What Happened
After scoring a major upset by defeating Charlotte Flair on the August 22 SmackDown from Dublin, former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Piper Niven has been noticeably absent from television. This absence has now been confirmed to be due to an injury.
Injury & Timeline
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According to Fightful Select, WWE insiders report that Niven has been injured for about a month.
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However, the severity of the injury remains unknown, and there’s no official return date as of now.
Recent Appearances & Role Adjustments
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Niven was last seen at the NXT Heatwave Premium Live Event on August 24, arriving at ringside alongside Alba Fyre, Chelsea Green, and Ethan Page for a mixed tag team match. Wrestling Inc.
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In her stead, Alba Fyre has stepped in as Chelsea Green’s tag partner most recently, in the challenge for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on the September 19 SmackDown. The match ended with Flair & Alexa Bliss retaining their titles.
What’s Next
At this point, WWE has not provided an official update on whether Niven’s absence will be short-term or long-term. Her injury’s nature is still undetermined, meaning fans will have to wait for more information to know when she might be back in action.
My Opinion
The victory of Piper Niven over Charlotte Flair was a momentous occasion, which would give her a good storyline with higher stakes. She is suddenly missing through injury, and this derails her momentum-building plans. There is no definite schedule of when she will be back, so it is not yet known how the WWE will keep her relevant and whether or not the next time she will appear will be as good as she was promising. When the injuries strike right at the point of gaining momentum, it never comes easy, and Niven and her team will be forced to take the comeback very well, both physically and creatively.
