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PWInsider.com is heartbroken to report the passing of Bob Caudle, one of the all time best professional wrestling announcers, at 95.
Caudle passed away in his sleep overnight, according to his son.
It is with a very sad heart that I report that Bob Caudle has passed away. He was 95 years old. His son Mike wrote this morning that Bob passed away peacefully in his sleep overnight. Our thoughts, prayers, and love go out to his family. More information will be forthcoming.
— Mid-Atlantic Gateway (@magateway) November 16, 2025
Caudle, born in North Carolina, spent nearly half a century speaking directly to wrestling fans and becoming something of a beloved televised uncle. His style was kindly, greeting fans warmly, calling the action faithfully, and signing off with a farewell as familiar as a best friend. The voice of Jim Crockett Promotions' Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, Caudle became one of the most trusted and enduring play-by-play announcers, ever.
His trademark introduction, “Hello wrestling fans" and his signature sign-off, “That’ll do it for this week… so long for now”, became part of the soundtrack for generations of southern wrestling fans.
Caudle’s career, marked by humility and professionalism, stood in contrast to the bombastic styles that later defined wrestling broadcasting. He was steady, dignified, and utterly committed to letting the wrestlers, not the announcers, be the stars. His passing closes a chapter in wrestling history, but his voice remains immortal in the memories of fans and the footage of a golden era.
Born in Charlotte, Caudle entered broadcasting in Wilmington, NC before transitioning to Savannah, Georgia, where he first hosted a local studio wrestling program in the late 1950s as well as a children's television program AND handled the weather. Caudle's calm demeanor, smooth delivery, and innate respect for the sport marked him as something special. When he moved to WRAL TV in Raleigh, NC, he became the voice of NWA Atlantic Coast Wrestling, filmed right inside the studio. The show was rebranded as NWA Mid-Atlantic Wrestling.
Caudle quietly and confidently emerged as the voice of the promotion, working with David Crockett and Johnny Weaver, In the 1980s, he worked with Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone, who would succeed him as the lead voices, but Caudle remained a respected presence as Jim Crockett Promotions moved to national cable broadcasts on TBS and PPV. Caudle remained a respected fixture and when Turner Broadcasting purchased Crockett at the end of 1988, fans on some of the secondary shows would get a true dream team - Caudle and the voice of Memphis Wrestling Lance Russell - on their broadcasts.
After leaving WCW in 1991, Caudle was hired by Jim Cornette to voice Smoky Mountain Wrestling and he also worked for South Atlantic Pro Wrestling. Caudle was the perfect voice for SMW in particular, working with the likes of Les Thatcher and Dutch Mantel, dream team combinations, to provide what was meant to be a step back in time to the old school regional pro wrestling style. They were the perfect soundtrack.
Bob and his beloved, late wife Jackie shared a remarkable 76-year marriage until her passing in April 2025. Together they built a large family that included three children, seven grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren.
Caudle was the heart and soul of what started as Greg Price's NWA Mid-Atlantic Legends conventions in Charlotte, NC. For the first convention, he and David Crockett stood on stage to officially open the festivities, giving a recreation of their old TV broadcasts. That first year, everyone from Dusty Rhodes to Penny Banner to Tully Blanchard on down was in attendance, but to me, it was the appearance of Caudle that solidified the weekend as genuine and special. Caudle and his wife Jackie would appear regularly at the annual event, holding court and telling stories with Caudle honored at the NWA Legends' Hall of Heroes banquet, getting a lengthy standing ovation after recovering from a pair of heart attacks in 2007.
Caudle's final broadcast appearance was 2022, where he made an appearance on the Ric Flair's Last Match PPV broadcast, voicing over the opening and closing of the show. I am very proud to state that I loved Bob personally a great deal and was asked to script the promo for Caudle by promoter Conrad Thompson. Knowing Bob's style and genuine affection for the NWA and the 80s era they were hoping to recreate, it took all of one minute to write the idea down and then Caudle immediately nailed it in his signature style. Knowing I had a small part in what would prove to be Caudle's final appearance humbled me then and humbles me today.
To the legendary Bob Caudle:
— Conrad the Mortgage Guy (@HeyHeyItsConrad) August 2, 2022
We say Thank You. Happy Birthday. And Welcome Home. pic.twitter.com/GjFA0QVbEN
While some announcers reveled in theatrics or bombastic delivery, Caudle represented a different era. He was presented as a broadcast journalist first, a performer second. He never overshadowed the wrestlers, he never inserted himself into angles, and he never strayed from his mission: to bring the action home to the fans, whom he addressed constantly and sincerely.
It is a true shame that today's fans will never have an announcer like Bob Caudle to visit them weekly on their television broadcasts. May Bob Caudle always be remembered for what he was - a dignified ambassador of professional wrestling who shined at making that world better - a member of all our families, no matter who we were and where we watched him from.
Bob, our friend, "So Long for Now."
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