. I loved Jim as more than a brother. He was a one-of-kind character. The most beautiful thing about Jim was how on the longest days and in the most miserable times, he could always make you laugh. He'll always be the "Anvil", the big rhino, the tank. He was the best friend I ever had and I owe him for everything good that ever came my way as a pro wrestler. Jim didn't need me so much as I needed him. We had always been close friends from the first time we met in Stampede Wrestling. We never fought or argued about anything and we were always in agreement. Aside from being my loyal friend, tag team partner, and brother-in-law, I can say Jim helped me keep my sanity during our numerous dark and lonely times. He was such a hilarious friend. Thank you Jim for a lifetime of happy and great memories. Pro wrestling is a profession where trust and loyalty are everything. We were such a fun, fast, exciting, and formidable combination highlighting each other while always making our opponents. When it came to wrestling teams like Andre the Giant and Haku, the British Bulldogs, the Nasty Boys, Demolition, and The Rockers, the Hart Foundation could work with any team and have the best match on the card. We were both always very proud of all of our accomplishments as the Hart Foundation but we we were always most proud of our friendship. Someday but far enough away , I hope to have a joyous meeting with the many friends and loved ones gone before and, when I make that crossover, I pray God will lead me straight to the Anvil. Thank you Anvil, for I owe you everything. "I've met men I could trust in the mouth of hell. I would trust them to breathe for me, to pump my blood with their hearts." – Sebastian Faulks Love, Bret

A post shared by Bret (@brethitmanhart) on Sep 4, 2018 at 1:37pm PDT

They were a heck of a combination.

The Hart Foundation vs. The Bolsheviks: WrestleMania VI

Opinion: This was one of the biggest tributes that a lot of fans were probably waiting on. Hart and Neidhart were a legendary tag team but also brothers-in-law. Either of those two things will make you close with someone but these two had both situations at once. Neidhart’s time with Hart is the high point of his career and Hart has a very unique perspective on his partner.

What is your favorite Neidhart match? What is the best Hart Foundation match ever? Let us know in the comments below.

Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his Amazon author page with 28 wrestling books. His latest book is the the Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews.

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