Aside from performance in the ring, voice is a major component needed to succeed in wrestling. One word and the crowd instantly knows who it is, cheers and waits in anticipation. Think of the best to ever grace the industry: they all knew how to captivate an audience on the mic.
It’s even harder to do as a ring announcer. It can get stale just announcing names. There’s legends like Howard Finkle and Lilian Garcia, who pioneered the roles and are seen as the gold standards of commanding the microphone. Just like in the ring, it takes immense talent to stand out.
That’s what made Samantha Irvin this generation’s icon.
It was a funny rise to stardom.
Irvin didn’t attempt to become a WWE ring announcer. In fact, she had never done any announcing. She was a career musician attempting to become a wrestler. But in 2021, she was offered the mic. Little did the wrestling world know what would happen next.
“When they told me that I was going to ring announce, I said ‘OK, well, I’m gonna go so hard doing this,’” she told USA TODAY Sports.
Go hard she did. Irvin started at the developmental level before she catapulted herself onto “Friday Night SmackDown” and “Monday Night Raw,” stealing the show and becoming a fan favorite along the way. Whether it was the way she fabulously said Chelsea’s Green name, brought intensity when announcing Roman Reigns and The Bloodline or upped the big-match feel in title bouts, Irvin earned praise and became a voice people looked forward to hearing.
When it felt like her popularity couldn’t rise anymore, she put on a masterclass performance at WrestleMania 40. She announced both nights and her work was highly acclaimed, earning applause from one of the best in the business in Michael Buffer. She cemented herself among the greatest to do it.
But, six months later, she departed WWE, shocking fans that fell in love with her voice. It felt sudden, but according to her, it was needed. Now, nearly four months after leaving wrestling, she is starting her next chapter – now as Samantha The Bomb. Back in music form, she’s hoping those that fell in love with her in WWE will follow her as she taps into her singing career.