Former WWE SmackDown Superstar Ryan Sakoda Passes Away

Former WWE SmackDown Superstar Ryan Sakoda has passed away at the age of 46, according to a report from PWInsider.com.

WWE fans may remember Sakoda for his time as a member of the SmackDown roster along with Yoshihiro Tajiri and Jimmy "Akio" Yang. In 2003 and 2004, Akio and Sakoda had somewhat of a Japanese Yakuza-inspired gimmick, and they were introduced to WWE fans as the henchmen for Tajiri. They were also a mainstay on the Velocity program, which was SmackDown's equivalent to Monday Night Raw's sister show, Sunday Night Heat.

After being released from WWE in 2004, he also appeared on MTV's Wrestling Society X program in 2007.

WNS would like to extend our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Mr. Ryan Sakoda.