Samantha Irvin is still under contract with WWE and won't be able to return to wrestling until 2026

Samantha Irvin has finally clarified her situation within the wrestling world, and the reason why she will not return to appear in AEW, or any other company, for a good while has a contractual explanation. Her absence is not solely due to her music career, but to an agreement with WWE that still keeps her linked until 2026.

According to Sean Ross Sapp revealed in a Fightful Select Q&A session, Irvin signed a new contract with WWE in early 2024. The agreement included a significant salary increase, but also a two-year non-compete clause, one of the longest in recent times, which will remain in effect until October 2026.

"She told them she didn't want to continue being a ring announcer, but they offered her a considerable raise," Sapp explained. "And with that increase, WWE wanted to take advantage: that's why they started focusing more on her on camera, looking for viral moments. But that also led to criticism and harassment, something she didn't enjoy."

With the new contract, WWE reduced the number of road announcers to focus attention on Irvin, even though she had already expressed her desire to step away from the microphone. Still, the financial offer was good enough for her to accept, even knowing that it implied accepting a long competitive restriction.

As I understand it, she felt flattered by the proposal, but the contract included a quite strong non-compete clause. One year has passed, and she has another one to fulfill.

The journalist also clarified that her departure was not to "move to music," as WWE officially communicated, but to move away from the ring announcer role without completely leaving the industry. 'Music has always been part of her life, even when she worked at WWE,' he emphasized.