After Samantha Irvin stunned wrestling on Monday afternoon by announcing her departure from WWE effective immediately, the biggest question was who would take over her role as ring announcer for “WWE Raw.” For yesterday the answer was Lillian Garcia. The former WWE ring announcer stepped into her old spot last night. However, the long term remains to be seen.

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PWInsider Elite reports that Garcia is expected to remain in that position for the time being as part of a “longer run” as a “Raw” ring announcer. However, it is not yet clear whether Garcia will be the permanent replacement for Irvin and whether WWE will make a decision on the matter at some point down the line.

One person who could take over the role if Garcia doesn't stay full-time, at least temporarily, could be Irvin himself. Despite her departure, things remain amicable between Irvin and WWE, with the two sides reportedly maintaining “good relations.” As such, WWE officials haven't ruled out the idea of ​​Irvin returning for a one-off appearance down the road if the situation works out for both sides.

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For now, however, the focus is on Garcia and her third appearance in WWE. Garcia first joined the promotion in 1999 and became the heir apparent to legendary WWE ring announcer Howard Finkle, which he held until his departure in 2009. However, Garcia remained on good terms with WWE and eventually returned as a “SmackDown” ring announcer in 2011. Garcia would continue with the promotion through 2019, but made a one-off return to WWE earlier that year, ironically helping Irvin set up a King of the Ring match between GUNTHER and Kofi Kingston.