WWE SmackDown live on USA Network from the Kia Center in Orlando, Fl
It looks like we have some encouraging news regarding Piper Niven’s health.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, Niven is currently sidelined with a neck injury and is waiting for an official diagnosis. While there was early fear that the situation could be very serious — even career-threatening — WWE sources now believe she is expected to return to action at some point down the road.
We previously noted the initial concern backstage this week that the injury might force Niven out long-term, but the latest update suggests her outlook is far more optimistic.
Niven has not competed since the August 22nd episode of SmackDown.
This is a positive turn for the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, who has been gaining momentum in the women’s division. Hopefully, we’ll see her back in a WWE ring sooner rather than later.
There’s some troubling news regarding WWE star Piper Niven. According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Radio, Niven is currently dealing with an undisclosed injury that may be far more serious than initially believed. While details remain scarce, Alvarez mentioned concern that the setback could even be career-threatening.
Niven has been absent from television since the August 22 episode of SmackDown. In her absence, creative plans had to be shifted. On the September 19 edition of SmackDown, Chelsea Green — who has been paired with Niven in recent months — instead teamed up with Alba Fyre to challenge for the Women’s Tag Team Championships. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss retained their titles in that bout.
The injury also altered Clash in Paris, where Niven was originally scheduled to team with Fyre against Flair and Bliss. Instead, the match was changed to Alexa Bliss vs. Chelsea Green, with Bliss walking away victorious.
For now, Niven is said to be in Dublin, Ireland as she recovers. WWE has yet to issue an official update, and with speculation swirling about the severity of her injury, fans are left waiting to see what the future holds for the Scottish star.
Niven has been a steady presence in WWE’s women’s division over the past few years, and the possibility of a serious or even career-ending injury is sobering news. Here’s hoping we’ll get more clarity soon — and that “Doudrop” can make a healthy return to the ring.
WWE SmackDown airs live tonight in the United States on the USA Network and Netflix for international fans from the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio
WWE SmackDown airs live tonight at 8pm ET on the USA Network in the United States and on Netflix for international fans from the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
WWE fans in Chicago got the surprise they’d been waiting on for years last night—though most of them probably saw it coming. AJ Lee officially returned on SmackDown, stepping in to help her husband CM Punk when Becky Lynch tried to take him out in the main event segment.
From the second the show kicked off, chants of “AJ Lee” echoed through the arena, and it didn’t take long for those rumors to become reality. Between the Chicago setting and the Punk/Lynch confrontation being saved for the main event, all the signs were there that WWE had something big up their sleeve.
Adding to the excitement, Triple H took to social media after the show, posting a video of Lee signing her brand-new WWE contract just hours before walking back through the curtain. In the clip, AJ is dressed head-to-toe in black to keep her return under wraps, sharing a quick moment with The Game where she expressed how happy she was to be back in the fold.
Now that she’s officially on the roster, speculation is already heating up about her in-ring future. The leading rumor points toward a blockbuster mixed tag match: AJ Lee & CM Punk vs. Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins at the upcoming WrestlePalooza, the first-ever ESPN and WWE crossover event. That would not only pit two of wrestling’s most prominent real-life couples against each other, but it would also mark AJ and Becky’s first-ever showdown—something fans never thought they’d see given how their WWE careers never overlapped.
Beyond the dream-match possibilities, AJ’s return carries plenty of emotional weight. The former Divas Champion was a trailblazer for WWE’s women’s division, inspiring a generation of wrestlers who now fill out today’s roster. Seeing her share the ring with those she helped influence will be a full-circle moment that could reshape the women’s scene moving forward.
One thing’s for sure—AJ Lee being back in WWE is a game-changer, and if last night’s reaction in Chicago is any indication, the fans couldn’t be more ready for it.
WWE fans in Chicago witnessed a moment many thought they’d never see again — AJ Lee is back. After more than a decade away from the company, the former Divas Champion shocked the wrestling world with a surprise return on the September 5 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.
The stage was set in the main event segment, where World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins introduced his wife, Becky Lynch. “The Man” wasted no time trashing CM Punk and his hometown, drawing the expected chorus of boos. The Chicago crowd, however, had other plans, drowning out Lynch with loud chants for AJ Lee.
That’s when business picked up. Punk came out to confront Lynch directly, branding Rollins a coward for “hiding behind his wife.” After a heated exchange, Lynch slapped Punk across the face, prompting him to fire back with a pointed line: while he’d never hit a woman, he knew someone who would.
Right on cue, the familiar music of AJ Lee hit to a massive ovation. Sprinting to the ring, Lee laid out Lynch with a spear and a rapid-fire flurry of offense before sending her retreating up the ramp. The emotional reunion of Punk and AJ in the ring closed out the show, as Rollins and Lynch fumed from the stage.
This shocking return all but solidifies WWE’s rumored plans for a blockbuster mixed tag team clash. AJ Lee & CM Punk are now on a collision course with Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch at WrestlePalooza on September 20. The feud stems back to Clash in Paris, where Lynch cost Punk the World Heavyweight Championship by interfering on Rollins’ behalf. AJ’s return evens the odds and injects major star power into one of WWE’s hottest storylines.
For fans who have been waiting years to see AJ Lee back inside a WWE ring, the moment finally came — and it couldn’t have happened in a more fitting city than Chicago.
WWE SmackDown airs live tonight on the USA Network for fans in the United States and on Netflix internationally from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois just outside of Chicago.
WWE SmackDown airs tonight on USA Network from the LDLC Arena in Lyon, France.
Final stop en route to Clash In Paris on Sunday.
WWE SmackDown Friday at 8/7C on USA Network and Netflix internationally from 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland
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