Lilian Garcia has made her return to WWE following Samantha Irvin’s sudden departure on Monday. During the latest episode of “WWE Raw,” Garcia appeared before the live audience during a commercial break, and WWE later shared the moment on X (formerly Twitter). Reports surfaced earlier that day suggesting Garcia was backstage at the event.
Joe Tessitore addressed the crowd during the break, encouraging fans to give a warm welcome to Garcia, who had spent a decade with WWE from 1999 to 2009 before taking a brief two-year hiatus. Garcia rejoined the company in 2011, though she left again in 2016.
Despite her departure, she continued to make occasional appearances over the years. On Monday, Garcia officially resumed her role as “Raw’s” ring announcer, telling the Philadelphia crowd how great it felt to return.
Irvin’s exit took fans by surprise when she announced her departure via a statement on her X account that same afternoon. Back in May, Garcia symbolically passed the torch to Irvin during a segment on “Raw.” Although Irvin has not disclosed what lies ahead for her career, her fiancé, former WWE wrestler Ricochet, signed with AEW in August.