Sometimes it is difficult to say where a voice begins and where it ends. Some voices live only in the here and now, a fleeting present, broadcasting a moment before vanishing into the ether, never thought of or heard again. Others, like that of Bill Mercer, become more than a voice, they become a permanent part of our lives, a constant hum, shaping the way we hear and understand the world. 

Bill Mercer passed away on March 23rd, 2025 at 99 years old. His words and cadences filled living rooms across America, whether he was calling a wrestling match from the jam packed Sportatorium, detailing the crack of a bat at a Texas Rangers game, or narrating a moment of national tragedy with quiet reverence and authority. His career spanned more than half a century, touching sports, news, and education, but it was in calling the action in the squared circle, among the highs and lows of World Class Championship Wrestling, that his story became immortal. 

This is my attempt at telling his story.

A Voice in the Making, An Okie from Muskogee

Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 1926, Mercer grew up practically attached to the radio, listening to anything and everything. If you would tell him that he was unwittingly working an unpaid apprenticeship for his future hall of fame career, he wouldn’t have believed you. While he was too small to play sports, he found himself still drawn to them anyway. He was the team manager of his high school football team. In his own words, his early life was a boring, all-American childhood.

And what is more “all-American” than war. In 1943, at the age of 17, Mercer enlisted in the U.S. Navy, driven by a sense of duty and patriotism. He enlisted amidst one of the deadliest wars in human history. I could point out how young 17 is and what a huge decision this is for a young man, but Mercer would disagree. “It was a time when you stepped up to serve your country,” he once recalled. This was 1943 and the decision for patriotic young men was clear. There was a war. You went. Mercer went.

His initial assignment placed him aboard the USS Rixey, a Haven-class hospital ship designed to provide medical support during amphibious operations. Serving as a signalman, Mercer was responsible for visual and audio communications, utilizing signal flags and lights to convey critical information. His ability to communicate was forged in fire, quite literally war tested

Aboard the USS LCI(G)-439

Mercer’s journey continued when he was assigned to the USS LCI(G)-439, a Landing Craft Infantry Gunboat. These vessels were built to deliver troops directly onto hostile shores, with the (G) designation marking their modification for close-in fire support during amphibious assaults. Equipped with rocket launchers, machine guns, and other weapons, the USS LCI(G)-439 helped suppress enemy defenses during landings, protecting the men charging onto the beaches.

Mercer and his crewmates aboard the USS LCI(G)-439 took part in several key battles across the Pacific: the Marshall Islands, Guam, Leyte, Luzon, and Okinawa. Okinawa is of course a famous, bloody battle and The Battle of Leyte Gulf remains the largest naval battle in history.

During these operations, the USS LCI(G)-439 provided crucial fire support, shielding incoming troops and targeting enemy fortifications. Mercer and his fellow sailors faced constant danger from shore batteries, enemy aircraft, and the unforgiving nature of naval warfare.

Reflections and Legacy

Years later, Mercer documented his wartime experiences in his memoir Oklahoma to Okinawa: 18,000 Miles on the LCI(G) 439: A Signalman’s WWII Naval Memoir. The book vividly captures the camaraderie, hardships, and triumphs of the crew, preserving the history of their ship and their missions. Mercer tells the story of his military service far better than I ever could. If you can track down a copy (though it’s somewhat hard to find), I highly recommend it.

His time in the Navy shaped him beyond the battlefield. The discipline, resilience, and communication skills he developed during the war became the foundation of his later success as a broadcaster and educator. Mercer’s legacy, both in uniform and behind the microphone, continues to inspire and teach future generations about the courage and sacrifices made during one of history’s most pivotal conflicts.

From War to the Airwaves

The experience of becoming a signalman and the ensuing naval career gave Mercer confidence in himself that he lacked growing up. After the war, Mercer did what many did, he went to college under the GI Bill (Northeastern State in Oklahoma and then The University of Denver.) He studied journalism, and tried to construct a normal life after the profoundly abnormal experience of a global war. He gravitated toward broadcasting, toward becoming a voice rather than just having one. There’s something worth unpacking there about the relationship between witnessing the horror the world is capable of and then wanting to narrate the world afterward.

He went to the University of Denver for the same reason so many men go anywhere, a girl. His wife went to Denver and he followed. He got to call football and basketball games there simply because no one else wanted to do the job. 

After graduating, he found himself back home in Oklahoma. 

Wrestling: The Unlikely Calling

He fudged his experience and landed a job calling sports. In the early days of his broadcasting career, he covered a variety of sports, trying to find his niche. There, he became the iconic voice for the Dallas Rangers, the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs, and, most memorably, the Texas Rangers during their inaugural 1972 season. His smooth, measured delivery not only introduced fans to the thrill of the game but also taught legends like Don Drysdale, his broadcast partner the nuances of baseball play-by-play.

One day, early on the station manager approached Mercer and told him he had forgotten one more part of the job: he would now be announcing professional wrestling matches at the Civic Auditorium. Mercer took it just as seriously as every other aspect of his career, stating, “A job is a job, and I approached it with the same passion I did any other sport.” At this point he says he’s seen one maybe one and a half wrestling matches.

Into the Sportatorium

A friend’s recommendation and a inflated resume led Mercer to KRLD in Dallas, which needed a wrestling announcer for its Tuesday night live broadcasts from the famed Sportatorium. Mercer auditioned, got the job, and, by his own admission, had his life changed forever. When he arrived at KRLD, it didn’t have a news department. He was part of the building of its new department from the ground up. Unknowingly setting the stage for his involvement in a pivotal point in this country and broadcast news history.

Covering a National Tragedy: The JFK Assassination

On November 22, 1963, Mercer wasn’t just a sportscaster, he was a witness to history. He was on the air at KRLD when President John F. Kennedy was shot. 

