Anthony Bowens Bio
Anthony Bowens (born December 18, 1990) is an American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling. He is best known as one half of the tag team The Acclaimed and as a former AEW World Tag Team Champion and a former AEW World Trios Champion.
Early Life and Background
Bowens was born in Nutley, New Jersey, and grew up in the local area. He attended Nutley High School and went on to study at Montclair State University, where he also competed in baseball.
He played baseball for eleven years, including collegiate seasons with Montclair State and a period with Seton Hall University. Bowens was discovered by Santino Marella, who asked whether he had considered professional wrestling, and he began formal training under Pat Buck.
Path to Professional Wrestling
Bowens began training in 2012 and made his professional wrestling debut in 2013. He developed his skills on the independent circuit in the tristate and New England regions while learning under Pat Buck.
During his early development he worked for a range of independent promotions, gaining experience in tag matches and singles competition that prepared him for larger national appearances. He also worked in nonwrestling roles at times, including production work connected to Major League Baseball broadcast operations.
Anthony Bowens Career
Early Career (2012–2016)
Bowens started training in 2012 and began competing regularly in 2013. He wrestled across independent promotions and built a reputation for willingness to work hard in both tag team and singles matches.
In late 2016 Bowens made an appearance on WWE NXT in a tag team match, during which he suffered a concussion. He recovered from the injury and returned to the independent scene, capturing regional titles and continuing to broaden his in-ring repertoire.
Independent Circuit Breakthrough (2016–2020)
After recovering from injury, Bowens worked prolifically for independent promotions including Combat Zone Wrestling and Beyond Wrestling and appeared for Global Force Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. He won the WrestlePro Heavyweight Championship twice between 2016 and 2017, establishing himself as a main-event level performer on the independents.
He challenged for international titles on notable independent cards, including a challenge for the WCPW World Heavyweight Championship in 2017 that marked the first defense of that title outside the United Kingdom. Those matches helped raise his profile and prepared him for a national contract.
All Elite Wrestling Breakthrough (2020–present)
In November 2020 AEW President Tony Khan announced that Bowens and Max Caster had signed five-year contracts with All Elite Wrestling and would compete as The Acclaimed. They initially established themselves as heels and developed a distinct tag team identity built around Caster’s promo work and Bowens’ in-ring presence.
The Acclaimed turned face following crowd reactions and in 2022 won the AEW World Tag Team Championship at AEW Grand Slam. During that reign Bowens became the first openly gay wrestler to win a championship in AEW, a widely noted milestone. Later Bowens, Caster, and Billy Gunn captured the AEW World Trios Championship, holding the titles for a record run that ended in a unification match in April 2024.
All Elite Wrestling Era (2020–Present)
Bowens’ AEW tenure has featured tag team success, trios gold, and prominent television storylines. He underwent knee surgery in May 2022 and remained active in promos while sidelined, returning to action at Dynamite: Blood and Guts and resuming in-ring duties with The Acclaimed.
Across 2023 and into 2024 and 2025 Bowens and The Acclaimed engaged in high-profile feuds with teams such as Swerve in our Glory, The Gunn Club, The House of Black, The Young Bucks, and FTR, appearing on pay-per-views and AEW television specials. Storyline tensions within The Acclaimed culminated in a split in early 2025 and a series of singles and tag encounters thereafter.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bowens anchors his performances with tag team chemistry and consistent promo work; he has shown resilience in returning from injury and performing from a wheelchair when necessary. His strengths include tag-team coordination, adaptability to heel and face roles, and the ability to work longer television storylines alongside experienced partners such as Billy Gunn.
Notable Matches and Milestones
Key milestones include the 2022 AEW World Tag Team Championship win at AEW Grand Slam and the AEW World Trios Championship reign alongside Max Caster and Billy Gunn that lasted 238 days before a unification loss. He is recognized as the first openly gay champion in AEW history and has taken part in prominent multi-man matches and specialty matches across AEW programming.
Anthony Bowens Career Wins
Bowens’ verified championship accomplishments include regional independent titles and major AEW gold. On the independents he is a two-time WrestlePro Heavyweight Champion, and at the national level he has held AEW tag and trios championships.
AEW Highlights
In AEW, Bowens is a one-time AEW World Tag Team Champion with Max Caster as The Acclaimed and a one-time AEW World Trios Champion with Max Caster and Billy Gunn. Those title runs included high-profile defenses, television prominence, and a record trios reign that concluded with a unification match in April 2024.
Independent Circuit and Other Titles
Bowens captured the WrestlePro Heavyweight Championship twice between 2016 and 2017 and challenged for several other independent world titles. His success on the independent scene paved the way for a multi-year AEW contract and higher-profile bookings.
Anthony Bowens Family
Family Background and Wrestling Lineage
Bowens was born and raised in Nutley, New Jersey. There are no widely reported multigenerational wrestling family ties; his pathway into the business was influenced by scouting from Santino Marella and training under Pat Buck.
Personal Life
Bowens is openly gay and publicly acknowledged that fact during his AEW run. He is a supporter of the San Francisco Giants and previously worked in the production department of the MLB Network studio before his AEW contract.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 year for Bowens was defined by a shift from tag-team emphasis toward singles storytelling after friction developed within The Acclaimed. In January 2025 Bowens sided with Billy Gunn over Max Caster, leading to the disbanding of The Acclaimed and a run of singles and interpromotional matches that tested his standing as an individual performer.
During 2025 Bowens competed in marquee match types, including the men’s Casino Gauntlet at All In, and engaged in televised segments that alternated between reunions and confrontations with Caster. By mid and late 2025 his character work included a teased heel turn and brief reunions, keeping him in prominent television slots and continuing his transition from tag specialist toward a hybrid singles-and-tag performer.
