Garrett and Steven Borden have taken another notable step in their respective wrestling journeys, picking up a victory in their first match together as a tag team at Rhodes Wrestling Association’s Fall Fury II.

The Borden brothers competed on Sunday at RWA’s second anniversary show, where they were introduced to the crowd as second-generation wrestlers teaming for the first time. Garrett and Steven faced The 8th Day and emerged with the win after Garrett connected with a TKO.

The result was significant beyond a single independent wrestling victory. It marked the first time the sons of Sting had officially joined forces in a tag team match, giving fans a chance to see how the two performers work together inside the ring while also continuing a family connection that has been visible throughout their early wrestling experiences.

First Borden Brothers Tag Match Ends in Victory

Garrett and Steven did not shy away from the comparisons naturally attached to their surname. During the match with The 8th Day, both brothers used moves associated with their father, including Stinger Splashes and the Scorpion Drop.

For more background on this topic, read Kyle Fletcher Admits He Was ‘Terrified’ Before First AEW Blood & Guts Match.

Those tributes have been part of the Borden brothers’ public wrestling story from the beginning. Sting’s influence is unavoidable given his standing as one of the most recognizable figures in modern professional wrestling, but the Fall Fury II match gave Garrett and Steven the opportunity to present that influence together rather than separately.

Garrett’s TKO provided the decisive finish, ensuring that the brothers’ first outing as a tandem ended on a positive note. The win also gives RWA a memorable moment from its anniversary event: the debut of a new second-generation pairing at a promotion owned by one of wrestling’s most prominent second-generation stars.

Dustin Rhodes owns Rhodes Wrestling Association, and his involvement adds another layer to the story. Rhodes has long carried the legacy of his own famous family while building a career and identity that extended far beyond it. RWA’s platform has now hosted the first tag team match for Sting’s sons, who are beginning to create their own paths in the industry.

A Full-Circle Moment After Sting’s Final Match

Garrett and Steven were already familiar faces to many viewers before their own in-ring developments took shape. They notably accompanied Sting for his final match at AEW Revolution 2024, appearing in gear inspired by different eras of their father’s career.

Garrett represented the Surfer Sting look, while Steven appeared as Wolfpac Sting. The visual was a direct celebration of the many versions of Sting that connected with audiences across decades, from his colorful early presentation through the black-and-white Crow era and the red-and-black Wolfpac period.

That Revolution appearance came during an emotional farewell weekend for Sting, whose final match closed a major chapter in AEW and in professional wrestling more broadly. For his sons, it placed them in a highly visible setting alongside their father at a milestone moment. Their RWA tag debut now offers a different kind of milestone: an opportunity to be evaluated for their own work as an act rather than solely as part of Sting’s retirement presentation.

The use of signature-inspired offense at Fall Fury II did not erase the individuality Garrett and Steven will need to establish as their careers progress. Instead, it acknowledged the legacy that audiences already associate with them. For young wrestlers with such a recognizable family name, the challenge is often finding the balance between honoring that history and developing an identity that can stand independently. Their first match as a team placed that process on display.

Garrett Borden’s Recent RWA and AEW Appearances

Garrett has already begun building a connection with RWA. He made his debut for the promotion in May, making the Fall Fury II bout another chapter in his developing history with Dustin Rhodes’ group.

He also recently worked a dark match when AEW visited Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for an episode of Collision. A dark match setting is separate from AEW’s televised presentation, but it still gives developing talent valuable experience in an arena environment and in front of a live wrestling audience.

His finish at Fall Fury II put him at the center of the brothers’ first team victory. The TKO ending gave the match a clear conclusion and ensured Garrett was not simply participating in a novelty attraction built around the Borden name. He delivered the move that settled the contest.

At this stage, every appearance matters for a wrestler still establishing a body of work. Independent dates, dark matches, and chances to perform on anniversary cards all provide different forms of experience. Garrett’s RWA return and the Borden brothers’ successful first team match add to that foundation.

Steven Borden Returns to the Ring

Sunday’s match also continued Steven Borden’s return to action following a frightening moment at AEW All Out. Steven had suffered a mid-air collision with Kevin Knight, an incident that understandably drew concern given the nature of the impact.

His subsequent return has included major-ring experience. Steven challenged the Don Callis Family to a Blood and Guts match and competed in his first Blood and Guts contest last Wednesday. That is a demanding environment for any performer, particularly one still early in his in-ring development, because the multi-person cage match format carries a pace and physical intensity distinct from a standard bout.

Moving from that setting to an RWA tag match with his brother shows the different opportunities currently available to Steven. The Blood and Guts appearance placed him in a chaotic, high-stakes team scenario, while Fall Fury II allowed him and Garrett to be presented specifically as a new duo.

The first-time pairing is especially notable because the brothers’ shared history had already been a visible part of Sting’s final run. Now, with both appearing in wrestling settings themselves, their relationship has become an in-ring story rather than only a ringside image.

Fall Fury II Brings Together RWA’s Anniversary Card

RWA’s Fall Fury II was built as the promotion’s second anniversary show and featured a lineup that included talent with connections across the wrestling landscape. Lance Archer, Thunder Rosa, The Von Erichs, Mance Warner, and Robyn Renegade were also part of the event.

Archer and Thunder Rosa are established AEW names, while the card’s mix of performers reflected the independent scene’s ability to bring together wrestlers from different promotions and career stages. The Von Erich name, like Rhodes and Borden, also carries generational significance in wrestling, making the anniversary show a fitting place for Garrett and Steven’s debut as a team.

RWA’s ownership gives the promotion an additional connection to wrestling history, but the event was not only about nostalgia. The Borden brothers’ match represented the forward-looking side of an anniversary card: younger performers getting an opportunity to make a first impression together while appearing alongside more established names.

For Garrett and Steven, the victory over The 8th Day is only one match, and it does not by itself answer what their long-term direction as a team may be. There has been no need to rush that question after a single outing. Still, the debut created a clear starting point. They were introduced as a first-time team, incorporated recognizable elements of Sting’s legacy, and left with their hands raised.

That combination made Fall Fury II an important night for both brothers. Their father’s influence remains a meaningful part of the presentation, as it likely will for some time. But Garrett and Steven Borden now have a shared result of their own: their first tag team match, their first tag team win, and a new entry in the continuing wrestling history of the Borden family.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.