AEW's Ricochet Addresses Fans Who Blame Him For Samantha Irvin Leaving WWE

As excited as fans were to see legendary ring announcer Lilian Garcia return to WWE in October, Samantha Irvin's departure still stung, as she was popular with both fans and colleagues. Many attempted to pin her exodus on an outside force, such as her fiancé Ricochet's decision to join AEW earlier in the year. But during an appearance on "Barstool Rasslin'," Ricochet once again dispelled those rumors, claiming Irvin simply felt she had hit a ceiling.

"I think it's so funny the fans blame me. Apparently I convinced her to leave her dream job to be at home," Ricochet snarked. "She said, 'I don't really like doing this specific job, and I'm obviously not going to get the opportunities that I really want, so I'm gonna step away.' ... like her identity became 'ring announcer,' and that's kind of where she was like, 'Oh man, I liked playing that role, it was a great role to play within the company, but I want to evoke more emotion out of people.'"

Ricochet made his AEW debut in August, which naturally fueled speculation that Irvin would soon follow. But Ricochet cited her desire to pursue outside interests as the main reason, along with Irvin simply growing tired of the job. Ricochet admitted his own WWE departure may have been a factor, but insisted it was just one of many. 

"I do think me leaving was kinda like the straw that broke the camel's back," he said. "It wasn't the deciding factor, but I think it was just a couple of things. 'Cause again, she was thinking about it."

Though Irvin's tenure as WWE ring announcer was relatively short compared to WWE stalwarts like Garcia and Howard Finkel, she left a lasting impression with her colleagues. Several WWE Superstars like Cody Rhodes and Natalya wished Irvin well with her next chapter. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Barstool Rasslin'" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.