Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart Interview: Talks about fanfest, Hart Foundation
On Sunday, August 6, 2006 at 8:41 PM EST 3 Count Wrestling sent in the following recap:
Show: 3 Count Wrestling courtesy of www.WrestlingEpicenter.com
Guest: Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
Date: 8/5/06
Your Hosts: Brian Luquette & Chris Furguson
He's played for the NFL. He's wrestled for the WWF/E and WCW. And, he's one half of perhaps the greatest tag team of all-time. He's Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and he sat down with 3 Count Wrestling to do a very special interview.
In this interview, get Jim's take on taking part in this coming weekend's Capitol Legends Fan Fest in Rockville, MD plus hear all the answers to some of your most asked questions. This one's not to be missed, check it out!
To check out the Capitol Legends Fan Fest, go to www.CapitolLegends.com.
To listen to this interview in its entirety, visit www.WrestlingEpicenter.com.
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart Interview
(Interview conducted by Chris Furguson and James Walsh)
We start off the interview with Jim's trademark laugh!
Neidhart will be a part of the upcoming Capitol Wrestling Legends Fanfest, and he looks forward to catching up with his former partner Bret Hart and
Neidhart wound up living in Tampa, Florida because of Hulk Hogan. Jim is happy to be out of Canada, too!
3 Count Wrestling interviewed Jim's daughter, Nattie Neidhart, back in March of 2006. Jim says her knee injury is coming along well, adding that she's young and she's tough like he was.
Neidhart got the nickname "The Anvil" after tossing a 100 lbs. anvil 11' 2" at the Calgary Stampede. Neidhart adds that he was almost beat by an 85 lbs. blacksmith! Jim's mother-in-law gave him that nickname.
Neidhart knew the WWE was going to make Bret Hart a "Cowboy," but Jim was being managed with Mr. Fuji and simply looked like a basic heel/bad guy, with his flattop and goatee.
Neidhart says that Mr. Fuji was a big ribber, especially with crazy glue, but he couldn't tell many of the stories about him with us!
Neidhart takes umbrage at the suggestion that Bret came up with the "Hart Foundation," then explains that it was a mutual thing between the three of them (Jimmy Hart, Bret Hart and Neidhart). He also reveals that Bret designed the costumes!
According to Neidhart, in the days of the Hart Foundation, to wear pink labled you a "homosexual." However, Adrian Adonis was wearing pink and was getting the top bookings, so Neidhart and Bret went to Vince McMahon with an all-pink design and Vince loved it! People looked at Neidhart and Bret and just
Neidhart was once a tag partner with Barry Darsow (Smash of Demolition). At the time, Neidhart had a full beard, which Darsow suggested he cut to look like Darsow's goatee, which is where Neidhart's distinctive look originated.
The goatee was not influenced by ZZ Top, whom Neidhart has met on several occasions. Neidhart then goes into a story about how he met Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and didn't know who he was.
The conversation turns to the October 1990 Saturday Night's Main Event, where the Hart Foundation had a match with the Rockers, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty.
Neidhart says it was "really hard" to announce after the Hart Foundation broke up. While Neidhart was considered a good talker, he had Gorilla Monsoon on one side of him and Bobby Heenan on the other.
Back in those days, Neidhart was doing "voice overs" rather than call matches live.
Owen Hart was "a lot of fun" for Neidhart to tag with during the "New Foundation" days.
Neidhart still watches wrestling, as it's on every night of the week.
Concerning Survivor Series '97 in Montreal, Neidhart thought he was involved in the finish and wasn't prepared for what happened. Neidhart says he should have gone home after his match. Neidhart also saw the "infamous punch," but says it happened very fast.
To those who call the whole thing a work, Jim says "they don't know."
Jim wasn't upset about how he was used in WCW in 1998, as he had a huge contract with them.
The next subject is Warrior's shoot interview, where he made comments about Neidhart and the British Bulldog telling him that they "are really into crack." Neidhart has no idea what Warrior is talking about.
Neidhart is not surprised that the Hart Foundation remains as strong in people's minds as it does, as they were one of Vince's top teams of all time.
Word Associations:
Bret Hart - "That's a loaded question. It's pretty vague! I can tell you stories that would curl your toenails!" The conversation also goes into how Bret is an accomplished cartoonist as well as a wrestler.
Owen Hart - "He wasn't a cartoonist, but he would do thing in a different way as far as ribbing!" If you want to hear any of Owen's ribs, go to the Capitol Legends Wrestling Fanfest.
Dynamite Kid - "He was better than anybody can imagine... He was better than good."
Rick "The Model" Martel - "If you couldn't have one of the best matches of your career with him, you couldn't call yourself a wrestler.
Stu Hart - Neidhart does a Stu Hart impression, saying "Ehh. That Koko B. Ware. He's half salty." (Note: "Salty" was Stu's way of saying someone had real fighting ability.)
Davey Boy Smith - "Davey Boy was up in the same category of ribbing as Owen was, but much better."
Jimmy Hart - "He is going strong, stronger than ever."
We end with some discussion about the Capitol Wrestling Legends Fan Fest and a promo for 3 Count Wrestling.
The show closes with Lynch/Pilson's "Closer to None" off Wicked Underground. To hear an interview with Mr. Jeff Pilson, check out www.MetalEpicenter.com. KISS' Paul Stanley, Joe Lynn Turner, Dokken/Ted Nugent/UFO's Barry Sparks, Warrant's Erik Turner, and many other highly successful musicians step by the Epicenter as well!
Plus, check www.WrestlingEpicenter.com out to see a great exclusive interview with Scotty Riggs. Over 2 hours with the former "American Male." Be careful, though! He wants to give you the clap!