AEW star Ricochet recently addressed fan speculation surrounding his fiance, Samantha Irvin’s, departure from WWE. In an interview on the Barstool Rasslin’ podcast, Ricochet refuted claims that he convinced Irvin to leave her “dream job” and shed light on her motivations for pursuing new opportunities.
“I think it’s so funny that fans blame me because apparently, I convinced her to leave her dream job,” Ricochet stated. He explained that Irvin’s decision stemmed from a desire to explore her passions beyond her role as a ring announcer.
According to Ricochet, Irvin expressed, “‘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 going to step away because I was born to be an actress. I was born to be a singer. I was born to be a character.'”
Ricochet acknowledged that Irvin had embraced her identity as a ring announcer, but ultimately felt a need to pursue other avenues for creative expression. “Her identity became a ring announcer, and that’s kind of where she was like, ‘Oh, man, I like playing that role. It was a great role to play within the company, but I want to evoke more emotion into people in other ways.'”
He also addressed comparisons to long-tenured WWE announcers like the late Howard Finkel, Lillian Garcia, and former WWE announcer Justin Roberts, highlighting Irvin’s relatively short four-year tenure with the company. “People were like, ‘Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. That’s not how it works. You’re supposed to be for 20 years. What are you talking about? You’re not supposed to leave right now. Ricochet must have convinced you to leave because he left.'”
While Ricochet acknowledged that his own departure from WWE may have played a minor role in Irvin’s decision, he maintained that it was not the primary factor. “I will say I do think me leaving was kind of like the straw that broke the camel’s back. It wasn’t the deciding factor… I think it was just a couple of things that she, because again, she was thinking about it.”
Ricochet revealed that Irvin had been contemplating her departure since WrestleMania 39, indicating that her decision was a long-considered one. “I want to say, like, last year’s WrestleMania, maybe. She was like, ‘This is the pinnacle. I’m done.’ I think that’s when she kind of started it, but I will say, I think maybe me leaving was kind of just the straw. I don’t think it was her main reason, but I do think it didn’t help.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Barstool Rasslin’ with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
