It's official. Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart are heading to the WWE Hall of Fame.
WWE (via YahooSports) confirmed that The Hart Foundation will be inducted into the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame on Apr. 6. Jimmy Hart, the legendary manager of duo, wasn't listed as going in with them. PWInsider reported in February that The Hart Foundation would be going into the Hall of Fame this year, though they listed Jimmy Hart as being part of the group.
From WWE.com:
Bret “Hit Man” Hart & the late Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart symbolized tag team excellence in WWE in the 1980s and early 1990s. Now, the three-time WWE Tag Team Champions will be forever immortalized in sports-entertainment history.
Hart and Neidhart were no strangers to each other before joining forces. In fact, they’re family: “The Anvil” and “Hit Man” were brothers-in-law. That close connection made them gel almost instantly when they joined WWE’s tag team ranks in 1985, guided by “The Mouth of The South” Jimmy Hart. Hart’s technical prowess and Neidhart’s raw power made them a team to be reckoned with from the moment they debuted.
In early 1987, The Hart Foundation finally set their sights on the World Tag Team Titles, held by The British Bulldogs, comprised of Davey Boy Smith & Dynamite Kid. With the help of Jimmy Hart and crooked official Danny Davis, Hart & Neidhart captured their first World Tag Team Championship.
Though they had reached the top of the tag team mountain, The Hart Foundation soon became disillusioned with Jimmy Hart’s nefarious ways. When they split from their manager, Hart & Neidhart soon found themselves the target of “The Mouth of The South’s” new charges, whether it was The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers or The Honky Tonk Man & Greg Valentine. Hart even enlisted tag teams outside his stable of Superstars, like Demolition, to take out The Hart Foundation.
By 1990, “Hit Man” & “The Anvil” had fought off Jimmy Hart’s attempts to tear them down, and turned their attention back to WWE’s top tag team prize. After bulldozing over The Bolsheviks in seconds at WrestleMania VI, The Hart Foundation made it clear they were coming for the World Tag Team Titles. It would take a few months, but at SummerSlam 1990, Hart & Neidhart defeated Demolition in a grueling 2-out-of-3 Falls Match to claim their second World Tag Team Championship.
Though they split up by the summer of 1991, The Hart Foundation left an indelible mark on WWE’s tag team division and created many lasting memories for the WWE Universe. That’s why there’s no greater honor for this legendary tag team than induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Bret Hart commented on the induction, telling YahooSports, “It really means a lot to me and I think it would mean a lot to my late tag partner, who would be really honored to be in the Hall of Fame. I think we both were really proud of our work as a team. I had hoped for years that we would get inducted together and get to go on stage together, but that’s not going to happen now. Emotionally, I feel really proud and I’m glad to get a chance to speak for Jim and I know he’ll be listening.”
Jim Neidhart passed away at the age of 63 on August 13, 2018.
The Hart Foundation will join D-Generation X, Torrie Wilson, Harlem Heat, and the Honky Tonk Man as those to be inducted into the 2019 Hall of Fame class. The Hall of Fame ceremony takes place on Apr. 6, the night before WrestleMania 35.
