AEW fans have been buzzing about seeing Anthony Bowens and Max Caster back on television together in recent weeks — but according to new reports, the reunion of The Acclaimed wasn’t something AEW originally had on the books.
According to a report from Fightful Select, AEW never intended for Bowens and Caster to reform their partnership this early. The initial creative direction reportedly called for both men to embark on separate singles runs following Billy Gunn’s on-screen departure. Each was expected to explore new character dynamics away from the tag division, with AEW hoping to give them room to grow independently before eventually teasing a reunion down the road.
However, plans shifted when Gunn was temporarily written off television. In response, AEW decided to reunite Bowens and Caster in a reluctant tag team capacity to fit the evolving storyline. The two were paired back up on Collision — not as the vibrant, unified Acclaimed of old, but as uneasy partners forced to coexist.
Since their reformation, