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NXT's Newest Superstar Myles Borne Making History After Fans Discover He's Deaf
From a young age, Borne was inspired by former wrestlers such as Anthony Robles, who overcame his own physical challenges.
NXT’s newest Superstar is already proving to be an inspiration to many. After seven solid matches on NXT Level Up, the WWE Universe heard Myles Borne speak for the first time as he cut a promo about his upcoming match with Andre Chase. Fans noted that it seemed Borne was speaking with a slight speech impediment, which prompted research from viewers, many of whom then took to social media to share their support.
WWE fans who did a bit of digging discovered Borne — real name David Bostian — was diagnosed with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn, as revealed in an article from "Wilmington Star-News" when Borne was 14. The disease prevents blood from flowing correctly to the lungs, meaning he was unable to carry oxygen to the rest of his body. According to Borne’s parents, they were told he only had a 20 percent chance to live and he even died twice on their way to emergency treatment.
Thankfully, PPHN is a treatable condition. However, one of the major side effects of the treatment is loss of hearing, which resulted in Borne being deaf from a very young age. According to his mother, he learned to read lips early — as young as 2 years old — and used a hearing aid in school. Her son being so astute at lip reading from such an early age was a huge relief. “That was amazing to me. Dr. [Sherif] Botros was in tears and we were all in tears because he had been reading lips so well at such a young age," Borne’s mother, Bobbi Bostian, explained.
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In high school, his parents successfully appealed a school rule that said athletes couldn’t have any metal in their headgear, which then allowed Borne to wrestle with a hearing aid. Borne’s coaches claim that his disability actually worked to his advantage in wrestling because he was a better visual learner than the other kids and wrestling is a visual sport.
In March 2022, Borne was signed to the WWE through a WWE tryout. He had about one year of experience in the ring, but still managed to hold his own against some of NXT’s finest Superstars such as Andre Chase and Duke Hudson. Although he has been unsuccessful in his in-ring challenges thus far, the matches are competitive and entertaining.
The WWE Universe took to social media to congratulate Borne on his debut and let him know that he is an inspiration to many. One fan even mentioned he should cut future promos in sign language!
Borne, who was inspired himself by the one-legged NCAA Champion wrestler Anthony Robles, had this to say of his hero: “When I was little, I used to make excuses about wrestling and feel bad for myself, and when I saw him I was like, ‘He can't walk or really hold onto his opponent at all, and he's out there wrestling and wins the title.' That just inspired me to work even harder because if he doesn't make excuses I shouldn't either.”
While he is still looking for his first victory in NXT, the WWE Universe can see the potential, determination, and raw skill in Borne and we’re sure it won’t be long before he starts winning matches and finding his footing. For now, you can watch NXT Tuesdays on the USA Network and NXT Level Up on Peacock to catch Myles Borne in action!
