Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), which would later become known as Impact Wrestling, founding member Bob Ryder has passed away.

According to Wrestling Observer, Ryder was found dead in his home in Nashville by police. He had been battling cancer for years and had been unable to attend a match for quite some time due to his chemotherapy. After suffering a fall yesterday, he texted several people that he was alright. However, he did not respond to any subsequent messages or phone calls. Eventually, the police were called and sent to his home, where they discovered his body.

Ryder's career can be traced back to the '90s, when he worked for 1wrestling.com. He also did some radio work and held a job with the defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He then helped co-found TNA in 2002 with Jeff Jarret after convincing the latter's father, Jerry, to get on board. The promotion held some form of the TNA name until March 2017, when the name was changed to Impact Wrestling. The promotion's roster has included big names such as Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Gail Kim, Mr. Anderson, Abyss and Matt Hardy.

TNA is currently viewed as America's third-largest wrestling promotion behind World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Source: Wrestling Observer