Tavion Heights is not disguising how personally he has taken Myles Borne’s recent actions in WWE NXT.
What had been one of the brand’s more established friendships has rapidly become a violent and emotional feud. Heights and Borne spent significant time aligned with one another, sharing the experience of developing within No Quarter Catch Crew before eventually moving beyond that association. That history made Borne’s turn at NXT Heatwave especially jarring for Heights, who said he did not believe his closest ally was capable of such a betrayal.
The situation escalated again on last week’s episode of NXT. Borne was expected to address Heights and potentially offer an apology, but the meeting instead turned into another attack. For Heights, that ambush was not merely a continuation of a wrestling rivalry. It reinforced his belief that Borne deliberately exploited the trust built between them.
Speaking with Going Ringside, Heights was blunt when asked about Borne’s decision to turn on him at NXT Heatwave and the attacks that have followed.
For more background on this topic, read Journey Fatu Dismisses The 946’s Intimidation Tactics Against The Bloodline.
“I didn’t know that my best friend was a bum. Yeah, I didn’t know that, you know? I had no idea, you know? He can’t go toe-to-toe with me, so he did what he did to my ankle because he knows he can’t go toe-to-toe with me.”
Heights’ comments put the physical element of Borne’s betrayal at the center of the conflict. Rather than frame the attack as a competitive attempt to gain an edge, Heights sees it as evidence that Borne does not think he can defeat him in a straightforward fight. The damage done to Heights’ ankle has added a target for Borne while also supplying Heights with another deeply personal grievance.
There is a notable contrast between the two men’s current positions and the path that brought them here. Their connection was not built overnight or solely around a convenient partnership. Heights described a shared progression through NQCC and a journey that included facing the Hardy brothers. In his mind, the pair had experienced enough together to create a bond that should have survived disagreement, competition, and the shifting alliances that often define life in NXT.
That is why Heights said he went into last week’s expected confrontation willing to hear Borne out. He was not preparing for another cheap shot. He was preparing to listen to someone he still considered a brother.
“This is blindsided, man. You go through all this with a guy, right? You grow through NQCC. You outgrow NQCC. You go on to have matches against the greatest of all time, the Hardy brothers. You do all this, and you believe in your heart that you formed an unbreakable bond, right? You believe that. You and this guy are best friends, you’re brothers, and so I’m thinking all of that in my head while I go out to hear what he has to say because I believe that he might apologize tonight. I really believe that in my heart, and I think what really happened was he just played on that because he knows me and I know him very well as well. So he played on that and he did what he did. The scum of the earth. I don’t know what else to say.”
The key word in Heights’ account is blindsided. Borne did not simply attack a rival with whom he had an established problem. He attacked a man who still believed reconciliation was possible. Heights’ willingness to accept an apology now appears to have become the opening Borne needed to strike again, making the emotional damage as prominent as the physical aftermath.
A Friendship That Became A Vulnerability
In WWE NXT, former friends frequently know exactly where to apply pressure. They understand each other’s habits, tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses because they have trained and competed alongside one another. Heights openly acknowledged that dynamic when he said Borne knows him very well. But Heights also believes the relationship was supposed to work the other way: an understanding that came with loyalty, not manipulation.
That is the point at which Borne’s turn has changed the story. Their history is no longer simply background for a future match. It has become Borne’s weapon. He knew Heights might arrive with his guard down if an apology appeared sincere, and Heights now feels that trust was used against him.
Heights’ language leaves very little room for a quick repair. Calling Borne a “bum” and “the scum of the earth” makes clear that he no longer views this as a misunderstanding between former teammates. In Heights’ eyes, Borne has shown his true character through repeated actions: the betrayal at Heatwave, the injury to his ankle, and the latest ambush when Heights expected an explanation.
That repeated pattern matters. A single turn can sometimes be explained away by heat-of-the-moment frustration, ambition, or a disagreement that spiraled out of control. A second attack, especially in the setting of an anticipated apology, signals intent. Heights’ comments suggest he has reached that conclusion. He is no longer waiting for Borne to explain himself or restore their friendship; he is questioning whether the friendship was ever as unbreakable as he believed.
Myles Borne Returns To NXT Tonight
Borne is scheduled to return to WWE NXT on tonight’s show, placing immediate attention on what comes next between the former allies. Heights has made his feelings unmistakable, and Borne’s appearance comes after the latest attack left the conflict unresolved.
Questions remain over whether Borne will offer any public justification for his actions, whether Heights will be in a position to confront him, and how heavily Heights’ ankle will factor into the next stage of the rivalry. None of those answers have been established yet, but the angle has moved well past the initial shock of Borne’s turn.
The issue for Heights is no longer just getting even after an attack. He wants to prove Borne wrong about what it takes to stop him. Heights insisted that Borne targeted his ankle because he cannot go “toe-to-toe” with him. If that belief becomes the foundation for an eventual match, it creates a direct and simple challenge: can Borne beat Heights without exploiting the injury, or will he continue to rely on calculated attacks away from a fair fight?
For Borne, the decision to turn has put him under a different type of scrutiny. He has separated himself from a friendship that Heights considered family, but he has not yet publicly addressed the full reasoning behind that choice. Until he does, Heights’ version of events will stand as the defining account: Borne used a supposedly sincere moment to victimize a former best friend for a second time.
The NQCC Connection Raises The Stakes
Their shared roots in No Quarter Catch Crew ensure this is not a rivalry built on a brief pairing. Heights specifically cited the growth they experienced through NQCC, followed by their ability to move beyond it and create bigger opportunities. That mutual history adds weight to his disappointment because it represents a period in which the two men were working toward similar goals and presumably trusting each other in demanding environments.
Former stablemates can always become opponents, but Heights’ remarks underline that he believed Borne was more than a teammate. The distinction between a professional alliance and a brotherhood is at the heart of his anger. Heights did not expect to be protected from competition. He expected Borne not to use their relationship as cover for a betrayal.
The Hardy brothers also occupy an important place in Heights’ retelling. Mentioning that they faced an all-time great team illustrates the level of experience Heights believed they had shared. Those moments were evidence, to him, that the partnership had matured into something durable. Borne’s attack has now recast those memories from sources of pride into reminders of what Heights says was lost.
As Borne returns to NXT, the former friends are heading toward a confrontation defined by mistrust, an injured ankle, and a history neither man can erase. Heights entered the last encounter expecting remorse. He emerged convinced that Borne had played on their bond to hurt him again.
There is no indication that Heights is interested in offering another opportunity for an apology. After being blindsided twice in the span of this conflict, he has made his assessment of Borne clear. The question for tonight is whether Borne will answer those accusations, escalate the hostilities, or finally reveal why he chose to destroy a friendship Heights once believed was unbreakable.
Darryl Polo
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.