Piper Niven sidelined with neck injury, SmackDown future uncertain

WWE performer Piper Niven has been sidelined since late August with a serious neck injury that is under medical review, leaving her in-ring future uncertain and disrupting storylines on Friday Night SmackDown. Niven was last seen in action on the August 22 episode of SmackDown, when she secured a surprise singles win over Charlotte Flair, a result that had set up a tag title opportunity the following week. That match was canceled on short notice after Niven did not appear, and she has been off WWE programming since.

People familiar with the situation said both Niven and WWE’s medical staff are taking a cautious approach as they evaluate treatment options, noting that determining the right course of action for a neck injury can be complex and may take time. Those sources added that the company removed Niven from its travel schedule once the issues were discovered. WWE and Niven have not released a detailed public statement on the severity of the injury, and doctors have not announced a prognosis.

The injury has had immediate creative consequences. Niven had been part of a SmackDown faction led by Chelsea Green and including Alba Fyre. Green stepped into the tag title picture in...