WWE aired its latest episode of RAW from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville as the build-up to The King and Queen of the Ring continued. The show had great matches and storyline progression, but what ended up being the most memorable moment for a lot of fans was the return of Lillian Garcia.
The veteran ring announcer made her presence felt before the KOTR Quarterfinal match between Kofi Kingston and Gunther. In fact, the 57-year-old introduced the names of the participants and the match in her trademark fashion, and it was nostalgic for every pro wrestling enthusiast who watched her during her tenure with the Stamford-based promotion.
But before this happened, Lillian got a huge ovation from the live crowd in South Carolina as she received an introduction from WWE’s very own Samantha Irvin. Garcia and the Monday Night RAW announcer shared the ring on the May 13 episode, and it was one of the most beautiful interactions in recent memory.
Lillian Garcia getting a big ovation from the crowd and then acknowledges Samantha Irvin. I got goosebumps when she started announcing the competitors.#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/TGSclLKHhH
— FirstNameJ0hn (@FirstNameJ0hn) May 14, 2024
Lillian Garcia even acknowledged the great work Samantha has been doing in the Triple H-led promotion and praised her for her exceptional mic work. Due to this, their interaction felt like the passing of a torch moment, but it was an exceptional memory for everyone in the audience and the WWE Universe members watching the 3-hour-long weekly show across the world.
Fans got emotional after Lillian Garcia’s return on RAW
As soon as the WWE Universe got to witness Lillian Garcia’s return on RAW, they started to react, and fans even got emotional. Sharing how this was a nostalgic memory for a lot of fans, an audience member wrote, “I got goosebumps when she started announcing the competitors.” (Via: X)
Pointing out how this interaction between Samantha Irvin and Garcia wasn’t possible under the leadership of Vince McMahon, someone said, “Awwww I love it. Never would have happened under Vince.” “She was such a part of my childhood omg,” another fan commented while sharing his emotions over the surprise appearance on Monday’s show.
Lillian Garcia was a part of WWE for nearly two decades
Some might be wondering why some fans got emotional after the ring announcer’s return, and the reason behind it is that Lillian Garcia was a part of WWE for nearly two decades. She joined the company in 1999 and made her debut on the August 23 episode of RAW is War. In her very first appearance, she made an instant impact, as people loved her work.
Garcia remained an integral part of the Stamford-based promotion until 2010, after which she went away. But the 57-year-old eventually made a return as a full-time announcer in 2011, joining SmackDown, and continued joining full-time until 2016. In December of that year, her father passed away, and after this tragic incident, she started appearing on a part-time basis.
Lillian Garcia remained with the company until 2019, and after this, she started working for different organizations. The legendary ring announcer is currently a part of Professional Fighters League (PFL). Even though she’s not involved in the pro wrestling industry, fans still cherish her due to the tenure she had with WWE, and the respect she earned throughout her run was visible on the latest edition of Monday Night RAW.