WWE Ring Announcer Lilian Garcia Talks John Cena’s Last Match & Finding Love Again

Lilian Garcia has had an amazing WWE career that spans more than 25 years. She sang the national anthem days after 9/11 on SmackDown, shared the screen with the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and stood as ring announcer during WrestleMania. However, the powerhouse voice is gearing up for one of her biggest assignments yet on December 13. That’s when Garcia does introductions for the final match of John Cena against Gunther during Saturday Night’s Main Event live on Peacock.

 The GOAT of WWE has been on a farewell tour running all over the world with his curtain call set for the show. Ahead of the milestone, we caught up with Garcia to reminisce about her favorite Cena moments and what being a part of the “Last Time Is Now” means. Garcia also talks about re-signing with the company and finding love again with former wrestler Patrick Ellrich after hitting rock bottom. 

You’ve done so many big events. What does ring announcing for John Cena’s final match mean to you? 

Lilian Garcia: I cannot wait. When I found out his final match was going to be during Saturday Night’s Main Event, I was like, “that’s the show I announce!” It’s actually kind of fitting because I announced him even before he was John Cena. He was “The Prototype.” It was a live event. I’ll never forget it. I hadn’t seen him backstage yet. The crew explained to me that he is this new guy and gave me all his stats. I just remember as soon as I said “The Prototype,” and he came through the curtain I was like, “wow, that’s a look.” He came off special right from the beginning. Watching his whole journey, being a part of it, being able to call so many of his matches along the years. It has been incredible. From SummerSlam to WrestleMania, and now the pinnacle of it to be here, his final match. It’s absolutely incredible. And the fact I’m back in WWE, it’s just so awesome. 

It has come full circle. Are you nervous? 

For sure. It has been exciting. Am I nervous about this? Of course, you get nervous. I always say nerves are a good thing because it means you care. Nerves and excitement actually create the same energy. It’s about turning those nerves into excitement. I’m very excited. I’m going to do everything I can to put everything into that announcement. Just really solidify the fact that he is the “Greatest of All Time.” He is an icon. I’ve been amazed at everything he has been able to accomplish and his legacy. 

We see him on camera and when making these public appearances. How is he behind the scenes?

He is someone who focuses. You see focus, even backstage. I’ll never forget that I’d be out in the ring and getting ready for the matches, writing down my notes, and getting ready for rehearsals for announcing. I’d see him in the stands. He’d be writing down everything he would be rapping that night. It always amazed me he could write something that day and then rap it that night verbatim. I say that as someone who is a musician and singer. I’ve memorized so many lyrics in my life, but there is no way you could give me a song in the afternoon and I could verbatim do it that evening. It’s just wild to see not only the talent he has in the ring, but also what he put into all those raps that helped him build to the John Cena we know today. He is just a very focused individual. 

Do you have any favorite memories with him? 

We got to go to Iraq together several times. They split us up in different groups, and I remember there was one year I was in his group. Seeing his love of the military meant a lot to me because I’m an army brat. My dad was a lieutenant colonel. To see that and how he spent so much time with the military and shaking hands and saying thank you, I just remember thinking it was really cool to share that with him. Also, I don’t know why this sticks in my mind but announcing him versus Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. I was wearing a green sparkly dress. It was so vivid in my mind. Being able to announce those huge superstars was awesome. I have so many memories with him throughout the years, but he is definitely focused and intentional. He just loves what he does. You can tell that. He has put his heart and his soul into this business. 

WWE

You mentioned being part of WWE again. How is it for you to extend your time with them? 

They just offered me a new two-year contract, and I didn’t have to think twice. When I left in 2016, it wasn’t on my terms. I left to take care of my father who was dying. They gave me the news that he had two weeks to three months to live. He ended up lasting five months. I’ll never forget him passing away on Christmas 2016. It was really hard that whole time. I had walked away from WWE in August thinking now, “what am i going to do now? This was part of my life for so long. I love it so much.” But God is good. It came full circle. I got to do PFL (Professional Fighters League) for a while in 2019 and do MMA and became the first female in-cage announcer, which was really cool to add that too. I had four amazing years there. 

Then to be asked to come back and now be part of WWE for another two years. I get to do Saturday Night’s Main Event and got to do Worlds Collide with Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide and do that in Spanish. It was new for me. I never announced in Spanish. Even when we did shows in Mexico, I’d host the show in Spanish. So you would hear me do all the in between and talk to the crowd. But when it came to me saying, “the following contest is scheduled for one fall…” That was always done in English. Now this whole show is done in Spanish. I had to learn all these new wrestling terms in Spanish. It has been a new challenge. Watching the Mexican wrestlers, wow. And you never know what’s to come with WWE and what’s new and added. It’s so great to be part of the fold. 

