WWE: Piper Niven Provides Another Update on Her Neck Injury & Surgery Recovery, Backstage Update on Why First Hour of 6/19 WWE SmackDown Show Aired Commercial-Free, Ulka Sasaki WWE Excursion Update

Piper Niven Provides Another Update on Her Neck Injury & Surgery Recovery

As noted before, Piper Niven has been out of action for WWE since this past August due to a neck injury. Niven had underwent anterior discetomy surgery this past May to remove a damaged or herniated disc in her neck.

Niven provided an update on Thursday on Twitter stating that everything is fusing nicely six weeks after her surgery and her neck is “straighter than my sexual preferences.”

Neck straighter than my sexual preferences. https://t.co/4QhbbIEXvb

— Slaygent P (@PiperNivenWWE) June 25, 2026

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Backstage Update on Why First Hour of June 19 WWE SmackDown Show Aired Commercial-Free

The June 19th WWE SmackDown show in Kansas City, Missouri was notable for the first hour of the show airing commercial free on USA Network and featured the Undisputed WWE Championship Special Guest Referee match of Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes (c) with Sami Zayn as the special guest referee.

WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that the reason why the first hour of WWE’s SmackDown show that week aired commercial free was due to NBA Finals-related reasons.

It was reported that both WWE and USA Network officials made the decision well in advance for the first hour of the show to air commercial-free had this year’s NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks went to a Game 7. This potential Game 7 would have gone head-to-head against WWE’s show that night, which ended up not happening due to the Knicks closing out the series in five games.

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Ulka Sasaki WWE Excursion Update

As noted before, Pro Wrestling NOAH talent Ulka Sasaki traveled to the United States this past February to begin his excursion for WWE’s NXT brand.

False Finish reported that their sources stated that WWE officials current plans are for Sasaki to make an appearance on an episode of WWE EVOLVE in the coming weeks.