Global Wrestling Injury Report: Vaquer Nears SummerSlam Return as Niven and Green Clear Major Medical Hurdles

The grueling physical toll of professional and amateur wrestling often dominates headlines, but the summer of 2026 is being defined by a wave of remarkable medical triumphs. Across both WWE and United World Wrestling, top-tier athletes are clearing significant surgical hurdles, turning potentially career-threatening setbacks into stories of resilience and modern medical success.

At the forefront of these positive developments is WWE's Stephanie Vaquer, whose timeline for a return to the ring has rapidly accelerated. Vaquer was sidelined in late April after suffering a legitimate grade two acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain in her shoulder, an injury that forced the company to abruptly pause a highly anticipated creative program with Liv Morgan.[1][3]

Initial internal estimates suggested Vaquer would be out for the "foreseeable future," but her rehabilitation has progressed much faster than anticipated. Medical clearance is now approaching, and creative teams are actively preparing for her reintroduction to the active roster. Industry insiders report that WWE is specifically targeting the weeks surrounding SummerSlam in early August for her comeback, a move that would provide a massive boost to the Raw women's division.[1][2][3]

While Vaquer nears the end of her recovery, former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Piper Niven has just successfully navigated the most critical phase of hers. Niven had been absent from television since the summer of 2025 due to severe cervical stenosis and pinched nerves, a condition that left her future in the industry entirely uncertain.[4][5]

In May, Niven underwent an anterior discectomy in California. The complex surgical procedure involved removing a damaged spinal disk to relieve cord compression and fusing two cervical vertebrae together with a bone graft and stabilizing hardware. Niven reported feeling immediate relief from her chronic pain upon waking up from the three-hour operation.[4]

The outlook grew even brighter during Niven's six-week post-operative checkup. Sharing X-rays with her supporters, she confirmed that the hardware was secure and the vertebrae were "fusing nicely." While she cautioned fans that her full return to the ring will take a long time—and acknowledged the reality that she may never wrestle again—her optimistic tone and successful fusion mark a massive personal victory.[5]

In another major medical win for the WWE locker room, Chelsea Green recently resolved a terrifying health issue that had plagued her for a decade. Green revealed that she had been suffering from undiagnosed Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT), an electrical disruption in the heart's upper chambers that causes a sudden, erratic, and dangerously fast heartbeat.[6][7]

The condition reached a boiling point earlier this year when an SVT episode pushed Green's resting heart rate to 228 beats per minute for nearly 15 minutes. Doctors were finally able to catch the arrhythmia on monitors and swiftly performed a three-hour ablation procedure to correct the faulty electrical pathways. Green reported being "on the mend" immediately after the minimally invasive surgery and has already resumed light television duties.[6][7]

The wave of resilience extends beyond sports entertainment and into the amateur freestyle ranks. Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hildebrandt recently faced a devastating end to her 2026 season after suffering a severe adductor tear—ripping the muscle off the bone in two places—along with accompanying groin and abdominal injuries at the U.S. Open Championships.[8]

The injury was a bitter pill for Hildebrandt, who had just reversed her retirement decision to make a run at the 53kg weight class. However, rather than letting the severe muscle tear dictate the end of her career, the four-time world championship medalist has publicly vowed to complete a full rehabilitation. Citing a renewed passion for discovering her limits within the sport, Hildebrandt has officially set her sights on a triumphant return for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.[8]