Monday night’s episode of WWE Raw will sound different to most fans, with ring announcer Samantha Irvin taking to social media to announce her departure from the pro wrestling company.
“WWE Universe, my time has come to an end as your Monday Night Raw Ring Announcer,” she wrote. “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 proceeded to thank a litany of co-workers and colleagues at WWE, including every superstar past and present.
“To my fans, my entire career, I’ve been waiting for you!” she wrote “We are meant to be and I can prove it. Stay tuned.”
— Samantha Irvin (@SamanthaTheBomb) October 21, 2024
A former contestant on America’s Got Talent, Irvin first signed with WWE in 2021, initially serving as a ring announcer on WWE 205 Live and WWE NXT. In January 2022, she was promoted to ring announcer for WWE SmackDown before being moved to WWE Raw a year later.
While Irvin’s time at WWE was relatively brief, she certainly managed to leave her mark on the company, earning rave reviews as one of the best — if not the best — ring announcers in its history. Her enthusiasm and penchant for providing her personal flair to calls was on full display following the main event of WrestleMania XL this past April, when she became noticeably emotional while announcing Cody Rhodes’ victory over Roman Reigns to win the WWE championship in the main event.
Samantha Irvin was overcome with emotion when announcing Cody Rhodes as the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion tonight. pic.twitter.com/wueaentuRh
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) April 8, 2024
Despite Irvin becoming a staple of WWE programming, many fans had wondered about her future with the company after her fiancé, the wrestler known as Ricochet, left WWE to sign with rival promotion AEW this year. While it’s unclear whether Irvin will follow Ricochet to AEW, the wrestler seemingly teased the possibility by posting a selfie of the couple kissing shortly after Irvin’s announcement.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.