On the recent “Insight” podcast, the dedicated ring announcer, Lilian Garcia, talked about her WWE career. Topics of discussion included her altercation with 3 Minute Warning, her return to WWE following Samantha Irvin’s exit, and singing the national anthem at WWE shows.
After Samantha Irvin’s exit last October, Garcia rejoined the WWE. Excerpts from the podcast interview can be found below:
Discussing her latest WWE return, Garcia shared that she found out RAW was happening in Greenville months before, in May. Since Greenville wasn’t too far, she decided to attend and catch up with her old colleagues. When she talked to Triple H, he invited her to that night’s show to co-announce with Samantha. Garcia happily accepted the invitation as she found the experience exciting. She genuinely complimented Samantha during the co-announcing, which became a viral moment and was perceived as a passing of the torch. However, she clarified that she was not back as a permanent announcer for Raw or SmackDown. Despite that, WWE eventually offered her a role on Saturday Night’s Main Event, which she gladly accepted.
Garcia also recalled when she was attacked by Three Minute Warning. Replacing Howard Finkel as the announcer in the storyline, she was involved in a match with Howard, where Jamal and Rosie from Three Minute Warning rushed into the ring and handed her a Samoan drop. She mentioned the thrill of performing the scene but also how physically challenging it was as she ended up knocking the wind out of her lungs.
Lastly, she mentioned The Rock’s contribution to her singing the national anthem at WWE live events. During one of their backstage discussions, Garcia told The Rock about her singing abilities, and he encouraged her to approach the producers to sing the national anthem. After showcasing her talent in rehearsal, she was given the opportunity to sing the anthem at the live events, eventually leading her to hold the record for singing the anthem the most times at WrestleMania.