We last saw Piper Niven on the August 22 edition of SmackDown, taped in Dublin, Ireland. On the Emerald Isle, she picked up a win over WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair, an indication that she might have been in line for a significant singles push.
During Niven's absence, her tag team partner, Chelsea Green, has continued the "Secret Hervice" gimmick, explaining the Scottish professional wrestler's absence by saying she's on a "top-secret special assignment." We've even seen the former Women's United States Champion accepting applications for a temporary replacement.
Unfortunately, it was recently reported that Niven has suffered a serious neck injury, with speculation running rampant that it could be a career-ending injury, not dissimilar to what ended Big E's time in the ring.
Now, Fightful Select has shared an update. "We’ve got a bit of an update on Piper Niven’s injury. We’re told that while the injury is serious, those we spoke to believe she will return. It’s a neck injury, and she’s still awaiting an official diagnosis. We will respect the privacy of the performer beyond that," the site explains.
This comes after Wrestling Observer Live's Bryan Alvarez said, "There’s concern that it could be career-ending, so whatever it is, it’s serious. Hopefully, she can come back, but she is out due to injury."
Piper Niven first made her mark in WWE as a standout in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017. She later became a focal point of NXT UK, before arriving on the main roster in 2021.
She managed to survive being rebranded as "Doudrop" by former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, and has since found plenty of success alongside Green.
"Not going to lie, at first they were like, 'Your new name is going to be Doudrop,' and I was like, 'K.' But I'm the type of person who takes an opportunity and runs with it," Niven said in 2021. "It doesn't matter what it is. In this business, opportunities aren't necessarily plenty, so I just took that ball and ran with it."
"It's all about what you make of it. So far I think it's been pretty good. I just get all my angry out in the ring," she added with a laugh. "So all that's left is happiness."
Stay tuned for updates on Niven's status as we have them.