Natalya speaks about what Total Divas on E! did for her father.
The newest episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet was a stage show with Natalya as a featured guest. A conversation about the Total Divas show started up and Natalya began discussing her father, the late Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart’s involvement with the program.
She expressed that he did not feel wanted considering his in-ring career was over and the legends of WWE were not as involved with the company compared to present day. She went on to state that her father was ‘pissed off’ about not being in the WWE Hall of Fame and he questioned how Hillbilly Jim got in before him.
So going back to your question, when my dad was on Total Divas, he was a trip on that show. He just let loose and I think he loved doing that show because once his career was over in wrestling, it gave him a chance to feel like he was still a part of something. Because it’s hard sometimes when you’re an athlete. Back when my dad was alive and we were doing Total Divas… gosh, it’s kind of hard even saying this but he didn’t always feel like he was wanted. WWE does so much more now to honor legends and to bring back people. But back then, they weren’t doing all of that. It was hard. Unless you were getting put in the Hall of Fame, which my dad, when he was alive, he was pissed off that he wasn’t in the Hall of Fame. He was like, ‘Why the hell was Hillbilly Jim in before me?’ I’m just being honest! (She laughed) My dad loved Hillbilly Jim but he’s like, ‘Dammit! I should be in there before Hillbilly Jim.’ But my dad was so funny on Total Divas because he really felt like he… now I’m gonna have Hillbilly Jim calling me. But my dad just felt like he got to be a part of something and he loved the limelight, he loved the cameras on him and he loved all the attention and he loved feeling like he was a part of something so that’s one of the things I loved about Total Divas is I loved having my dad included on that show even if gummies were involved.
Jim Neidhart was posthumously inducted in 2019 alongside Bret Hart as The Hart Foundation.
The 2025 Hall of Fame ceremony is taking place on 4/18 and Bret is set to receive a third induction as his match with Stone Cold Steve Austin from WrestleMania 13 will be the first match inducted into WWE’s Hall of Fame.
If the quote in this article is used, please credit Insight with Chris Van Vliet with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcription.
