Why Samantha Irvin Left WWE - Real Reason Revealed
Truth behind Samantha Irvin's shocking WWE departure...
Samantha Irvin left WWE because she and the market-leading wrestling promotion couldn't agree on terms for the now-former Raw ring announcer's work outside the company.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that Irvin wanted to work on outside projects, deciding to leave when she and WWE were unable to reach an agreement. Irvin, who reportedly isn't planning on immediately jumping ship to rival promotion AEW, wishes to pursue work in music.
Per Meltzer:
"[Samantha Irvin] hwas outside projects she wants to do and apparenty couldn't come to terms with how it worked with WWE, and off she goes. She has been thinking about it for a year. She wanted to get more involved with her music. It was something she'd been talking about for a long time, and finally pulled the trigger on it."
Irvin's fiancé, Ricochet, denied that Samanta was AEW-bound soon after news of the announcer's WWE departure broke:
Haha, she's not coming to AEW.
You can all rest easy. ?
Advertisement— Ricochet (@KingRicochet) October 21, 2024
Meltzer referenced this and added that it isn't "100% that she won't go."
Samantha Irvin Announces WWE Departure
Irvin announced she was leaving WWE via social media on Tuesday, posting that her "time has come to an end as your Monday Night Raw Ring Announcer." Stating that "... this does not mark the end of my art; I have a lifetime more to share," Irvin thanked myriad WWE personnel in her announcement without mentioning the reason for her decision.
pic.twitter.com/RpkLIYkpNN— Samantha Irvin (@SamanthaTheBomb) October 21, 2024
WWE's Mark Henry brought Irvin into the promotion ahead of her April 2021 hiring, when she became a ring announcer on the now-defunct 205 Live. Irvin then moved on to NXT, before switching to SmackDown in January 2022, followed by jumping to Raw the following February. Her trademark delivery had become synonymous with what has become a resurgent era of WWE programming, particularly after WrestleMania 40, where she introduced 14 matches across two nights.
Irvin has an extensive musical background, having provided lead vocals for a Michael Jackson tribute show, Thriller - Live, between 2011 and 2015. She also competed on America's Got Talent's tenth season, making the semi-finals.