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Steven Borden Expected To Sign With AEW

Posted by admin on December 17th, 2025

Steven Borden, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Sting, is reportedly expected to be under contract with AEW in the near future following positive internal feedback and public praise from AEW President Tony Khan.

Borden recently made his AEW in-ring debut in a dark match, where he competed against Kiran Gray, another trainee associated with Darby Allin. While the match itself did not air on television, those backstage reportedly took notice of Borden’s performance. Speaking to Fightful Select afterward, Tony Khan offered high praise for what he saw.

“I thought he was excellent. He’s doing a great job. Very exciting in my opinion,” Khan said.

According to Fightful Select, an AEW source close to the situation indicated that Borden is expected to be signed sooner rather than later, assuming a deal has not already been finalized. Additional sources within the company also spoke favorably about Borden, specifically pointing to his in-ring progress, overall presentation, and impressive physique. One source jokingly remarked they would trade years of success from their NFL team just to look like him, underscoring how highly his physical condition is viewed internally.

This is not Borden’s first involvement with AEW programming. He previously appeared at AEW Revolution during Sting’s retirement match against The Young Bucks. In that appearance, Borden portrayed the Wolfpac version of Sting, while his brother, Garrett Borden, appeared as Surfer Sting. The moment served as a symbolic passing of the torch and gave fans an early glimpse of Sting’s sons on a major AEW stage.

Before transitioning into professional wrestling, Steven Borden was an accomplished athlete in his own right. He played tight end for the University of Kentucky during the 2013 and 2014 college football seasons, gaining experience at a high level of competition. Outside of wrestling, he has also built a career in fitness, serving as the general manager of SAGA Fitness since July 2021.

While no official announcement has been made regarding his contract status, the growing praise from AEW leadership and talent suggests that Steven Borden is being positioned as a long-term project for the company. If signed, AEW would be adding another second-generation name with both athletic credentials and a strong connection to one of the most respected legacies in wrestling history.

Steven Borden Expected To Sign With AEW

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Leon Slater Earns NXT Championship Match At New Year’s Evil

Posted by admin on December 17th, 2025

Leon Slater is officially headed to New Year’s Evil after earning a major victory in the main event of Tuesday’s episode of NXT.

Slater defeated Joe Hendry, Dion Lennox, and Myles Borne in a four-way match to become the number one contender for Oba Femi’s NXT Championship. The finish came after Hendry and Lennox spilled to the outside and began brawling, taking themselves out of the equation. With the ring cleared, Slater capitalized by connecting with a swanton 450 splash on Borne to secure the pinfall victory. The show closed with NXT Champion Oba Femi making his way to the ring, where he and Slater stood face-to-face, setting the stage for their upcoming title match on January 6.

The match was booked following a shift in plans coming out of NXT Deadline. At that event, Je’Von Evans won the Iron Survivor Challenge, which initially guaranteed him a championship opportunity against Femi at New Year’s Evil. However, Evans chose not to wait. On the following episode of NXT, he interrupted an in-ring segment involving Ricky Saints and Oba Femi and made it clear he wanted his title shot immediately. Femi accepted, and the two met later that night in the main event.

Evans appeared to have the championship within reach, but interference from Saints changed the outcome. Upset that Evans had jumped the line and received a title match before him, Saints dragged the referee out of the ring to stop the count. Evans responded by diving onto Saints on the outside, but the damage had already been done. The momentum shifted back to Femi, who took advantage and retained the NXT Championship.

With Evans having already cashed in his opportunity, NXT General Manager Ava announced that a new number one contender would be determined. Last week, she revealed that Hendry, Lennox, Borne, and Slater, the four competitors who did not win the Iron Survivor Challenge at Deadline, would face off in a four-way match to decide Femi’s challenger for New Year’s Evil.

Slater now steps into the biggest singles match of his NXT career. As TNA X Division Champion, he has already made waves across promotions, and his victory further positions him as a rising star to watch. Whether he can dethrone Oba Femi at New Year’s Evil remains to be seen, but the path to January 6 is now clear.

Current NXT New Year’s Evil Card

NXT Championship: Oba Femi defends against Leon Slater
NXT Women’s Championship: Jacy Jayne defends against Kendal Grey

Leon Slater Earns NXT Championship Match At New Year’s Evil

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Thea Hail Title Win Reportedly Unplanned

Posted by admin on December 17th, 2025

Thea Hail Title Win Reportedly Unplanned – As noted, Thea Hail defeated Blake Monroe to win the NXT Women’s North American Championship this week on NXT, but new reporting suggests the title change was not the original plan.

The finish of the match immediately raised questions among viewers. The referee counted the pinfall after Hail’s springboard coffin drop, but replays showed Monroe appeared to get a hand up before the three-count, though not clearly her shoulder. Adding to the confusion, Monroe’s entrance music briefly played after the match before being cut, and there was a noticeable delay before Hail’s music finally hit. The visual presentation left many fans wondering whether the outcome was intentional or the result of a mistake.

