Samantha Irvin’s post-WWE non-compete period is reportedly approaching its end, which could soon give the former ring announcer greater freedom to pursue on-screen opportunities elsewhere in professional wrestling and entertainment.
Irvin, whose real name is Samantha Johnson, joined WWE in 2021 and rapidly became one of the company’s most recognizable ring announcers. Her departure, announced on October 21, 2025, was a surprise given the profile she had developed during her time with the promotion. While Irvin had only spent several years with WWE, the terms tied to leaving before the completion of her agreement reportedly placed a lengthy restriction on what she could do next in wrestling.
A new report states that the non-compete clause attached to Irvin’s departure is set to expire next month. The exact expiration date was not specified, but the reported development would mark an important turning point following a period in which Irvin has focused much of her public creative attention on music.
Reported Terms of Irvin’s WWE Agreement
The report described Irvin’s deal as one that allowed her to leave on her own terms with two weeks’ notice. However, it also reportedly contained a substantial non-compete provision if she chose to exit before the end of the three-year agreement.
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“Her contract allowed her to quit at any time provided she gave two weeks notice, but if she quit before the end of her three-year deal, as she did, there was a 24 month non-compete period written into the deal,” the report stated.
The reported arrangement is notably different from the more familiar non-compete structure associated with WWE wrestlers who are released by the company. Talent contracts have often included a paid period after WWE elects to terminate the deal, commonly 30 days for NXT talent or 90 days for main-roster WWE talent. The reported terms surrounding Irvin were characterized as an employee arrangement rather than a standard wrestler contract.
That distinction matters because the report indicated that an employee who is let go does not receive the same kind of paid non-compete period that can accompany a talent release. In Irvin’s case, the restriction was reportedly connected to her decision to depart before her deal had run its course.
“Unlike with talent who are paid their salaries during the non-compete period, which lasts either 30 (for NXT contracts) of 90 (for WWE contracts) days when the company decides to let someone go, for an employee deal, if you are let go, there is no paid non-compete period.”
Irvin herself had previously acknowledged the existence of the restriction. Last year, she said she had one year remaining on the non-compete. The latest report that it is expected to expire next month indicates that the contractual limitation may soon no longer be an obstacle to prospective wrestling-related work outside WWE.
Why Samantha Irvin Left WWE
After announcing her WWE exit on October 21, 2025, Irvin later spoke about her desire for increased upward mobility within the company. She had become strongly associated with the ring announcer role, but her ambitions reportedly extended beyond introductions and match presentation.
Irvin wanted an opportunity to take on a larger on-screen character position, including the possibility of appearing as a manager or as a General Manager for one of WWE’s television brands. WWE, however, was reportedly committed to keeping her in the ring announcer position rather than shifting her into one of those roles.
That difference in creative direction was one of the reasons Irvin cited for moving on. Her departure was therefore not simply a matter of stepping away from wrestling presentation; it reflected a gap between the role WWE envisioned for her and the broader type of television presence she wanted to explore.
Ring announcing is an essential part of WWE’s live-event and broadcast identity, and Irvin became a prominent voice in that space after arriving in 2021. Yet her stated interest in becoming a manager or authority figure demonstrated that she saw potential for a different path in front of the camera. Those kinds of positions can demand a more sustained character presence, involvement in storylines, and direct interaction with wrestlers and audiences.
Whether Irvin ultimately chooses to pursue those particular roles after her reported non-compete expires remains unknown. There has been no confirmation of a future wrestling destination, no announced agreement with another promotion, and no confirmed plan for an on-screen return. Still, the end of a restriction would naturally create more options than were available while it remained in force.
Music Has Been Irvin’s Main Creative Focus
Since leaving WWE, Irvin has returned her attention to her developing music career. In 2025, she released four singles, continuing work outside the wrestling world while the reported non-compete remained in place.
Among those releases was “Make Me,” a song that had originally been written during the COVID-19 pandemic. The release reflected that music was not a new interest developed after her WWE departure, but a creative pursuit with roots stretching back years.
Her work in music has given Irvin an avenue to maintain a public creative identity without depending on an immediate wrestling-related role. It also leaves open several possible directions once the reported restriction ends. She could continue concentrating primarily on music, explore entertainment work beyond wrestling, or consider a return to the industry in a different capacity from the one she held in WWE.
For now, none of those outcomes have been confirmed. The most significant immediate point is the reported timing of the non-compete’s expiration. If it does conclude next month as indicated, Irvin would no longer be operating under the same reported limitation that followed her early exit from the WWE agreement.
What the Expiration Could Mean
A non-compete’s expiration does not guarantee a wrestling return, a signing, or a television role. It simply changes the contractual landscape. In Irvin’s case, that could be particularly meaningful because she openly discussed wanting to expand beyond ring announcing during her WWE tenure.
If she elects to re-enter wrestling, her experience as a nationally visible announcer would be part of the conversation, but so would the goals she laid out after leaving WWE. A manager role, authority figure role, host position, or another personality-driven assignment would be more aligned with the type of upward movement she sought.
At the same time, there is no reason to assume that a future move would need to follow a conventional wrestling path. Irvin’s music output since her exit has shown that she has continued to build a separate creative lane. The reported conclusion of the clause would provide flexibility, not an obligation to make an immediate announcement.
Irvin’s WWE run remains notable for how quickly she became a recognizable part of the company’s presentation after joining in 2021. Her eventual exit also drew attention because she left despite having a defined role, choosing to pursue bigger possibilities rather than remain in a position WWE reportedly wanted her to keep.
With the reported non-compete period now nearing its end, attention will turn to what Irvin wants to do with that freedom. Her next move has not been revealed, but the reported expiration could close the final major contractual chapter connected to her WWE departure and open the door for whatever comes next.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.