Ahead of tonight’s WWE Monday Night Raw, ring announcer Samantha Irvin announced that she’s departing WWE. She first appeared on the NXT brand when she signed in 2021 but her skillset was virtually undeniable and she was soon moved to SmackDown. Last year she officially moved over to the red brand where she’s been a staple ever since.
Irvin expressed her gratitude to the locker room, WWE personnel and the WWE universe for the last several years. “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,” she wrote, later adding she’s excited to see where her future leads. “To my fans, my entire career I’ve been waiting for you! We are meant to be and I can prove it. Stay tuned.”
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Reports that former longtime announcer Lillian Garcia was in town for Raw began to hit the internet fueling speculation that she’d be replacing Irvin. Shortly before the show, it was reported that she’d be returning to Raw full-time. This was confirmed during the opening match, a #1 contenders tag team title match between The New Day and Authors of Pain.
Garcia has had several runs in WWE over the past three decades, first signing in 1999. She helped break down barriers for women in sports announcing. Her original run lasted until 2009 but she’d reappear just a few years later and once again remain a key fixture until 2016. While she’s had various appearances since then announcing for the WWE universe, she hasn’t been full-time since then.
Garcia immediately fell back into step as the night progressed, and the call was certainly a smart one given not many can live up to the power that Irvin brings to television every week. She joins the commentary team of Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore who replaced Michael Cole over the summer. WWE is shaking things up ahead of Raw‘s move to Netflix in the new year which, according to reports, is planned to be a PLE caliber show that will feature stars from SmackDown.
The premiere definitely seems like the perfect time to make a statement given a lot of people will be tuning in to see the transition. Given Netflix reported over 200 million paid subscribers in the third quarter of 2024, it’ll reach a wider audience as well. WWE signed the $5 billion deal which is expected to include original content of the incredible superstars.