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Thea Hail’s championship win was not the planned finish. The report stated that NXT sources confirmed Monroe was originally set to retain the Women’s North American Championship. Once the error was recognized, there was reportedly a scramble backstage as officials and creative attempted to process what had happened and figure out next steps.

The report further noted that creative plans had already been laid out with Hail not holding the championship. Because of that, the unexpected title change forced rapid adjustments to ongoing storylines. Those changes reportedly impacted creative plans involving multiple talents over the coming weeks, as the company worked to realign angles that were already in motion.

Fightful also reported that steps were expected to be taken as early as the same night to address the situation on-screen. No immediate blame was placed on any individual involved in the finish, as the focus backstage was said to be on damage control and revising plans going forward rather than assigning fault.

As of now, WWE has not publicly commented on the situation or clarified how the title change will be handled moving forward. Whether NXT chooses to acknowledge the confusion on television, book a rematch, or pivot fully into Hail’s reign remains to be seen. Regardless, the unplanned nature of the finish has made Hail’s title win one of the most talked-about moments on NXT, and it adds an unusual wrinkle to the Women’s North American Championship picture heading into the holiday season.

Thea Hail Title Win Reportedly Unplanned

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Thea Hail Wins NXT Women’s North American Championship After Controversial Finish

Posted by admin on December 17th, 2025

Thea Hail Wins NXT Women’s North American Championship After Controversial Finish – Thea Hail is the new NXT Women’s North American Champion following a title match on tonight’s episode of NXT that ended with a disputed pinfall against Blake Monroe.

The championship bout opened with a measured pace, as Hail relied on technical wrestling to gain an early advantage. She focused her offense on Monroe’s arm, attempting to limit the champion’s power and striking ability. Monroe weathered the early pressure and shifted momentum by driving Hail into the turnbuckles, then connecting with a spinning side slam that nearly ended the match.

From there, Monroe took control by continuing to target Hail’s arm. She applied a cross arm breaker using the ropes for leverage, forcing the referee to issue a warning before breaking the hold. Monroe then transitioned into a cobra clutch with a body scissors, grounding Hail and methodically wearing her down in the center of the ring. The champion appeared firmly in control as the match moved into its later stages.

Hail eventually mounted a comeback, firing off a series of clotheslines to regain momentum. She followed with a standing powerslam and a somersault senton, shifting the energy of the match in her favor. With Monroe staggered, Hail climbed to the ropes and connected with a springboard coffin drop. She covered Monroe, and the referee counted to three, awarding Hail the victory and the NXT Women’s North American Championship.

However, the finish immediately drew attention for the wrong reasons. Replays shown after the match appeared to indicate that Monroe may have lifted her shoulder before the referee’s hand hit the mat for the third count. Despite the apparent issue visible on replay, the decision was not reversed, and Hail was officially declared the new champion.

The moment came across as confusing, and the camera caught Monroe looking visibly shocked after the bell. The way the finish unfolded gave the impression that there may have been a mistake in the execution of the ending. Regardless of the controversy, the title change stands, and Thea Hail begins her reign as NXT Women’s North American Champion under unexpected circumstances.

Thea Hail Wins NXT Women’s North American Championship After Controversial Finish

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WWE’s Finn Balor Offers Health Update On Tag Partner JD McDonagh Following Surgery

Posted by admin on December 17th, 2025

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

It’s been an up and down 2025 for Judgment Day’s JD McDonagh, though for awhile it was looking up as he and Finn Balor reigned as WWE World Tag Team Champions for nearly four months before dropping them to AJ Styles and Dragon Lee in October. Though McDonagh continued to wrestle regularly in the matches following the loss, he disappeared from the ring after the November 24 episode of “Raw,” and recently announced he would be out of action after having surgery on his right hand.

On Tuesday, Balor provided some good news regarding McDonagh’s state of mind. Taking to X, Balor revealed he had just returned home from checking in on his stablemate and tag team partner. While he didn’t provide any information on how McDonagh’s surgery went nor a timetable for his return, Balor was able to confirm that McDonagh would make a full recovery, and noted that his fellow Irishman was in “good spirits.”

I just got home this very second from checking on my dear friend @jd_mcdonagh & I can confirm that he is in good spirit’s & will make a full recovery 👍

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) December 17, 2025

It would be understandable if McDonagh was a bit down in the dumps, as he began the year suffering another injury during a January 27 “Raw” tag match involving him and Dominik Mysterio taking on the War Raiders. While attempting a moonsault to the floor, McDonagh’s follow through saw him crash into the announcer’s table, resulting in him breaking several ribs and even puncturing one of his lungs; despite that, McDonagh managed to finish the match before going to the hospital. It would take him nearly three months to recover before he made his return in April.