Samantha Irvin’s WWE departure caught plenty of pro-wrestling fans off guard.
The hugely popular ring announcer stepped away from her role with an announcement on social media just hours before fans were expecting to see her on an episode of RAW in October.
“My time has come to an end as your Monday Night RAW Ring Announcer. I love you all tremendously and this does not mark the end of my art, I have a lifetime more to share,” she wrote.
“Thank you to every WWE fan who accepted me.”
In the days that followed, Irvin shared more details on her decision to leave the company, admitting that she hoped ring announcing would lead to bigger things.
“I don’t like announcing. I’m serious!” she explained.
“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 partner, Ricochet, also initially caught flak from some upset WWE fans, who believed the star was soon to join him in rival company AEW.
That doesn’t appear the case – and Ricochet was quick to put that rumour to bed.
This week, he further addressed Irvin’s WWE exit during an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
“I think ring announcing was only supposed to be the way in [to pro-wrestling],” Ricochet began.
“She wanted to be a character. That’s what she’s been her whole life.
“She’s been stage performing her whole life, drama club to stage performing, to traveling the world doing stage performance.
“So that’s kind of what she hoped, and then I think once WrestleMania happened, I think she was like, ‘That’s the highest I’m going to get.’
“Now she’s getting hate because she said she didn’t enjoy announcing, but she enjoyed making the WWE Universe feel emotions.
“She enjoyed using her voice to help promote and help move the company forward, but just literally, the act of: ‘Coming to the ring and weighing at 230 [pounds].’
“This is just my example, it’s like having Mariah Carey, but she’s just a ring announcer, and you don’t get any of the other stuff.”
While Irvin has not yet confirmed what’s next, recent reports suggested that she wants to get more involved with musical projects.
