Tag: Alicia Taylor

Weather forces ring announcer change for WWE Raw

Posted on by Ian Carey

The polar vortex weather affecting large parts of North America has caused a ring announcing change for this week’s WWE Raw.

Raw ring announcer Alicia Taylor posted to Instagram Stories on Sunday that she is unable to travel to Toronto for the show, citing canceled flights.

Lillian Garcia, who was the ring announcer for Saturday Night’s Main Event in Montreal this weekend, will fill in for Taylor on Monday’s show.

Taylor’s post reads:

“Currently at the airport with all canceled flights to Canada 🇨🇦 soo… tagging in sister LIL for the fill 🙌🏾🙌🏾”

WWE Raw on Monday takes place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. As of this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 13,688 tickets were out for the show and it is expected to be a sellout. WrestleTix reported the number at 14,804 on Sunday, up more than 1,000 over the past week.

WWE Raw lineup for Monday, January 26, 2026:

  • Bron Breakker returns from suspension
  • Four-way number one contender’s match for World Tag Team titles: The New Day vs. American Made vs. American Alpha vs. Los Americanos
  • AJ Styles to speak
  • Gunther to be interviewed

John Cena thanks WWE ring announcer Alicia Taylor

Posted on by Joseph Currier

John Cena is thankful for the role that ring announcer Alicia Taylor played in his WWE retirement tour.

At Survivor Series this past weekend, Taylor performed the last ring introduction that she’ll ever do for Cena. Taylor reflected on the moment by tweeting that it’s been an “absolute honor” to play a role in Cena’s final WWE run. Cena — who now only has one match left before retirement — responded to Taylor by praising her professionalism and passion.

“Matches and moments are only memorable if we ALL believe in them. Thank YOU for being a driving force to help audiences around the world enjoy and invest in these moments,” Cena wrote. “NO ONE does it alone. Your professionalism, passion, presentation and overall love of the business lay the foundation for lifelong memories.”

Cena lost to Dominik Mysterio at Saturday’s PLE, dropping the Intercontinental title back to Dominik after a brief run with the belt. The returning Liv Morgan helped Dominik win the match.

The final date on Cena’s retirement tour is WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C. on December 13. Lilian Garcia is expected to be the ring announcer for Cena’s final match. His opponent has still yet to be determined, but we know that it will be either Gunther, Solo Sikoa, Jey Uso, or LA Knight. The semifinals of WWE’s Last Time is Now tournament are pitting Gunther against Sikoa and Uso against Knight.

Fill-in ring announcer set for WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Lilian Garcia is filling in again.

Announcer Alicia Taylor announced on Sunday that Garcia will be filling in for her ahead of Monday’s Raw in Evansville, Indiana.

“Tagging in @LilianGarcia Thanks for holding down #RAW tomorrow!” Taylor wrote on social media. She later confirmed that she was only taking the night off and will be back.

https://twitter.com/AliciaTaylorWWE/status/1969845238467383549?

A longtime announcer for WWE, Garcia first made her return in the fall of 2024 after Samantha Irvin left the company, first announcing on Raw then later SmackDown before finishing up in March. She has continued to announce at special events, such as the recent Worlds Collide shows and Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Garcia was originally scheduled to be the ring announcer for WWE’s Evolution event back in July. However, she had to pull out at the last minute due to a respiratory infection flare-up. Taylor ended up being the ring announcer for the night.

First signing with WWE in 1999, Garcia was the voice of Raw through 2010, then came back to WWE for another stint the following year before leaving again in 2019.

Lilian Garcia filling in for Alicia Taylor on WWE Raw this week

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Though she’s usually on SmackDown, ring announcer Lilian Garcia is in Charlotte, North Carolina for WWE Raw tonight.

Garcia made a post on Instagram today informing everyone that she is filling in for Alicia Taylor as the ring announcer for tonight’s Raw. The episode is taking place from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte and is the second-to-last Raw before Elimination Chamber.

“Okay, so if you guys have been following my [Instagram] stories then you know I’m at the airport for a reason. I’m actually heading to Monday Night Raw,” Garcia announced. “I am going to be subbing in for Alicia tonight.”

Using the opportunity to deliver a motivational message to her followers, Garcia stressed the importance of going with the flow, always being prepared, and having fun with whatever life throws at you.

Garcia has been back with WWE since Samantha Irvin departed her ring announcing role in October 2024. Starting in January, Garcia moved to SmackDown and Taylor moved to Raw. Taylor posted a message on her Instagram stories thanking Garcia for filling in tonight.

Here is the announced lineup for tonight’s show:

  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Roxanne Perez vs. Raquel Rodriguez
  • Women’s Intercontinental title number one contender’s match: Dakota Kai vs. Ivy Nile
  • Penta vs. Pete Dunne
  • AJ Styles vs. Dominik Mysterio
  • Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair & Naomi appear
  • Sami Zayn appears

Report: WWE ring announcers changing brands

Posted on by Joseph Currier

It looks like Alicia Taylor will be WWE Raw’s ring announcer for the show’s new era.

Raw debuts on Netflix with its premiere episode taking place from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California next Monday (January 6). PWInsider reports that Taylor — who had been the SmackDown ring announcer — will be moving to Raw starting with the Netflix premiere. The report says Lilian Garcia will be the SmackDown ring announcer this Friday night and will presumably remain in that role going forward.

Returning home to WWE, Garcia took over the ring announcing duties on Raw in October following Samantha Irvin’s departure from the company. Garcia previously had stints with WWE from 1999-2009 and 2011-2016, along with making occasional appearances after that.

Taylor (real name Alicia Warrington) joined WWE as an NXT ring announcer in 2018 and was called up to SmackDown in May 2024. She is an accomplished drummer/musician in addition to the work she does for WWE.

SmackDown moves to three hours beginning with this Friday’s episode from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ring announcer Alicia Taylor called up to WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Joseph Currier
WWE SmackDown is getting another new addition from NXT following the WWE Draft.

After Tuesday night’s NXT ended, Shawn Michaels posted a video confirming that ring announcer Alicia Taylor is being called up to SmackDown. Michaels made the announcement in front of the NXT locker room and presented Taylor with an NXT championship belt.

Michaels called Taylor unbelievably talented and said she’s an “incredible, incredible, wonderful, genuine” human being.

“Sometimes great things happen to great people,” Michaels said. “And Alicia here is now, much deserving, going to the main roster.”

Taylor (real name Alicia Warrington) was hired by WWE as a member of the NXT broadcast team in 2018. Outside of pro wrestling, she’s an accomplished drummer.

Mike Rome, who had been on SmackDown, will be the new ring announcer for NXT. Samantha Irvin will remain the ring announcer for Raw.

Taylor made an Instagram post saying NXT is in good hands with Rome taking over for her:

Thank you to the @wwenxt faithful that show support in #Orlando EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. Thank you to my NXT family, HBK, Triple H, [Matt] Bloom, @vicjosephwwe , the coaches, PC staff and everyone that has made NXT so incredibly special….since I walked through the doors in December 2018.

NXT is left in good hands! BIG welcome to [Mike Rome]

Carmelo Hayes, Blair Davenport, and Baron Corbin joined the SmackDown roster from NXT in the WWE Draft. Ilja Dragunov, Lyra Valkyria, Kiana James, and Dijak were called up to Raw.