10 Things You Didn’t Know About Jim Neidhart

9. Bret Hart Was Taken Aback By His Father's Dedication To Jim

It's not hard to see why a formerly rugged athlete like Stu Hart would take to a big rhino like Jim Neidhart almost immediately. According to Bret Hart in a 2015 interview with WWE.com, his father saw a lot of similarities between his younger self and the NFL wannabe turned pro wrestler, so much so that he doted on Neidhart to the point it stunned the 'Hitman'.

Though Hart didn't necessarily say he was jealous of his friend, it must have been curious to see his dad take such an interest in someone outside the immediate Hart clan, especially because Stu didn't put the same time into anybody else.

Bret said during the same interview that Stu trained Neidhart all on his own, and it was a labour of love for the ageing legend. He was almost re-energised by Jim's enthusiasm and, despite being older, he worked hard to give his student a new career path away from American football.