Returning WWE Star Recalls Feeling Like A "Pioneer"

Making the move to WWE's main roster was a scary experience for this wrestler.

Doudrop wwe
WWE.com

Going from a settled gig on the NXT UK brand to working WWE's main roster was an eye-opening experience for Piper Niven/Doudrop.

The Scot told 'My San Antonio' that she felt like a "pioneer" by making the jump, because nobody else had ever done it before; workers had gone from NXT UK to NXT in the United States, but no-one had leapt from the British brand to Raw or SmackDown without passing through NXT (even briefly) first.

The fact this happened during a global pandemic meant Piper's husband couldn't come along for the ride with her. So, she lived alone in Florida for six months, and couldn't even rely on support from friends because few were in town at the time.

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Niven said she was just "literally winging it" and learning how to adjust on the fly. Then, WWE hurled the new Doudrop name/character at her, and she had to roll with that too. On that, Piper admitted that she didn't really understand who Doudrop was supposed to be. She didn't even know what the name meant!

WWE dropped the moniker at Royal Rumble 2023. She's Piper Niven once more.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.