August 23, 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of Lilian Garcia‘s WWE debut. She got her start as a ring announcer, but she was also part of many memorable storyline moments in her career.
One of the most infamous moments saw Triple H chase her from the ring after she angered him by referring to him as a “former” champion.
Garcia spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard about that moment. Garcia said fans always ask her about it. She’s still hesitant to share if it was a prank or not because it adds to the magic of pro wrestling. However, she did dismiss the rumor that it was done because she needed the night off for a family event.
Lilian Garcia on ‘former champion’ Triple H chasing her out of the arena
“I’m going to tell you this much, but I’m not going to give it away [completely] because it has really been a funny one. The thing was, somebody had said that the reason that I did that was because I needed to have the night off for some family event. And that is the most ridiculous thing,” Garcia said. “I don’t know where anybody got that.
“I actually was backstage for the rest of the show, so it was definitely not for that. But it was always fun to have these kind of moments where people would be like, ‘Wait, was that planned? Was that written or was that not written?’ That’s when you know you have people,” she noted, “so I want to keep that one the way it is there.”
Time flies
Garcia said that she recently reminisced about her career with Triple H, who she still stays in contact with. They both shared their surprise and excitement about how much time has passed, but she highlighted how fun it’s all been.
“It’s funny, though, because Triple H and I were actually texting yesterday. We were talking about the 25th [anniversary of Lilian’s debut]. He goes, ‘Oh my God, time flies. I can’t believe it’s been 25 years.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, and I just want to thank you because you were a big part of that.’ When I first got there, working with him in so many different angles, even backstage. I’ll never forget him and Chyna, and I was just like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m so scared right now,’ as I was interviewing them. But yeah, it was just a lot of fun.”
Watch our full interview with Lilian Garcia below:
Read More: Lilian Garcia Reflects On Milestone WWE Anniversary, Co-Announcing Cameo With Samantha Irvin
