AEW has one of the best tag divisions in the world. They have teams like The Young Bucks, Santana and Ortiz, and FTR. While you can make arguments about who the best team is, none are as entertaining right now as The Acclaimed.
They may not be as polished as some of the other teams, but they still have been able to find ways to stand out. What makes them even more unique is that they accomplish this before stepping foot inside the ring.
Their entrance is where Max Caster and Anthony Bowens truly shine. Caster’s freestyle raps are hilarious to listen to, especially because you never know what to expect once their music hits. Nothing is off limits, and no one is safe when he has a mic in his hands.
Who could forget his dig at Jon Moxley and his wife, Renee Paquette, several weeks ago? He is not afraid to go there, and his disses almost always elicit a reaction from the crowd and people online.
But that doesn’t mean Bowens just stands by and plays second fiddle to Caster. He plays off his partner extremely well, using his body language and facial expressions to add to the entire performance.
Their music videos also help set them apart from the rest of the division. Every time they have big matches, they post diss tracks about their opponents on YouTube. They have gone after teams like The Young Bucks, The Dark Order, Moxley and Eddie Kingston, and MJF and Chris Jericho. Caster is not afraid of going after people outside AEW either, dissing the likes of Gangrel, Allie Kat, and Willow.
No one is doing what The Acclaimed are, and they’re taking full advantage of that. It also helps that they are 100% committed to what they do; they don’t take themselves too seriously and just go out and have fun with it.
It is wild to think that they have only been a team since they both signed with AEW back in November 2020. Before that, Bowens wrestled for promotions like WrestlePro, Combat Zone Wrestling, Impact, and NXT. He first appeared for AEW on September 5, 2020, on an episode of Dark.
Caster also appeared for WrestlePro and Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as Create A Pro Wrestling and International Wrestling Cartel. He made his debut for AEW on the June 23, 2020 episode of Dark.
The two started teaming on October 27 during a tag match against Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent?). They then signed a five-year deal with AEW the following month. After that, they made their Dynamite debut on December 16, defeating SCU (Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian). The following week, they challenged The Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championships but could not bring the titles home.
Despite their short time as a team, they have shown incredible chemistry together. Caster clearly has the flair and charisma, while Bowens perfectly complements him with his size and strength. That chemistry clearly translates into the ring as well, especially when you see the kind of competition they have gone toe-to-toe with.
Fans have been able to see them literally grow as a team since they signed with AEW. They went from two singles competitors being paired together to a legit team. That is a testament to their hard work and dedication, and sooner or later all of that is going to pay off.
It is only a matter of time before The Acclaimed rise through the tag team rankings. In a division with so much talent, they have forced people to take notice of them inside the ring and out. Hopefully they can keep that momentum going with fans finally returning. If they can get the fans behind them, their time at the top will surely follow suit.
The Acclaimed have arrived, and everyone should be paying attention.