WrestleMania XL may very well go down as the biggest event in WWE history. It was the end of an era for Roman Reigns, the crowning of Cody Rhodes, and the start of a new chapter for the company. And perhaps no one represented that better than Samantha Irvin, the ring announcer who can rip the roof off a place with her awesome intros.
Among all the great WWE stars and legends, Irvin was one of the performers who had folks buzzing following ‘Mania weekend. You rarely see a ring announcer get that much attention, but there were moments when Irvin absolutely captivated the Philadelphia crowd.
In particular, her mic work in the main-event title match between Rhodes and Reigns stood out as a symbol of her excellence. She released a bevy of emotions in the opening and closing of that bout, almost feeding off the feelings of the audience. So much so, that she was trending on Twitter the next day. That’s a true testament to her abilities as not only an orator but also as a performer.
Talented and elegant, Irvin has proven that she’s not just another pretty face, holding a microphone. And she doesn’t just “make the announcements”. She DELIVERS them — with a passion.
Samantha Irvin Draws High WWE Praise
Perhaps Irvin’s WrestleMania performance drew so much attention and respect because it was something we don’t often find in this world today: It was genuine. Especially her response after the epic Universal Title struggle. The WWE’s siren of sound suddenly could hardly get a word out; she was too choked up by what she just witnessed in the ring.
That kind of emotion can make even the most cynical fan feel it deep down inside. It can make people cheer, boo, laugh, or cry. And that’s the response that Samantha Irvin brings out of the crowd – whether they’re in the arena or merely watching at home.
However, it isn’t just the fans and media who took notice of her star-making turn on The Grandest Stage of The All.
Following WWE’s signature event, longtime boxing and wrestling announcer Michael Buffer posted on Twitter, praising Irvin’s performance. The “Let’s Get Ready-To-Rumble” hype man may be the most well-known PA guy of all time, and he had nothing but positive things to say about Irvin.
Ring announcer Samantha Irvin ruled @WrestleMania last night & her emotional final announcement was awesome!
She was featured on camera-ring center-that was a smart production move & she was just brilliant!
Her timing, pace, drama, energy was perfect!@SamanthaTheBomb @WWE pic.twitter.com/qHt8s3PsTy— Michael Buffer (@Michael_Buffer) April 8, 2024
Buffer wrote the following:
Samantha Irvin ruled last night & her emotional final announcement was awesome! She was featured on camera-ring center – that was a smart production move & she was just brilliant! Her timing, pace, drama, energy was perfect!
Building Her WWE Legacy
Of course, in WWE, Irvin will always be compared to some of the greats that preceded her – like Howard Finkel and Lilian Garcia. But the young ring announcer has certainly carved her niche thus far in her time with the iconic promotion. Rather than mimicking those that came before her, she did things her way. The way she was most comfortable. And her rise hasn’t exactly been meteoric; it didn’t happen overnight. Instead, she has slowly evolved into the tour de force she’s now become.
In a late-2023 interview with journalist Chris Van Vliet, Irvin discussed her start with the promotion, and how she eventually found the confidence that she now displays.
Well, I think that probably kind of from the beginning. I think I came in at a time where things were changing. We were in the pandemic and live audiences were starting to come back, 205 Live was turning into Level Up, and NXT was turning into NXT 2.0.
Samantha Irvin is building a legacy, man.
She’s so damn good at her job
— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) April 8, 2024
There were just a lot of things shifting at that time and Michael Cole just gave me the go-ahead. He was like, I want you to do your ideas, whatever your ideas are, I know you know, this is what we always have done. But if something moves you. he’s always been very supportive and given me a lot of credit. Like, I know you’re a performer.
You have a lot of time doing this. So he gave me his trust. And that gave me the confidence to, you know, if Michael Cole says, Go ahead, you are like alright, Michael Cole said go ahead. So yeah, it was great.
That trust and confidence have been repaid in full, as Samantha Irvin has now become a beloved figure in the WWE Universe. Her beauty, charisma, and unique style make her extremely talented. But in the end? It’s her passion for the product that sets her apart.
That’s what connects her to the fans… and that’s what makes her the very best ring announcer in professional wrestling today.
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Ryan K Boman is the author of the 2023 book, Pop Music & Peanut Butter: A Collection of Essays about Embracing Life with Laughter & Love. His previous work has appeared at The Miami Herald, SB Nation, Bounding into Sports, and Yardbarker. Follow him on social media @RyanKBoman.
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