Doudrop will battle Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship next weekend at the Royal Rumble. This is the biggest match of her career to date.
Doudrop spoke with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT this past week about why this match is so significant for her.
Let’s go back 15 years when she was training to be a pro wrestler. She was (literally) ‘learning the ropes’ in a small warehouse in Linwood, Scotland.
“Way back when I first started training in a little warehouse in Linwood, Scotland, there really wasn’t many experienced girls in the UK wrestling scene at all.”
At the time, the UK was a hotbed for future women’s wrestling talent. She trained in Scotland with Nikki Storm, best known to WWE fans as Nikki ASH. Mischief and Erin Angel were down in England. They all knew about this up and comer in Ireland named Rebecca Knox.
“We were very aware of Becky at the time, she said.”Even back then she was at the top of her game, she recalls. “She was the girl our trainers were trying to get in and have matches with us so we could learn from her, get some kind of experience.”
She never did get a chance to work with Becky Lynch back then. Rebecca Knox was doing everything she could to make it over to the United States, which she ultimately did.
Doudrop made a name for herself as Piper Niven in the UK and Japan. She had impressive runs in ICW, EVE and Stardom.
15 years later, Piper Niven will finally cross paths with Becky Lynch on the big stage.
Doudrop vs. Becky Lynch goes down next weekend at the WWE Royal Rumble.
