Impact Wrestling executive and co-founder Bob Ryder passed away on Wednesday morning after police found his body in his Nashville home. The news was first broken by Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, who reported via Twitter, “Bob Ryder was found dead at his home in Nashville by police today. We don’t know more but he had fallen yesterday and was on advanced chemo. Impact officials couldn’t get in touch with him and went to his home and he never answered, police were called and found him dead.”
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PWInsider’s Mike Johnson followed up that report, writing, “Ryder had been battling cancer for a number of years, living well beyond the 3-6 months he was initially told he had left. At one point, Ryder had beaten the cancer into remission, but it returned and he had been undergoing chemotherapy weekly while still maintaining his Impact duties from his home in Nashville, TN.” Johnson added that the company had last been in contact with him on Tuesday evening.
Bob Ryder was found dead at his home in Nashville by police today. We don’t know more but he had fallen yesterday and was on advanced chemo. Impact officials couldn’t get in touch with him and went to his home and he never answered, police were called and found him dead,
— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) November 25, 2020
Impact Wrestling later released a statement on his passing, written by Scott D’Amore and Ed Nordholm.
Everyone at IMPACT Wrestling is heartbroken by the passing of Bob Ryder, one of our founders and in many ways the heart and soul of the promotion.
Our full tribute: https://t.co/8vzTbUrSKq pic.twitter.com/8T5ZbZ8g9M
— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) November 25, 2020
“To the end of his life, Bob was a loyal, trusted, hard-working and beloved member of the IMPACT Wrestling family. He was also infuriatingly — and endearingly — stubborn,” the statement partially read. “That stubbornness steeled him in his battle against his illness. It surprised none of us who knew and loved Bob that he outlived his diagnosis by years. During that entire time, Bob insisted on continuing to contribute to IMPACT. He refused every offer to take time off, or a sabbatical, even after chemotherapy sessions. He wanted, needed to be involved. There are a lot of people who live for pro-wrestling; with Bob it may have been literal.
“IMPACT Wrestling will be celebrating Bob’s life in the days and weeks to come,” it continued. “We will think about the best way the honor him and the legacy he left us. For now, we will take a moment to say farewell to a member of our family. We’ll never forget you, Bob.”
