Oba Femi Acknowledges Myles Borne’s Relationship With Stephanie Vaquer—Then Promises to Crush His Fairytale at NXT Battleground

NXT Champion Oba Femi isn’t just defending his title—he’s aiming to shatter a storyline straight out of a fairytale. As he prepares to face Myles Borne at NXT Battleground 2025, Femi made it clear he’s not here to play the feel-good game. And he didn’t hold back when referencing Borne’s personal life—specifically, his relationship with NXT Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer.

During an interview with WFLA’s Stream Center, Femi took a direct shot at the couple while discussing his upcoming title defense.

“I mean, I’m looking forward to, you know, beating up Stephanie’s boyfriend for a little bit. But I have a one-on-one match with Miles Bourne. He’s uh—he’s worked his way up the ranks and uh—he’s won a couple matches to earn an opportunity for the NXT Championship, which I respect, but at the end of the day, this is not a Disney movie. You don’t get the happy ending. You don’t get to run off into the sunset with my belt. And uh—I’m going to retain on Sunday at the Yuengling Center.”

The pointed remark was a rare moment of acknowledgment of Vaquer and Borne’s off-screen relationship, which has remained largely under the radar—until now. By calling Borne “Stephanie’s boyfriend,” Femi added another layer of personal tension to the NXT Championship match, injecting even more emotion into a bout already loaded with narrative weight.

Borne didn’t get to this moment by chance. On May 6, he stunned the NXT Universe by outlasting 24 other competitors in a wild 25-man battle royal. The final moments saw Ethan Page and Shawn Spears eliminate each other, handing the win to Borne—a massive upset that secured his shot at the NXT Title.

Just one week later, Borne opened NXT with a heartfelt promo, revealing he’s been deaf since birth.

“I never let it stop me,” he told the audience, reflecting on the adversity he’s faced and overcome throughout his life and wrestling career.

Before Borne could fully soak in the moment, Ethan Page interrupted—claiming the underdog wasn’t worthy of the spotlight and challenging him to put his #1 contender status on the line. Borne didn’t hesitate. He fought back and won, holding on to his spot in Sunday’s main event.

Now, Borne heads into the biggest match of his career—not only fighting for gold but stepping up against a dominant champion who’s made it personal by dragging his relationship into the spotlight.

Battleground goes down this Sunday, May 25, 2025, at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. The event kicks off at 8:00 PM ET and streams live on Peacock in the United States and Netflix internationally. Ringside News will have full coverage, including results and backstage fallout.

Will Myles Borne silence the doubters and leave Battleground with the NXT Championship and a real-life wrestling power couple moment? Or will Oba Femi remind everyone why he’s called “The Ruler”? Sound off in the comments—we want to hear your take on how this story ends.

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