Shortly after the news of ring announcer Samantha Irvin leaving WWE hit, the company found her replacement: Lillian Garcia.

The WWE's Joe Tessitore had the privilege of reintroducing Garcia to the fans. Her return sparked a loud response from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, crowd as she made her way down the entrance ramp. She will now serve as the ring announcer for Monday Night RAW.

They made the move shortly after Irvin announced her departure. She had to do her job directly after being introduced and got right into the swing of things.

Fans of the company may remember Garcia, who was an announcer for WWE from 1999-2009. She later returned to the company for a stint that ended in August 2016.

Since leaving WWE, Lillian Garcia has served as a ring announcer for the Professional Fighters League (PFL) since 2019. Garcia also hosts her own podcast, Chasing Glory.

Before her full-time return, Garcia was brought back by Irvin to help announce the King of the Ring quarterfinal match between Gunther and Kofi Kingston. Previously, Garcia has made other one-off appearances in the company. And now she is back full-time as RAW's ring announcer.

Samantha Irvin's WWE career before leaving

Since 2021, Irvin has been one of WWE's top ring announcers. She started her career as a lead vocalist in the Michael Jackson tribute show Thriller Live. She performed in the show from 2011-15.

Shortly after, Irvin appeared in Season 10 of America's Got Talent. She auditioned by performing “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin. However, she only made it to the semi-finals.

America's Got Talent is not the only competition show Irvin has competed in. She also appeared on the game show I Can See Your Voice on FOX. She performed Lizzo's “Good as Hell” while on the show.

In 2016, Irvin released her debut EP, 27Underground. The EP features her hit single “Jump High,” which includes backing vocals from her siblings.

Her WWE tenure started in 2021 after an unsuccessful tryout as a wrestler. Irvin was subsequently hired as the ring announcer for 205 Live.

She was then promoted to NXXT ring announcer and continued to serve in that role until 2022. Irvin was then bumped to the WWE main roster, serving as the ring announcer for SmackDown on FOX.

The following year, Irvin was moved to the USA Network to be RAW's ring announcer. While on the red brand, Irvin got to introduce all 14 matches on the card.

Where she will now go is unclear. Irvin announced her departure hours before the October 21, 2024, episode of RAW in Philadelphia.

What is next?

Samantha Irving and Ricochet in front of the AEW logo

The news was surprising, especially since it came on the day of a show. In her announcement, she did not disclose what was next. It does appear that she will be making an announcement imminently, though.

Her real-life fiancé, Ricochet, also left WWE recently. He was with the company since 2018 and left in June 2024 after his feud with Bron Breakker. He has since joined All Elite Wrestling (AEW).