Anthony Bowens wasn't always "Acclaimed," but he always had the eye of major companies.
Before he was in All Elite Wrestling as a tag team contender, he popped up on WWE programming and aced one of their tryouts. However, it didn't always go so well.
When we spoke to Bowens in early 2019, we asked him about his extra work with WWE, specifically his infamous appearance against AOP.
"For that actually, I just reached out and asked if there was any opportunities available. I’ve had a good relationship with WWE over the years. I first did extra work back in 2014 and impressed a bunch of the scouts there. I guess specifically William Regal. Then they offered me the try-out, the [Arnold Classic] 2015. Then I ended up doing well enough there that they invited me down to the Performance Center at the end of that year, which went well. Obviously, I wasn’t signed. But, it was enough to keep me on their radar and stay in touch with them. So, I was comfortable enough to kinda reach out and say, ‘Hey, any opportunities available?’ and they said, ‘Yeah,’ and they brought me down," Bowens told us.
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It’s funny because I thought it would be cool if they did that and I did a flip bump and landed on my stomach. But, I got hit so hard I didn’t even have time to even do the rotation. So, I just crashed down hard. It wasn’t too bad. None of the bumps were too bad. Obviously, except for the last one. A lot of people gave them hate for that, but I don’t particularly think it was their fault. I watched that clip over and over again after it happened. What I think was the scenario is a wrestler’s first instinct when they’re falling backwards and bumping is to smack their arms out to break the fall. His hand and everything came down right where it was supposed to, I think it was more of a natural reaction for him to extend his arms to break his fall and as that happened his elbow caught me in the head. So, it wasn’t just them being reckless and him getting powerbomed onto my face like people were claiming it was.
Then it happened. A move that quite frankly changed the direction and offense of one of WWE's most promising teams at the time. Akam and Rezar performed the "Super Collider," a move that sees their opponents hoisted on their respective shoulders, and ran into one another, then one opponent is powerbombed onto the other. Bowens was on the bottom of that, and was concussed by the spot.
"I remember the powerbomb. I remember Johnny coming down and then it was just lights out, like complete pitch black. Then I woke up in the middle of their finish and Eddy, who was reffing, said, ‘Bowens, you okay?’ I was like, ‘Ehh…yeah.’ He said, ‘No, you’re not. We’re ending this.’ Then I kinda, from what I remember, blacked out during that promo and then I came to with the doctors in the ring. They helped me out. Doctors checked me out afterwards and I was kind of foggy for maybe about a good thirty minutes and then after that I felt okay. ‘Cause I was recalling conversations I had had the prior year being down there with some of the doctors. They kept me for testing the next day at the Performance Center. I just hung around Orlando for a day or two and then they cleared me to go home.
The surly shooters Akam and Rezar showed heart after the spot went awry. Bowens said that the two went above and beyond to apologize and take care of him in the days that followed.
"They were super cool the following day. They picked me up early. They did all the errands that I needed done. Dropped off my rental car. Went to the hotel and grabbed all my things. That kind of thing. So, they were very respectful and, I guess, apologetic. Very apologetic about what happened. I could tell they felt bad. They were super cool the next day," Bowens said.
There was a familiar name that Bowens credited him for getting him the work that week.
"I think William Regal enjoys my work and I think he was trying to get me an opportunity just to get in front of the camera and get in front of Hunter. So, I’m pretty sure he made the call to insert me into that match, from what I understand."
When we spoke to Bowens in 2019, he was hopeful that WWE would eventually pick him up, but he wasn't obsessed over it, saying that the relationship was good.
"We still have a good relationship. I keep in contact with them to see if there’s any opportunities going forward. I’m hoping that one day I’ll be able to get there and be under contract and be part of the roster. But, that remains to be seen. Right now, I’m not really worried about that. I’m just concentrating on continuing the momentum I have both in and outside the ring," Bowens said.
As it turns out, WWE had interest, but flat out forgot to sign the man. Their loss was All Elite Wrestling's gain. He would be signed by the company in 2020, and quickly make his impression felt in the tag team division.
