AEW star Anthony Bowens from The Acclaimed spoke with PinkNews to discuss all things pro-wrestling, including his thoughts on getting to work with Bryan Danielson on a recent episode of Rampage. Highlights from the interview are below.
Says it is mind-blowing that he was on the short-list of stars to wrestle Sting and Bryan Danielson thus far in AEW:
“To be on the shortlist of people that both Sting and Bryan Danielson have wrestled so far in AEW, or even just in general, is mind-blowing. That match in particular (Danielson) was a turning point for me as a performer. I was always very confident in myself and my abilities but you don’t truly know until you get in the wring with someone who I consider to be one of the best wrestlers in the world right now, if not the best. It was such a big confidence boost to go out there and know that I not only hung with Danielson, but I beat his ass… and then he actually got me at the end, but that’s not the point of the story! (Laughs) Everyone cheats against The Acclaimed, it’s very unfair!”
Says Danielson actually requested to wrestle him:
“I don’t know if I’m supposed to go into the insider stuff, but Bryan personally requested that match with me, which made me even more confident. And I stepped up and hit it out of the ballpark. It unlocked this side of me where I’m so confident out there now. I thought, ‘If this guy believes in me just like Tony does, I can literally do anything.’”