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Samantha Irvin
American ring announcer and singer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Samantha Johnson (born January 9, 1989) is an American musician who performs under the stage name Samantha The Bomb. She is best known for her time as a ring announcer in the professional wrestling promotion WWE from 2021 to 2024 under the ring name Samantha Irvin.
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Early life
Johnson was born in Dennis, Massachusetts, in 1989, the eldest of six siblings.[1] At the age of four, she began studying classical music, going on to compete in classical flute at a national level.[2][3] At the age of 12, her family moved to the North End neighborhood of New Bedford, Massachusetts,[4] where she attended Normandin Middle School.[5] As a child, she was a fan of professional wrestling, and attended WrestleMania XIV in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1998.[6] She went on to attend New Bedford High School, where she starred as Dorothy Gale in a performance of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz[3] and won a gold medal at the International Association of Jazz Educators State Jazz Finals as part of the New Bedford High School Jazz Choir.[7] As a teenager in the mid-2000s, she twice auditioned for American Idol.[1] After graduating in 2007, Johnson worked as the Drama Club director for Normandin Middle School[8] and as a waitress.[2][9] At the age of 20 she auditioned for America's Got Talent.[1]
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Musical career
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From 2011 to 2015, Johnson performed as the lead female vocalist on the Michael Jackson tribute show Thriller – Live.[1][3][4][10] In 2015, she appeared on season 10 of America's Got Talent, auditioning with "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin; she was eliminated in the semi-finals.[8][11] Later that year, she starred in a show titled "Home" in the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center in New Bedford in which she sang, whistled, danced, told stories, and played the flute; her five siblings all appeared in the show.[3] In 2016, she released an EP, 27Underground, including the debut single "Jump High"; her siblings provided backing vocals.[1][12][13] In the same year, she portrayed Betty Rizzo in a production of Grease staged in the New Bedford Festival Theatre.[14] In 2020, Johnson appeared on I Can See Your Voice on FOX, playing the flute and singing "Good as Hell" by Lizzo.[15][5][16] After relocating to Las Vegas, she appeared in productions including Vegas! The Show (portraying Gladys Knight and Tina Turner).[5][17] In February 2025, after having departed WWE to refocus on her musical career, Johnson adopted the stage name "Samantha The Bomb" and announced the release of a single, Make Me.[6]
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Professional wrestling career
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Johnson was introduced to the professional wrestling promotion WWE by WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry. She originally auditioned at the WWE Performance Center to be a wrestler, but was unsuccessful.[15] In April 2021, she was hired by WWE as the ring announcer for WWE 205 Live on Peacock. She adopted the ring name "Samantha Irvin".[5] Irvin went on to serve as a ring announcer for WWE NXT on the USA Network.[18] In January 2022, she was promoted to being the ring announcer for WWE SmackDown on FOX.[19] In February 2023, she moved to being the ring announcer for WWE Raw on the USA Network.[20] At WrestleMania XL in April 2024, Irvin introduced 14 matches; her performance garnered praise from veteran announcer Michael Buffer.[15][11] In October 2024, Irvin announced her departure from WWE.[21][22] In a February 2025 interview, she stated "my wrestling career has barely even begun".[6]
Filmography
Discography
- 27Underground (2016)
- Make Me (2025)
Personal life
Johnson became engaged to professional wrestler Ricochet in 2023;[22][23] the couple married in 2025.[24] She has a daughter from a previous relationship.[15][22]
References
External links
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