Former WWE ring announcer Samantha Irvin revealed that she has one year remaining in her ‘no-compete’ period after leaving WWE last year.
Irvin (Samantha Johnson) left WWE in October 2024 and has since pursued her music career. On Tuesday, she responded to a user on X and shared additional details on the restrictions she is under.
One year down, one year left on my non-compete! Can’t wait. I hope you enjoy my songs in the meantime and look back on all the memories as fondly as I do! Love & miss you all and remember- I NEVER left FOR music, I am music. Hope to see you soon…..
Johnson is 36 years old and signed with WWE in 2021 after initially trying out at the Performance Center, but was signed to become a ring announcer. She quickly gained popularity in the role and graduated from NXT to become the announcer on SmackDown, and later moved to Raw.
The status of her no-compete period contrasts with a story involving Andrade, who was released by WWE with cause in September. It was believed he did not have any restrictions regarding a no-compete clause and appeared on AEW Dynamite on October 1. Since that appearance, he has not returned nor been referenced by AEW with reporting that Andrade is, in fact, bound by a no-compete clause in the United States, which could be as long as one year.
Fightful published a clause from a standard WWE contract with the language:
(b) Upon termination of this Agreement by PROMOTER for breach of the terms hereof, WRESTLER shall not work, appear, or perform in any capacity for any professional wrestling, sports entertainment, mixed martial arts and/or ultimate fighting organization, promotion or entity not owned or controlled by PROMOTER (or any affiliated or subsidiary company thereof) in the United States for a period of up to one (1) year from the date of such expiration or termination.
When Renee Paquette left WWE in the summer of 2021, she was held to a one-year no-compete period and debuted for AEW in October 2022.
