Anthony Bowens wants to see The Acclaimed face FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) and the Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson).
Bowens and Max Caster won the AEW World Tag Team Championship on AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam in September, completing their rise to the top of the tag team division. The duo quickly became fan-favorites as the rise of scissoring propelled both men to new heights. Meanwhile, FTR and the Young Bucks are both former champions, and they likely have their sights set on regaining the gold. Harwood and Wheeler the reigning champions in AAA, ROH, and NJPW. However, though they have been the top-ranked team for months, they haven't got a title shot in AEW.
Speaking in Good Karma Wrestling, Bowens was asked to name some teams he wants to face, and he pointed to FTR as the obvious answer. He emphasized that they have been on parallel paths, and FTR has not received their rightful shot at the titles. Bowens also stated that they're on a collision course because they're two of the most popular tag teams in wrestling.
“I think the obvious answer right now is FTR because we’ve been on parallel paths. We’ve kind of come close to each other with the eight-man tag match. You could see there was a little tension in there in that match, and then we kind of went back to our parallel paths. At some point, those paths are gonna have to cross because The Acclaimed are the most popular tag team in pro wrestling, and then if there’s anybody else up there with us, it’s FTR. Truthfully, they’ve been number one contenders for however long, and they still haven’t got that opportunity. I welcome the opportunity for them to wrestle The Acclaimed. I know the fans do, so they are probably number one on the list," Bowens said.
Bowens then named The Young Bucks as the second team on his list. He noted that The Acclaimed faced Matt and Nick Jackson in their first TV main event, and the Bucks cheated to win the match. Bowens stated that he wants to revisit that match because it would be quite different now, given the way he and Caster have grown as a team.
"Number two, we’re gonna have to, some point, get back to the Young Bucks because our very first main event, which was ten matches in, which is probably unheard of, on Dynamite was against the Young Bucks, and they cheated. Superkicked [referee] Rick Knox right in the face, and I think that’s pretty much illegal guys. We need to get that redemption back, and I think we are a completely different team than we were back then, so the dynamic would be different, the energy would be way different, considering there was nobody in the audience, it was in the pandemic. So I think that’s another clash we’d love to revisit," Bowens said.
FTR successfully defended the ROH World Tag Team Championship on the November 25 episode of AEW Rampage. Check out the results here.
Arn Anderson recently shared his thoughts on The Acclaimed's popular scissoring hand gesture. Check out his comments here.
The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega recently returned to AEW, and they are locked in a heated Best of Seven Series against Death Triangle (PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo, and Rey Fenix). The two teams will collide again on the November 30 episode of AEW Dynamite. Click here to check out the updated card.
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