On Monday, Oct. 21, the professional wrestling world was shocked when fan-favorite WWE ring announcer Samantha Irvin revealed that she was leaving the company.
"WWE Universe, my time has come to an end as your Monday Night Raw Ring Announcer," Irvin said on Instagram. "I love you all tremendously and this does not mark the end of my art, I have a lifetime more to share. Thank you to every WWE fan who accepted me."
Irvin went on to thank multiple people throughout the company, including the WWE Superstars, the women's locker room, the crew, the cameramen, Paul Heyman, Michael Hayes, Michael Cole, Triple H, Mark Henry, and many more.
"To my fans, my entire career I've been waiting for you," Irvin continued. "We are meant to be and I can prove it. Stay tuned."
Originally, Wrestling News reported that Irvin surprised WWE with this decision, and the company "was informed of this hours before Raw."
However, Irvin quickly set the record straight, revealing that this had been in the plans for months.
Given that WWE already had former ring announcer Lilian Garcia lined up to replace her as well as the support from all across WWE, this is more than likely the case.
Naturally, there has been speculation over what Irvin is going to do next. Many fans believe that she will be joining her husband, Ricochet, who left WWE for AEW. However, Ricochet has shut down those rumors.
"Haha, she's not coming to AEW," Ricochet said to a fan on X. "You can all rest easy."
While Irvin hasn't confirmed anything yet, it is widely believed that she will pursue a music career. She was a contestant for America's Got Talent (2006-present) in 2015 under her real name, Samantha Johnson, making it to the semi-finals.
She has also performed as Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, and Betty Rizzo from Grease. In 2016, she released an EP titled 27Underground.
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Irvin was introduced to professional wrestling by WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry. In April 2021, she was hired as a ring announcer for WWE 205 Live (2016-2022).
Irvin would go on to serve as ring announcer for WWE NXT, WWE SmackDown, and WWE Raw, receiving praises from critics, fans, and even iconic announcer Michael Buffer.
While it is sad to see Irvin leave WWE, she's unbelievably talented and there's no doubt that she'll find success wherever she goes.
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