Anthony Bowens Reflects on The Acclaimed's Journey to AEW All Out
Chicago, The Acclaimed have arrived. For the first time since they were paired together at the tail end of 2020, Max Caster and Anthony Bowens will tag together on pay-per-view when they challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at AEW All Out. This title opportunity has been a long time coming for the white-hot duo, but it's not their first crack at the gold. Back in December 2020, The Acclaimed challenged then-champions the Young Bucks in the main event of AEW Dynamite. Despite that loss nearly two years ago, Bowens emphasized that today's Acclaimed is much more evolved.
"[We are a] totally, totally different team. What people have to understand is that when we first started in 2020, we were two singles wrestlers that then became a tag team," Bowens told ComicBook.com's Liam Crowley. "Now we've got two years under our belt and a ton of momentum and a ton of confidence, and we have a movement behind us. Everyone loves The Acclaimed. It's a completely different scenario. It's a completely different ballgame. This isn't Dynamite. This is All Out. This is the biggest show of the year. We're ready, we're prepared, and I think we're taking home gold."
As Bowens alluded to, himself and Caster entered All Elite Wrestling as singles stars, and their pairing came from the mind of AEW President Tony Khan. Beyond that, Khan also had their team name in his back pocket for a while, and even flirted with using it for one of the company's foundational factions.
"The name The Acclaimed was supposed to be for [Chris] Jericho," Bowens revealed. "It was going to be Chris Jericho and The Acclaimed, but they eventually settled on Inner Circle, so I thought it was an honor that he went from Chris Jericho with that name idea to bestowing it upon Max and I."
Even though both men have had their own sporadic singles success, Bowens and Caster's most memorable AEW moments have come alongside each other on AEW television. The duo did work the AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pre-show, but Bowens only accompanied Caster to ringside as he was still out of action with a knee injury.
"This match means a lot, because it's also our first appearance as a tag team at a pay-per-view. Max had a ladder match back at Revolution 2021, and I also was in The Casino Battle Royale," Bowens noted. "I was by myself, I my own separate entrance. So this is the first time The Acclaimed are together in a wrestling ring on a pay-per-view, biggest show of the year, tag team titles on the line. It means a lot to us to have the opportunity, and it's an opportunity for us to continue showing people how elite of professional wrestlers that we are. And we're excited to get out there."
The Acclaimed challenge AEW World Tag Team Champions Swerve in our Glory tonight at AEW All Out.