WWE Rumors: Lilian Garcia Returns — Is She Still On The Roster?


WWE rumors are now circulating that former popular ring announcer Lilian Garcia may, in fact, not be totally done with the company, especially in light of her recent “one-time appearance during WWE’s Tribute to the Troops program. Garcia, who left WWE television in early August (as was noted by the Inquisitr) to help tend to her sick father, had been presumed to be gone from the wrestling company altogether.

Lilian had two separate stints with WWE — from 1999 to 2008 and again from 2001 to 2016 — and was best known as the in-ring voice of the company’s popular Monday night wrestling program, Raw.

Lilian Garcia [Image by Erika Goldring/Getty Images]

She was also known for her emotional, heart-wrenching rendition of the U.S. national anthem, which she would often sing during special WWE live events. In fact, it was Lilian Garcia who brought WWE fans to tears while offering the song during a 2001 WWE SmackDown live event in Houston, Texas, just two days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. For this alone, Garcia’s place in WWE lore will forever remain entrenched.

WWE rumors began to surface in the late Spring and early Summer of this year, however, that Lilian might have been on her way out of the company following her sporadic non-appearances at various events. Garcia would attempt at the time to quell the rumors by noting on social media that she had been taking time off to care for her sick father.

Then, in early August, Lilian Garcia vanished from WWE’s programming altogether without any explanation from the company.

In WWE, rumors gave way to reality when Lilian’s role as a Raw announcer and singer was given to her much younger colleague and former Total Divas star Joseann “JoJo” Offerman. After Garcia’s profile was subsequently — and quietly — moved from the “Roster” to the “Alumni” section of WWE’s website and all mentions of her and her father on WWE television ceased, the departure seemed cemented in stone.

Most assumed — and rightly so — that Lilian Garcia was done with WWE.

Then came Garcia’s surprise return on December 13 for WWE Tribute to the Troops for another stirring rendition of the national anthem. For Lilian’s fans, the one-time return left the door cracked just enough for a possible return to leave them satisfied. After all, WWE is not known for allowing any of its performers to appear in front of a camera unless there is a plan in place for that appearance.

WWE ‘Tribute to the Troops’ [Image by Kris Connor/Getty Images for WWE]

“It’s like a forever family, that I feel there,” said Lilian Garcia, herself, of the WWE rumors regarding her return on a recent edition of her Making Their Way to the Ring podcast (courtesy of Afterbuzz TV and Wrestling Inc.). “Then to see Triple H and Vince McMahon when I walked in and saw them… I mean, they both gave me this huge hug.”

While Lilian did not directly address the WWE rumors that she is still with the company, a number of observers believe that her Tribute appearance can be seen as a firm indication that the door has not closed altogether, if it was ever closed at all. And if Garcia’s appearance did not solidify the chance of a WWE return in some people’s minds, then perhaps WWE owner and Chairman Vince McMahon’s backstage comments to her could provide a more solid indication.

“When I got done singing and I went back to Vince and thanked him for everything, he was just like, ‘Damn girl! I don’t know if that was the best you’ve ever sung it, or we just miss you around here’!” Lilian recollected.

The WWE chairman’s sentiments, however, seem to be echoed by the fans as well, who have been clamoring for a return since the return to WWE rumors first started.

For her own part, Garcia also went on record on her podcast as saying that she is no longer with the WWE, citing not only her own father’s health, but finding herself frequently losing her voice due to the high-pressure environment of working live television events for WWE, especially when paired with her troubled worrying about her father.

However, with a recent return to TV for WWE and lack of negative updates regarding her father, some believe that the return to WWE rumors for Lilian Garcia might be at least somewhat substantiated.

[Featured Image by JP Yim/Getty Images]

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