Steven Borden, the son of wrestling legend Sting (Steve Borden), made his professional wrestling debut on Friday night, October 3, 2025. The second-generation star competed in a tag team match, teaming with JD Drake against the duo of Darby Allin and Killer Kross.
The debut took place at “52W Hardway,” a unique event in New York City that combines live wrestling with an art exhibition at the 52 Walker gallery space. The event is curated by Allin, artist Raymond Pettibon, and AEW’s Charlie Ramone, and is centered around an exhibition of Pettibon’s wrestling-themed drawings.
For his debut match, Borden wore plain black pants and did not wear any face paint, a departure from the iconic look of his father. This was Borden’s first official match, though he did make a brief appearance in costume as the “Wolfpac” version of Sting during his father’s retirement match at AEW Revolution in March 2024.
The “52W Hardway” exhibition is a two-week presentation, with live wrestling matches scheduled for only two nights: October 3 and October 10. The event on Friday night also featured wrestlers Sid Ellington, Kiran Grey, and Timothy Thatcher, with a musical performance by the band Purest Form.
The title of the exhibition, “Hardway,” is a wrestling term for accidental bleeding, which the event’s press release says “speaks to the heart of this exhibition,” where the lines between performance and reality are blurred.
Borden’s debut has been anticipated for some time. A former college football player who had a brief stint in the NFL, he has been training for a wrestling career since early 2024. His debut at an event curated by Darby Allin, his father’s final tag team partner, brings his journey full circle. Allin is next scheduled to compete at AEW’s WrestleDream pay-per-view on October 11 in St. Louis, where he will face Jon Moxley in an “I Quit” match.
The Pro Wrestling Debut of Steven Borden JR the son of #Sting 🦂 from last night in New York! His first match a Tag match against Darby Allin and Killer Kross! 👊🏽🔥 pic.twitter.com/PXqjUB36xX
— Steve 9 (@SteveMedici9) October 4, 2025