Mercer was atthe newsdesk when the assassination occurred. He was instrumental in the live, spontaneous coverage of the tragedy and its immediate aftermath. This was a novel approach to news reporting at the time. He worked alongside fellow reporters Bob Huffaker, George Phenix, and Wes Wise to cover the assassination and its aftermath for KRLD. Together, they provided news and footage to Walter Cronkite and other CBS affiliates around the country.

In the evening after the assassination, Mercer was sent to the police station to cover the arrest of a suspect. He conducted live reports from the third floor of the police station as the engineers set up remote broadcasting for the first time. Bill interviewed various people at the police station, including the district attorney and the chief of police. Due to his established relationships with law enforcement, other national media personnel began to follow his lead to get information.

During a press conference with Lee Harvey Oswald after midnight, Mercer, having learned from police sources about the charges, famously stated, “You have been charged with the murder of the president”. When Oswald stated he had not been charged with any crime. This was a significant moment in the unfolding story.

His experiences covering the assassination and its aftermath were later documented in the book “When The News Went Live: Dallas 1963”, which he co-authored. This book provided photos, insights, and reflections on the events covered by him and his colleagues. 

World Class

The Sportatorium was a historic venue, even if Mercer once described it as a “terrible place.” A building with no air conditioning, poor heating, subpar concession stands, and restrooms, it was far from luxurious. Despite this, it lives on as one of the most legendary wrestling venue of all time.

Unlike many wrestling commentators known for exaggerated theatrics, Mercer adopted a serious, measured tone. He treated professional wrestling as a legitimate sport, believing the wrestlers were athletes enduring a demanding and often painful endeavor. Instead of merely calling the moves, he built narratives that emphasized the battles, rivalries, and personal stories behind each athlete.

Mercer played a crucial role alongside Mickey Grant in transforming the television presentation of World Class Championship Wrestling. Grant, who had initially worked with Mercer at KVIL radio, recognized the untapped creative potential of wrestling on television. Together, they revolutionized the broadcast by shifting away from static studio setups toward a dynamic, engaging style. 

Grant and Mercer introduced several innovations including:

• The use of handheld cameras for close-up shots of the wrestlers and the action.
• Strategically placed cameras on the apron and around the ring to capture multiple angles.
• An increased emphasis on audio, capturing the raw sounds of the in-ring action.
• The creation of personality profiles and vignettes that built the wrestlers’ characters and storylines outside the ring. Think the famous Precious and Jimmy Garvin vignettes.
• And of course the signature opening featuring a shot of the Earth and a satellite beam

Fritz

Mercer’s relationship with Fritz Von Erich, the hard-nosed promoter of WCCW, was complicated. Although they shared a good personal rapport and even a bit of friendship, Fritz was known for being tight with money and for asserting control over the business and his family. He was initially hesitant to support Mercer and Grant’s new television concept and often took credit for their ideas once implemented. Mercer, like so many others felt that Fritz’s overbearing control, particularly forcing his sons into wrestling at a young age, ultimately hindered their ability to forge independent careers and contributed to the tragic outcomes that befell them.

Transitions and Legacy

Mercer eventually scaled back his regular wrestling commentary to focus on his baseball broadcasting commitments with the Texas Rangers and later the Chicago White Sox. He missed the chaotic wrestling world, and his passion for the sport remained. Bill returned to work with Fritz when circumstances allowed. His final departure from WCCW coincided with the promotion’s shifts, including its move away from Channel 39. He even had a brief stint with Ken Mantel’s Wild West Wrestling at the end of his wrestling career.

Bill Mercer’s tenure in wrestling marked a defining period in his career. His unique announcing style and groundbreaking production innovations significantly impacted the presentation of wrestling on television. Throughout it all, he witnessed both the immense popularity and the profound hardships associated with the promotion and the Von Erich family, leaving behind a legacy that forever changed the industry.

The Professor

Wrestling manager Gary Hart famously called him a “professional journalist and professor” and that’s how Mercer carried himself, whether behind the mic or in front of a classroom.  For over 40 years, Mercer shaped the next generation of broadcasters as a professor at the University of North Texas, teaching from 1965 until 2007.

He wasn’t just a lecturer, he was a mentor. He taught courses like Sports Play-by-Play, Announcing for Radio and Television, and Sports Writing and Broadcasts, giving students not just theory but real-world experience. Mercer brought his students along to live broadcasts, letting them get on-air and offering blunt, honest feedback. This hands-on approach helped launch the careers of major names in sports media, including George Dunham, Craig Miller, Craig Way, Dave Barnett, Brian Briscoe, and Mark Followill/

Mercer founded and managed KNTU-FM, UNT’s student-run radio station, giving students a platform to practice their craft in a live, professional setting.

Even when his career took him to the big leagues, calling games for the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox, he never fully left UNT.

The Enduring Voice

Though Mercer worked in many fields, covering everything from the Dallas Cowboys to the Kennedy assassination, his name remains most closely tied to professional wrestling. It was an irony he recognized, and one he ultimately embraced. He believed World Class should be remembered as a pioneer, a pace-setter, a promotion that changed wrestling forever.

And yet, for all these contributions, Mercer remained humble. He gave credit to the fans, saying it was their support that allowed him to enter their homes, to bring them stories, to do his best to entertain.

In his later years, Mercer reflected often on what his career had meant. He had lived long enough to see the industry he helped shape become globalized, digitized, transformed beyond recognition. But if given the chance, he said, he would go back tomorrow: to the booth, to the ring, to the game.

Because, in the end, he was a broadcaster, a storyteller, a narrator, a voice. And there are some voices that do not fade.