The Icon Sting’s Legacy Continues: Steven Borden Makes 2025 In-Ring Debut for AEW In A Dark Match
Less than a year after we all watched Sting in the ring for the final time, it appears the wrestling bug didn’t just bite his son—it completely swallowed him whole. Steven Borden, the son of the Icon himself, has officially made his AEW debut in a dark match.
A Quiet Debut With Loud Implications
It didn’t happen with pyrotechnics blasting or a surprise run-in on live television—at least, not yet. Steven Borden stepped into the ring for a dark match before the “Winter is Coming” edition of AEW Dynamite in Atlanta. For those not fluent in industry speak, a dark match is for the live crowd only; it’s the reps you take when the cameras aren’t broadcasting to millions. It’s where you cut your teeth.
His opponent was Kieran Gray, a fellow trainee under the wing of Darby Allin. If that name sounds familiar, it should. Gray was the same man Borden faced in his first-ever singles match just a month prior. AEW is clearly keeping him in a controlled environment with people he trusts, which is exactly how you should handle a prospect with a last name this heavy.
From The Gridiron To The Squared Circle
The timeline here is genuinely fascinating. If you rewind the clock to early 2023, Steven Borden was a civilian. He played tight end at the University of Kentucky, and he was working a regular job. By all accounts, he was content leaving the face paint and baseball bats to his old man.
Then came AEW Revolution 2024. We all remember the visuals. Sting’s retirement match. The sons are getting involved. Steven dressed as the Wolfpac version of his father, hitting Stinger Splashes in the corner. It was supposed to be a nice send-off cameo. Instead, it seems like that adrenaline rush was the only sales pitch he needed.
Since then, he’s been training with Allin. And if you know anything about Allin, you know his training isn’t exactly doing jumping jacks in a climate-controlled dojo. It’s gritty. It’s real. Allin has gone on record saying Borden is “good” and can take this as far as he wants. Considering Darby isn’t known for blowing smoke just to be polite, that’s a ringing endorsement.
The Poetry Of “Winter Is Coming”
There is a thick layer of irony, or perhaps destiny, in Borden making his debut at “Winter is Coming.” Wrestling loves its callbacks, and this one writes itself. It was five years ago, at this exact themed event in December 2020, that Sting made his shocking AEW debut. Now, half a decade later, the son walks through the same curtain.
It’s easy to be cynical about nepotism in wrestling. We see second and third-generation stars flood the rosters of WWE and AEW constantly. But there is an emotional hook here that is hard to ignore. Sting spent decades being the hero for everyone else’s kids. Watching his own son decide to carry that torch, after years of claiming he wouldn’t, adds a layer of genuine human drama to the spectacle.
What Comes Next For The Borden Legacy?
Physically, he has the tools. He’s got the size and the athletic background. He has the best mentors money can’t buy. But he also has a spotlight that will be unforgiving. If he botches a move, people won’t say he’s a green rookie; they’ll say he’s not his dad.
But for now, let’s just appreciate the moment. Whether Steven Borden becomes a main event player or just enjoys a brief run, one thing is certain: the wrestling business has a funny way of pulling you back in, no matter how hard you try to stay away. Welcome to the show, kid. Hope you brought your bat.
