WWE: Piper Niven stuns Charlotte Flair in shocking SmackDown upset of 2025

SmackDown this week had one of those “did that really just happen?” moments when Piper Niven pinned Charlotte Flair in the middle of the ring, pulling off what might just be the biggest upset of 2025 so far. For anyone who follows WWE closely, this was a shocker because on paper and throughout historical records, Flair’s numbers were seen to absolutely dwarf Niven’s, but when the final bell rang, the underdog’s hand was raised.

Charlotte Flair has one of the wildest resumes in wrestling history. She’s a record 18-time champion, with reigns across Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and even a Women’s Tag Team Title run. Not to mention that she’s also a two-time Royal Rumble winner (2020 and 2024), a multiple-time WrestleMania headliner, and has main-evented more pay-per-views than any other woman in WWE history. Heading into 2025, Flair’s win record sits at 18 wins with 16 singles wins, and the losses incurred were in tag team matches only, making her one of the most dominant competitors ever.

Piper Niven, on the other hand, came into this match with a very different story. She’s known more for her power moves and teamwork compared to singles. Her biggest success so far was winning the Women’s Tag Team Titles with Chelsea Green in 2023, and before this win, she hadn’t picked up a major singles victory on SmackDown in over a year. Her singles win percentage across televised matches has hovered around 46.1%, making this victory against Flair a massive leap forward.

The match itself was all about timing. With Alexa Bliss absent from ringside, Charlotte didn’t have her usual tag partner watching her back. This easily opened the door for Alba Fyre and Chelsea Green to interfere, and a crucial eye rake from Green left Flair wide open. Niven wasted no time, hit her with a devastating slam, and finally secured the three count, ultimately pinning an 18-time champion clean in the middle of the ring.

To put this upset into perspective:

• Royal Rumbles: Flair (2) vs. Niven (0)
• WrestleMania singles appearances: Flair (7) vs. Niven (0)
• Singles win rate in 2025: Flair (94%) vs. Niven (46.1%)

When you all stack the stats and compare them, it’s obvious why fans are buzzing. Niven just scored her biggest singles win in WWE, and against someone who’s practically been the measuring stick of women’s wrestling for a decade. This might not just be a one-off either, but the finish has already sparked talk of a possible Women’s Tag Team Title clash between Flair and Bliss versus Niven and Fyre, which fans are looking forward to.