Among your other blessings is that you found love again and are now engaged [to long-time wrestler Patrick Ellrich]. Congratulations! How was it sharing the news with the world? 

It’s amazing because I was so down. Losing dad in 2016 and my mom in 2021 and losing my marriage 2021 and going through COVID, it was a rough few years. I see it now as a blessing. Everything got stripped away, and I got to rebuild. I was able to rebuild with God on my side, which I didn’t focus on before. I always had God in my life, but not to this magnitude. I fully surrendered in 2021 and got re-baptized in 2023. It all brought me to Atlanta. At the time I was living off my savings while I was emptying my parent’s house in South Carolina after they passed. I sat there for eight months emptying that house, and it was 4,000 square feet. This was by myself. This was my childhood home. My sister would come as much as she could from Nashville, but I was in it, and it was rough. 

There were a lot of tears and going through savings. The house wasn’t selling. June of that year I came to Atlanta and in my prayer closet went, “I have done everything I’ve done everything you said I should do. I’m running out of funds. I need you God.” Sure enough two weeks later I got the call from Triple H asking me to come back to WWE. When he called me to come back on a Thursday, and I came back on that Monday. Then that meant my paycheck would come two weeks after that, which was exactly when I was running out of money. I share this because there are so many people living paycheck to paycheck and asking what they should do. It’s about praying. I was doing my part and all I could. Then sure enough that comes. Now being able to find the love of my life in Atlanta, what a journey. I want to share that now because I want to give people hope. I needed that four years to rebuild and time to heal and get through my childhood traumas, and now I’m in such a better place to be in a healthy relationship. 

Lilian Garcia and fiance Patrick Ellrich (Lilian Garcia )

You kept the man a mystery for a long time. And it turns out he is a former pro wrestler! What a small world. 

It’s pretty incredible. We now watch together, and it’s so much fun. I can say wrestling terms and he totally gets it. It was meant to be. I really wanted to come to get to know him and dive into each other without the public getting involved. Now that it’s out, which I’m excited to share. I was on another date for Bumble, my first Bumble ever. I knew it wasn’t going to work, but after a hike with him he asked if I wanted to go to the Proper Hop Taphouse in Roswell, Georgia. I walk in and meet the bartender and think he is cute. Then he came out to clean up the tables and him and my date strike up a conversation and find he owns the place. He goes back inside and comes back out and tells me that he used to wrestle for NWA Anarchy. He was tag team partners with Xavier Woods. They were actually tag team champions. In what world do you come across that? 

We had to take a picture and send it to Xavier. He asked me how my date was going. I told him the guy isn’t for me. Then we got our photo, and he sent it to Xavier. I showed up on Monday for Raw and Xavier said, “you met my boy Patrick.” His name is actually Patrick Ellrich, who went by “The Attraction” Hayden Young. He was telling me how great Patrick was, and I should definitely go on a date. Patrick told Xavier to say we looked cute together in the photo. I said to give him my number and send me the photo. We started texting. That was it. We’ve been inseparable ever since. We are engaged and planning to get married in 2026. It is wild how this whole thing unfolded. I’m down on my knees not only praying for finances, but to bring me the relationship I always dreamed of. I hope this gives people hope out there. You can get back on track no matter if you’re divorced, having money issues. Do what you can on your end. I got prepared for a relationship and understanding finances more. Do what you can do, and God will meet you the other way. 

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Natalya’s book just came out. You also have an incredible story to tell. Have you ever thought about writing one? 

Yes, people ask me that especially when I was doing my podcast “Chasing Glory.” We’ll see. It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot to unpack. I know there is that in me for sure and it will come out in the right timing. Things are still unfolding. I do want to share that when it comes to my dad passing away on Christmas day, there are a lot of people that will lose a loved one over the holidays and it’s hard for them to celebrate the holidays. I implore those people to please do the opposite. I celebrate the holidays even bigger. I do it in my father’s name. If I don’t have anything planned for Halloween night, I’m decorating. That’s how much now the holidays mean to me because I feel his presence. I want to share that. It can be tough when you lose someone during the holidays, but celebrate it even bigger. 

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, December 13, 8/7c, Peacock