The news yesterday shocked fans and the wrestling world. Ring announcer Samantha Irvin announced her departure not only from Raw but from the WWE.

She made the surprise announcement on all of her social media accounts.

Irvin’s work on the microphone has been met with praise and admiration, even from Irvin’s colleagues and trailblazers such as Lilian Garcia.

Legendary announcer Michael Buffer was shocked by the news.

“My wife and I are so sorry to hear this, as I’m sure millions of other WWE fans are. Samantha is brilliant and super professional as an announcer, and her musical talent as a singer/flutist is amazing! All the best to her in her career moving forward. Perhaps we’ll see her in future events, including boxing and MMA!” he wrote.

Irvin herself denied it was a snap decision.

Since the announcement many have weighed in on the reason for her departure. Lilian Garcia returned to Raw last night to take Irvin’s place.

“Did I just do that? Did I just go back to the WWE after being gone for eight years?…I don’t know where this is all going but I am excited!” said Garcia in an Instagram post from a hotel room after last night’s show.

Garcia also commented and perhaps revealed why Irwin has left.

“But, Sam, I do want to tell you I think you are an extraordinary talent. You are unbelievable and I know it couldn’t have been easy to walk away from here but I wish you all the success in your music career. I know you are going to kill it,” she said.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lilian Garcia (@liliangarcia)

Her fiancé Ricochet denied Irvin is jumping to AEW with him but didn’t say much else.

Many have jumped in with their own theories though.

On his podcast, Johnathan Coachman believes Irvin left because she is having a baby.

“So, I did a little bit of digging. I thought about the history of certain women walking away shockingly without any notice and most of the time they are pregnant. So, my prediction is that Samantha Irvin and I also couple this with the fact that Ricochet, who’s her fiance, she’s getting married in Vegas in a very short period of time and he came out a couple [of] hours ago, Tommy, and he said that she is not coming to AEW to let that go to rest. Because that was the easy, lazy narrative. So, I believe that I do not know this to be true but this is my gut: She is pregnant. She wanted to take time off before she has the baby. And I hope that she is, but nobody told me this,” he said.

Other sources report that Irvin wanted a lighter schedule to pursue other interests and be with her family but couldn’t come to terms with the WWE on that issue. Ricochet’s schedule has changed since he started working for AEW. For one thing, AEW doesn’t hold house shows. They just have tapings, productions of Dynamite, Rampage and Collision. Irwin also has a daughter from a previous relationship.

TOP PHOTO: Ricochet and Samantha Irvin. WWE photo

SAMATHA IRVIN STORIES