Former Monday Night Raw ring announcer Samantha Irvin has officially left WWE. According to reports, she earned $350,000 annually and gained recognition for her thrilling calls, especially when Cody Rhodes emerged victorious in the 2024 Royal Rumble.
When she left suddenly, fans wondered if she would join her husband, former WWE star Ricochet, in AEW. However, many longtime wrestling fans were surprised to learn the real reason she quit.
This news came just hours before last week’s RAW, which had a new ring announcer, Lilian Garcia. Garcia started her job right away during the show, announcing the New Day vs. the Authors of Pain. Later, Irvin shared her reasons for leaving on Instagram.
She said, “I don’t like announcing. I’m serious! Announcing was only supposed to be my way in. I wanted to manage, maybe even become general manager one day. But WWE saw no other future for me besides announcer. I love watching the action but I don’t love being an announcer.”
Irvin’s departure leaves a big hole in WWE, with veteran announcer Lilian Garcia stepping back in. Meanwhile, Ricochet got a lot of negativity when Irvin quit. Later, she made it clear that Ricochet was not the reason for her leaving WWE.
Samantha Irvin defends Ricochet against fan backlash
After leaving WWE, Samantha Irvin defended her husband, Ricochet, from mean comments from fans. Some fans thought she was leaving to join him in AEW. Even though Ricochet said this wasn’t true, people kept harassing them online.
One fan even criticized Ricochet for taking a job in AEW for more money. In response, Irvin spoke up on Twitter to support her husband. She wrote, “When he was at WWE all he ever heard was that he was a jobber or he was in catering. Now he’s actually paid well to put on matches he likes.”
She added, “He is doing great and I’m really proud of him. Also I went to the show last night and the crowd was having fun. Not everyone wants to be famous doing something they don’t enjoy.”
”
