Real Name - Bob Ray Caudle
Lifespan - 8/20/1930
Raleigh, NC
Occupational Background - Children’s Show Host, Sportscaster, Weatherman, Legislative Assistant to Senator Jesse Helms
Promotional Background - Mid-Atlantic(`61-`85), JCP/NWA(`85-`89), WCW(`89-`91), SAPW(`91), SMW(`91-`95)
Peak Years - 1970s
Place in History - Just as fans romanticize the pro-wrestling they grew up on, they tend of overrate the announcer they grew up hearing as being the best. Whether it was goofy catchphrases or lame jokes or downright the burial of talent or the seriousness of the product, regional wrestling announcers tended to vary widely. In the early years, a local broadcaster might take on the job and some did it well. Bob Caudle, while he was a stereotype of a Southern pro-wrestling commentator in almost every sense, is arguably the best announcer who was limited to his region. He did work for a national company for a couple years, but unlike Gordon Solie or Jim Ross or even Lance Russell, he felt distinctly Southern and folksy. Even when he shifted to a smaller, regional outfit, his style still worked. Bob Caudle started his television career in Wilmington, North Carolina. He did some sports announcing, but became known to favorites as the straight man to a wisecracking dog puppet on “Bob and Hester.” After a few years there and a few years in Savannah, Georgia, Caudle settled in Raleigh, South Carolina to become a weatherman. It was here, working for WRAL that he begun calling matches for Jim Crockett Promotions and began a relationship with Jesse Helms who became an influential albeit controversial senator. Bob Caudle had a straightforward nature to his calls that were serious, yet comforting in his warm East Carolina accent. He did not carry the authority of a Lance Russell, but had the same grandfatherly presence. Caudle generally kept calm without imposing his feelings onto a situation, except for those rare moments when he, along with the fans, were caught up in the excitement. It provided an authenticity that still make his announcing sound endearing in retrospect. While other regional favorites like Bill Mercer, Frank Bonema or even Ed Whalen might be just as beloved, Bob Caudle was better overall than any of them. While serving as the lead announcer for Jim Crockett Promotions for the better part of twenty years, Bob Caudle was usually paired with someone. His conversational style of announcing worked well with anyone put next to him, whether he was with a former wrestler like Johnny Weaver or Dutch Mantel, a seasoned announcer like Gordon Solie or Jim Ross or even a character like David Crockett. He left WRAL in 1980 and began a second career working in the Raleigh office of Senator Jesse Helms, which he did until 1996. He continued to call wrestling through the changes at Jim Crockett Promotions as they expanded and even into the WCW years. In 1991, Caudle left WCW and began working for South Atlantic Pro-Wrestling, a promotion that was aiming to cater to the Mid-Atlantic fans that WCW seemed to be leaving behind. The group was short-lived, so Jim Cornette hired him to come and call Smoky Mountain Wrestling, which he did until they closed up in 1995. Bob Caudle has remained visible at fan conventions and hall of fame events and is still one of the most loved pro-wrestling announcers of all-time. While he might not be considered in the league of Russell, Solie and Ross, Bob Caudle is possibly the best of those regional commentators who brought pro-wrestling to the fans throughout their area for years and years.