Myles Borne is empowered.
At birth, Myles Borne was diagnosed with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, a potentially deadly condition that renders newborns unable to breathe outside the uterus. While he ultimately survived PPHN, it left him with a noticeable hearing impairment.
On this week’s episode of WWE NXT, Borne opened up about his struggle with being partially deaf. Despite them, Borne noted that he still aims to inspire those affected by similar conditions. Moreover, he plans to shock the world at NXT Battleground, when he challenges Oba Femi for the NXT Championship.
“We’ve been dancing around this whole thing for a while now, but I have a disability. I’m partially deaf. It affects my speech. It affects the way that I talk,” Borne said. “But let me tell you something. Last week, when I eliminated Ethan Page and Shawn Spears [in the number one contender’s battle royal], I heard y’all going crazy. I don’t want to just be known as the deaf kid. I want to be judged by my ability, not by my disability. And that’s what everyone with a disability wants to be judged by.
“So yeah, Battleground, I’m the underdog. I’m facing a dominant champion, but I’m fighting for all the kids out there who are struggling, fighting their own fight,” he continued. “To prove that you too can achieve success. Oba Femi, I hope you’re listening, because last week, they didn’t give me a shot, but look what happened. May 25th, they’re not giving me a shot, but I’m ready to shock the world again. I might be hard of hearing, but at Battleground I will hear [Mike] Rome announce me, Myles Borne, you’re new NXT Champion.”
« I’m fighting for all the kids out there who are struggling, fighting their own fight. »@mylesborne_wwe knows that he will be the underdog at #WWEBattleground, but he’s been fighting his whole life. ? #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/uERmAdKcmh
— WWE (@WWE) May 14, 2025
Borne, a former amateur wrestler, signed with WWE in 2022. Currently, he resides on the NXT brand as a part of the No Quarter Catch Crew.
Most recently, Borne outlasted 24 other men, including Ethan Page and Shawn Spears, in a battle royal to secure himself a shot at the NXT Championship. This week, Borne put his number one contendership status on the line against Page in singles competition. Fortunately for him, he defeated Page to keep his status intact.
