Samantha Irvin’s desire to focus more on her music career reportedly was a key factor in her decision to leave WWE.
Irvin announced ahead of Monday’s episode of Raw that her time as the show’s ring announcer had come to an end. In her place, longtime WWE ring announcer Lillian Garcia returned to the role. Garcia, who spent nearly two decades with the company, later confirmed that she is back with WWE full-time.
Irvin took to social media on Tuesday to clarify that she had given the company notice “months ago.”
Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp would later post to X that Irvin resigned from her position and had not been released by the company.
Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Irvin has been considering leaving the company for about a year due to wanting to focus on her music career. They noted that she was unable to come to terms with WWE on her working outside projects.
“She’s got some outside projects she wants to do. Apparently, couldn’t come to terms with how it worked with WWE and off she goes,” Alvarez said on the show.
Interestingly, Garcia also left WWE in 2009 to pursue a music career before returning in 2011.
Irvin’s fiancé, AEW star Ricochet, took to social media to address speculation about her future. “Haha, she’s not coming to AEW. You can all rest easy,” he wrote on X.
However, Fightful Select reported on Monday that “numerous sources” in WWE and AEW stated that they would be “shocked” if AEW did not attempt to sign her.
Irvin’s real name is Samantha Johnson. She first signed with WWE in 2021 after having been scouted by Mark Henry. She adopted the name “Samantha Irvin” and began ring-announcing duties for 205 Live that April.