Add as a preferred source on Google Piper Niven remains away from WWE, but she has finally revealed the reason behind her absence from the company’s programming.
In a post on X, Niven confirmed that she underwent an anterior discectomy, a surgery performed to treat issues such as herniated discs, compressed nerves, or pressure on the cervical spinal cord.
Niven said she was in California for the procedure and thanked everyone who helped her over the past eight months, describing the period as “difficult and scary.”
“I’m so grateful to wake up from surgery already feeling better.”
Piper Niven recently underwent a anterior discectomy
— WrestlingWorldCC (@WrestlingWCC) May 14, 2026
“I am so grateful to wake up from surgery already feeling better and I know I am coming out the other side of this so much stronger for the experience.” pic.twitter.com/WHOSgDW8wQ
Niven last wrestled on the August 22, 2025 episode of SmackDown, when she defeated Charlotte Flair. Since then, the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion had been kept out of the ring due to a neck injury.
There is still no official timetable for Niven’s in-ring return. According to Cleveland Clinic, a full recovery from this type of cervical surgery can take six months to a year, though each case depends on the individual’s medical progress.
Niven had recently been appearing as “Slaygent P,” aligned with Chelsea Green’s group, after winning the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship alongside Green in 2023.