Anthony Bowens' path to national television followed a familiar independent-wrestling blueprint at first: train, travel, take every opportunity available, and work toward the moment when a larger promotion takes notice. In 2020, that opportunity arrived with All Elite Wrestling, setting in motion a career-defining partnership with Max Caster and the eventual rise of The Acclaimed.
Speaking on the Michael Fairman Channel, Bowens looked back on why AEW stood out to him when the promotion launched. The company had positioned itself as a major alternative in the American wrestling landscape, and Bowens felt its emphasis on developing younger talent and offering performers more room to shape their own identities made it a particularly attractive destination.
“I think once AEW opened up, I was like this is the place I probably should be,” Bowens said. “They were putting the focus on the younger guys. It was a different type of style than WWE. It was an alternative and wrestlers were like more free to perfect their craft and I thought that seems like the place I should go.”
That belief eventually led to an AEW tryout. Bowens placed that opportunity in September 2020, and the process quickly advanced from there. By the following month, he had signed with the company.
For more background on this topic, read Samoa Joe Focused on Making Memories as He Reflects on Eventual In-Ring Retirement.
“Then, fortunately, I got a tryout with them in September of 2020, I want to say,” Bowens continued. “One thing led to another and ended up signing in October of 2020, and then had a crazy journey ever since.”
A Crucial Fall 2020 Breakthrough
Bowens made his AEW debut on the October 6, 2020 edition of AEW Dark, an episode taped on September 25. At the time, Dark functioned as an important proving ground for rising prospects and independent standouts hoping to earn a more substantial role on AEW programming. Bowens entered that environment at a moment when AEW was still defining much of its roster and searching for new acts that could connect with its audience.
His signing was especially significant because WWE had also been in the picture. Bowens had agreed to sign with WWE shortly beforehand. However, he flew to Florida and met with AEW CEO Tony Khan to discuss the possibilities Khan saw for him and, more specifically, a potential pairing with Caster. Following that meeting, Bowens elected to join AEW.
It was a decision that changed the trajectory of his career. Rather than arriving simply as another singles prospect, Bowens was soon part of a team built around two wrestlers with shared training roots but limited personal history together. The Acclaimed became official just weeks after Bowens' initial AEW appearance, and the group recorded its first victory by defeating Aaron Solow and Angel Fashion on AEW Dark.
The speed of that development was notable. Tag teams frequently require time to establish matching styles, personalities, entrances, timing, and a reason for fans to invest in the duo. Bowens and Caster did not have the luxury of a lengthy on-screen trial period. AEW had an idea, a name, and an expectation that the new pairing could become a featured act. The two men understood they needed to find a connection quickly.
Create A Pro Connections, But Not A Close Friendship
Though Bowens and Caster had both emerged from the wider Create A Pro system, they did not arrive in AEW as longtime close friends or a battle-tested independent tag team. Bowens trained at Create A Pro in New Jersey, while Caster trained at Create A Pro Long Island. Bowens had enough familiarity with Caster to know who he was, having made trips to train on Long Island, but their previous interaction in the ring was limited.
“I trained in Create A Pro in New Jersey. Caster trained in Create A Pro Long Island,” Bowens said. “I knew him from training. I would go out there and I would train a little bit in Long Island, so I knew him from there. I think we wrestled each other once in a multi-man match, but I didn’t really know much about him.”
That distinction helps explain why The Acclaimed's later chemistry became such a defining element of the act. Their rapport was not the result of years spent traveling together as a team before reaching television. It had to be built after they were placed together in AEW, under circumstances where both performers knew the opportunity could be substantial if they made it work.
Bowens recalled the practical approach they took once the pairing became clear. The immediate goal was not merely to function in matches. They needed to become acquainted as people, establish trust, and learn how to present a cohesive act in front of a national audience.
“Then I found out we were going to be paired together, I was like, ‘Okay, well, we need to figure this out and quick,’ because if the owner has an idea for us and a team name for us, we got to be able to deliver,” Bowens said. “Also, be cordial to each other and learn about each other because this guy is going to be tethered to me for a long time. So we got to become friends real quick.”
From A Planned Pairing To AEW Champions
Tony Khan had seen both men separately during the early days of their AEW involvement. Bowens had teamed with Lee Johnson on AEW Dark, while Caster had appeared in singles and trios competition. Khan saw enough in each wrestler to view them as a potential unit, and, with WWE interest creating pressure around the situation, AEW made a strong offer centered on pairing them and using them regularly.
The Acclaimed ultimately developed into one of AEW's most recognizable acts. Caster's rap entrances, Bowens' presence and energy, the team's developing ring work, and the overall presentation of the duo helped make them a consistently discussed part of the roster. The team moved beyond its initial role and became an act capable of drawing major audience reactions.
Their accomplishments reflect that ascent. Bowens and Caster held the AEW World Tag Team Championship, placing them among the promotion's central tag-team acts. They also became AEW World Trios Champions, further demonstrating the versatility of their presentation and their ability to operate in major multi-person programs.
Those championship reigns carry added weight when measured against the uncertainty surrounding the partnership at its start. Two wrestlers who knew each other primarily through connected training schools were asked to become a team quickly. They responded by creating a friendship and a professional formula strong enough to reach the top of AEW's tag and trios divisions.
An Uncertain Next Chapter
Six years after their AEW signing period began, Bowens and Caster are free agents again. Bowens' next move has not been announced, leaving open questions about where he may wrestle and whether any future plans will involve a continuation of his long association with Caster.
Caster, meanwhile, has stepped back from in-ring competition to undergo therapy. That development adds further uncertainty to the immediate future of the performers who spent years linked together as The Acclaimed.
Regardless of what comes next, Bowens' reflection illustrates how pivotal the fall of 2020 proved to be. He saw AEW as the place that best fit his goals, received a tryout, signed a contract, and entered a partnership that required immediate adaptation. The result was not simply a place on a growing roster. It was the formation of an act that became championship-winning, widely popular, and central to a significant chapter of both Bowens' and Caster's careers.
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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.