The legend is back, folks! Lilian Garcia, the voice that once made even stone-cold stunners sound classy, has swooped in to reclaim her WWE ring announcer throne. In the midst of the Samantha Irvin exit buzz, WWE wasted no time in pulling the trigger, bringing back the fan-favorite voice of the Attitude Era on Monday’s episode of “Raw.” Because nothing says “we’ll be fine” like dusting off a microphone from 1999 and giving it to the woman who made every entrance sound like it was headlining WrestleMania.
During a commercial break on “Raw,” the live crowd was informed by Joe Tessitore (yes, the guy with a voice for sports history) to show their love for Garcia. Naturally, she received a raucous ovation, because in WWE, if you stick around long enough, nostalgia will always be your best tag-team partner. Garcia graced WWE audiences from 1999 to 2009, came back for an encore from 2011 to 2016, and now has strutted back into the squared circle for yet another run. If you were hoping to not get chills every time someone walks to the ring, tough luck—Lilian’s back, and your goosebumps have no choice but to rise.
Meanwhile, Samantha Irvin’s sudden departure still has fans reeling, especially since she’s been one of the most beloved voices in WWE, nailing everything from Chelsea Green’s “Karen-level” intros to making Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 victory sound like the second coming. Irvin passed the microphone to Garcia in a touching (read: wrestling dramatics) “torch-passing” moment back in May on “Raw.” But now, that torch looks like it’s been snatched right back.
While Irvin’s next move remains a mystery, it’s safe to say WWE isn’t wasting any time pulling out its old playbook. Garcia’s back, the microphone is hers again, and if history tells us anything, it’s that we’re all about to have flashbacks of Triple H entrances and that rendition of the national anthem.