WWE NXT's Myles Borne Says He Had No Idea He Was Winning Men's North American Title

On February 24, Myles Borne shocked the "WWE NXT" Universe, and Ethan Page, when he overcame the odds to capture the NXT North American Championship. According to Borne, the title win came as a surprise to himself too, especially given its late notice from WWE officials.

"At first, they never told me anything. I knew nothing," Borne told "No-Contest Wrestling." "The day of the match, I know nothing. It was a long haul. Four years of busting my tail and working hard. I just want a shot. I just want my moment, So yeah, that day, I knew nothing. My family's in town and they're asking me. I'm like, 'I honestly can't tell you an answer. I don't know.' That night, when we had that match, that was an awesome match.

"... The moment I hit Borne Again and it was one, two, three, the crowd just blew up. I didn't even get a chance to soak it all in yet," he continued. "He hands me the strap. I'm sitting there thinking, 'Wow, the company, they believe in me.' This is awesome. This is a big responsibility and they put it in my hands. To me, that's something I couldn't be more thankful for."

Borne's championship win followed a flurry of chaos which involved outside characters such as Vanity Project, Hank and Tank, Ricky Saints, and then-NXT Champion Joe Hendry. In the end, an exposed turnbuckle allowed Borne to daze the defending champion, Ethan Page, then drive him into the canvas with Borne Again for the three-count pinfall.

At the time, Page held the record for the most successful NXT North American Championship defenses in one reign. So far in his respective run, Borne has four televised defenses under his belt, with DarkState's Saquon Shugars at his latest challenger on "NXT."

Taking a more extensive look back on his crowning moment, Borne noted that his mother, who watched on from among the crowd that night, was fully convinced that his title bout would result in a loss. Fortunately for her, she was wrong, and a post-match celebration unfolded.

"I remember I rolled out and go to my mother," Borne said. "Literally the whole time, she looked at me and she said, 'I can't believe you. I thought you were losing.' The moment Vanity Project comes out and cracks me with the title, she said, 'I thought that was it.' I'm so glad that my mother got to witness that live with a genuine reaction."

The reality of the situation didn't initially strike Borne in the aftermath. Once he and his family completed their congratulatory dinner, though, a wave of emotions flooded in all at once. Sitting amongst the top was pride.

"I remember I saw the belt sitting there and I said, 'Wait a minute,'" Borne recalled. "When I was a little kid, this was my dream, to just make it into the WWE. Now I had to literally talk to myself in third person. I was like, 'Myles, you're not just in WWE, you are a champion. Wow. That is insane.' The little me sitting crisscross applesauce in front of that TV going nuts, I wish I could walk into that room, see that little guy and say, 'Hey, look at this.'"

In the months following his victory, the 26-year-old has successfully defended the NXT North American Championship against Shugars, Dion Lennox, WWE veteran Johnny Gargano, and Page, the latter of whom had cashed in a rematch. Following it, Page received his official call up to WWE's main roster as a member of the "WWE Raw" brand. Borne remains in "NXT," determined to continue his reign for as long as he can.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "No-Contest Wrestling" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.