24 Wrestlers Who Died In 2020
13. Mitch Ryder (6 August)
The passing of 'Marvelous ' Mitch Ryder, a fixture of the North American independent scene since his teenage years, was announced by close friend John 'Ian Rotten' Williams on 6 August. He was 48 years old.
New Albany, IN native Ryder got his break in the industry in 1990, under the guise 'Mitch Bell'. He'd briefly appear for WCW in 1992, performing jobbing duties to company stars such as Rick Rude and Mick Foley.
Thereafter, Ryder resumed his journey across the indies, before opening his own outfit, XWC Mid-West, in 2007. In addition to promoting, he also trained a crop of the next generation of stars, amongst them Chris Hero, Lince Dorado and Drew Gulak.
Hero - who performed in WWE as Kassius Ohno - was amongst the first to lead the tributes to Ryder, describing him as "one of a kind" and "an absolute pleasure to watch."