Viper Talks About How She Almost Missed Out On Mae Young Classic

In an interview with PWInsider, Viper (Piper Niven) spoke about competing in a triple threat steel cage match for ICW’s Fear & Loathing event against Kay Lee Ray and Kasey, as well as nearly missing out on the chance to be in the WWE’s Mae Young Classic. Here are highlights:

On being part of Fear & Loathing: The Hydro show is a huge deal, this is like a homecoming, I’ve done so much in the last couple of years, but it always comes back to ICW – that is always going to be my home and no matter how far I stray, I always want to take all the good I’ve found around the world and bring it back for the fans to see here. It’s going to be amazing and I’m so honoured to be a part of this history making night, but to be perfectly straight with you, I am so terrified. I’ve done so many matches and so many stipulation matches, but this isn’t something you can prepare for – nobody has a 15-foot cage just sitting about, it’s going to be in at the deep end. I am very excited about it and I know that I’m in there with two of the best women perhaps not just in the UK, but the world – I’m more than confident we’re going to put on a spectacular show.”

On being part of ICW: “I feel like every year we do such amazing things that there becomes that expectation and pressure as to what we’ll do this time. It is getting literally insane the things we are doing. ICW is at the forefront of wrestling, we are known worldwide. I don’t think it’s going to be long before every single country knows about us. I’m really proud to be part of that, we are forging a way for so many other girl and guy wrestlers – ICW is the small company that could and did. It is a lot bigger than it was before, but I still feel the pride that we are that underground and independent company – we are always very anti-establishment and against the man – the cheeky scamp of independent wrestling.”

On almost missing out on the Mae Young Classic: “So many rumours and Chinese Whispers go around in wrestling, I had heard about the Mae Young Classic but I was actually in talks with ITV at the time about a World of Sport contract. It kind of put me in an impasse as to what to do, I had an offer from something which was actually happening, while all I had heard about the WWE thing was rumours – I wasn’t really sure what was going on. I thought I couldn’t really say no to something that was going on right now, so went ahead with the World of Sport deal. We did the special, which was very well received, and then I reckon that everyone who had went with World of Sport felt like they had made their beds with WWE – it was quite clear it would have to be one or the other and we made our peace with that. When the series fell through we were all absolutely devastated, I had heard about the names that were taking part in the Classic and when I knew it was happening I was so gutted – it was the lowest part of my career, I thought I’d missed two boats – I feel no shame in saying when I heard the news that World of Sport wasn’t taking place I cried my eyes out. One of my friends who is also in wrestling told me to send an email and see what happens. That’s what I did, I asked them if they were still looking and thankfully they were, and it turned out for the best. I think you could say a new universe were able to set eyes on me. It has certainly opened up a lot of doors.”