Professional referee Brian Hebner could not help but express his distaste for Samantha Irvin’s announcement style at WrestleMania XL. Many sports fans love Irvin and admire her work as a ring announcer, but as the old adage goes, she cannot please everyone.
Irvin received massive praise from the industry itself as well as from many viewers, so it was quite a puzzle why Hebner was not thrilled enough with her performance.
WWE’s Brian Hebner Slammed Samantha Irvin’s Delivery On Social Media
In a Twitter post, Brian Hebner wrote his heart’s content dissing Samantha Irvin’s voice, particularly the way she announced at The Show of Shows.
“The announcing is driving me insane!! I’m sure a nice and beautiful person. But her voice and trying to over due things is literally making me use my mute button more than I ever have. Like nails on a chalk board! Just like f—k”
Hebner’s comment earned a lot of disagreement from fans claiming Irvin did a great job and he was just putting out negative energy in public. Overall, fans thought it was an incredible performance. Check out their tweets below:
Couldn’t disagree more. She’s damn good
— FlairFan (@steelerfan8771) April 8, 2024
I think you are alone here because we love and support @SamanthaTheBomb All day, every day!
— Virgil Conn (@Reformed_Wretch) April 8, 2024
I think shes great!
— Kieron Newton 🏳️🌈⚧️🏳️⚧️ (@Kieron_Newton) April 8, 2024
You are basically one of one. Because no one else has said such nonsense before. Keep watching her shine tho!
— Don Antonio (@SammyTheReturn) April 8, 2024
Why even put this negative energy out there?
— Paul Cormier (@therealcormier) April 9, 2024
Good thing no one gives a shit what you think
— Lance LeBlanc (@Lance_LeBlanc) April 8, 2024
Still, some fans also agreed with Hebner and thought Irvin’s announcing felt too forced and she was dragging out every single word. As mentioned, there were mixed reactions from both fans and the people from WWE.
Michael Buffer Was Impressed By Irvin’s Voice
Despite Hebner’s criticism of Irvin’s voice, veteran ring announcer Michael Buffer praised her for a fantastic delivery. He also pointed out that her timing and energy were on point. He penned on Twitter:
“Ring announcer Samantha Irvin ruled WrestleMania last night & her emotional final announcement was awesome! She was featured on camera-ring center-that was a smart production move & she was just brilliant! Her timing, pace, drama, energy was perfect!”
In her interview with Busted Open, Irvin reflected on her career and how she got to land her dream job:
“When I got hired, it was the end of the Thunderdome Era. There were a lot of changes happening that [allowed me] to kind of slide in and be a little crazy. [Cole] was like, ‘I know we’re used to doing things a certain way but if something comes over you and you want to go for it, just go for it.’ ”
She mentioned commentator Michael Cole in particular who encouraged her to pursue her passion and ultimately, to find her own voice.
“A lot of what I have thrown at the wall has stuck. I took those as signs that he was happy with what I was doing. I think I definitely got lucky with all of the factors that were at play when I started.”
With that note, fans can say that Irvin’s performance may have yielded mixed reactions from the public, but many still believe that she is one of the greatest ring announcers to date, and the majority of viewers love the way she delivers her lines.
