Nattie Breaks Her Silence on Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart's Death

Natalya "Nattie" Neidhart
Pictured is WWE Diva Natalya at WWE & E! Entertainment's 'SuperStars For Hope' at the Beverly Hills Hotel on August 15, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. Neidhart recently spoke out on Twitter about her father's... Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for WWE

Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, the former professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment, has died at 63, WWE confirmed Monday. Neidhart hit his head after a fall while at home. He "succumbed to his injury" on Monday the Pasco Sheriff's Office told ESPN.

His daughter, current WWE and Total Divas superstar Natalya Neidhart, broke her silence, releasing a statement to Twitter Monday.

"I can't put into words how hard it is going to be for myself and our family to have to say goodbye to my dad. He meant the world to us, and nothing will ever replace the special times we shared together as a family," she said. Nattie, as she is known on Total Divas, is also a former women's champion.

"My dad was always a fighter and an incredibly special person. There was no one like him!" she continued. "I'm just gonna miss him so much. We are going to hold all of the moments we had with him close to our hearts forever and never let them go. I promise to keep your memory alive. We love you so much, daddy!"

Neidhart's pro-wrestling career began in 1979 after a stint in the NFL playing for the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys. He eventually signed with the WWE in 1985 and was trained by WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart.

Neidhart won two WWE World Tag Team Championships with his brother-in-law, Bret "Hit Man" Hart, as part of the Hart Foundation. Neidhart was a powerhouse and earned his nickname after winning an anvil throwing contest. His in-ring character was best known for his goatee, maniacal laugh and pink and black costumes. He wrestled for WWE from 1985 to 1997.

"He got up [Monday morning] and went to lower the temperature on the air conditioner and he just collapsed and I think died pretty quickly," the manager of the Hart Foundation, Jimmy "The Mouth of the South" Hart told the Associated Press. "I think this was stemming from Alzheimer's, which he'd been battling for some time. It's a struggle he's been going through."

"What a great run we had. I couldn't believe how it took off," he said. "But the reason why was, Neidhart was such a great character back then. Bret was more cool, the girls loved him. Neidhart and myself were kind of the evil twins."

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