For Anthony Bowens, "Everyone Loves The Acclaimed" is more than a catchphrase.
Over the past year or so, Anthony Bowens and Max Caster, collectively known as The Acclaimed, have become one of the most beloved duos in AEW. Along with "Daddy Ass" Billy Gunn, they are one of the most popular acts on AEW programming. The group currently holds the AEW World Trios Championship, as they won the gold at AEW All In.
Ahead of AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam, Bowens reflected on The Acclaimed's rise in AEW in an article he wrote for The Players' Tribune. He stated that the journey over the last year means everything to him. He recalled how fans hated the duo at first, but he leaned into the criticism, and doing so proved to be a vital step in their ascension.
"What you guys have let me and Max and Billy be a part of in the Acclaimed … this ride you’ve gone on with us over the last year … it means everything to me. It’s funny, because when the Acclaimed first started, we were insane levels of hated. Not just as Wrestling Bad Guys. I’m talking, like, mobs of people in AEW’s Twitter mentions when we’d have a segment, begging them to get us off their TV. We just rolled with it, though. It’s a good example honestly of me becoming comfortable in my own skin. Like if I’d seen some of those tweets in the beginning of my career, it would have rattled the hell out of me. But I had a much better sense now of who I was as a person — and who Max and I were trying to be as performers. So I leaned into it. I was brainstorming one day and I thought, We’re playing delusional assholes. What would these guys think about all the hate they get?? Oh, right: they’d be FLATTERED. And they’d think it means that everyone secretly loves them. A few minutes later, we had our catchphrase. Everyone loves the Acclaimed," Bowens wrote.
Bowens continued by explaining how the catchphrase became much more, as fans started to love them. He recalled how scissoring caught on, and when Billy Gunn joined the duo, they took the next step in their evolution. Bowens also looked back on their title win at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam.
"The irony of our catchphrase, of course, is that there ended up being no irony to it at all. Once the COVID era was over and we were wrestling in front of live crowds again, we started to get these unbelievable reactions. It’s like it was somehow gradual and sudden: People went from hating us, to “hating” us, to respecting us, to loving us. Max’s raps became a big deal. Scissoring caught on. We found our third member with Daddy Ass. We lost a heartbreaker in Chicago, but stole the show. Then we won the rematch (and the belts!) in New York. From there we were off and running. A year later — as AEW trios champs — we still are," Bowens wrote.
As for their catchphrase, Bowens explained that the "Everyone" part means a lot to him, as everyone is invited to have fun with them. He stated that this inclusivity is what The Acclaimed is all about. Biwens went on to express his gratitude to the fans for sticking with them, scissoring along, and supporting them. He also thanked the fans for letting him live out his dream.
"When I scream EVERYONE LOVES THE ACCLAIMED now, though, what I’m most proud of isn’t the LOVES part — it’s the EVERYONE part. It’s how every night we do this, we’re walking out there, we’re being outrageous and debaucherous and f*cking ridiculous, we’re having the best time, the most fun … and EVERYONE is invited. Everyone. That’s what the Acclaimed is truly about to me at the end of the day. So I wanted to put a few words down and say that. Thanks for giving us a chance / sticking with us through the pandemic / going crazy for Max’s bars / scissoring until your fingers bleed / singing “OHHHHHH SCISSOR ME DADDYYYY” / buying foam fingers / hating Billy’s sons so much that he decided he’d rather spend time with us. Thanks for letting a queer Black kid from New Jersey live out his wrestling dream. Thanks for coming to this party just as you are. We’re glad you’re here," Bowens wrote.
Check out the preview for AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam here. Fightful will have live coverage of the show as it airs on September 20.
The Acclaimed will defend the AEW World Trios Championship at AEW Rampage: Grand Slam. More information is available here.
Anthony Bowens recently said Mark Henry scissored The Acclaimed so hard he threw his back out. More information is available here.
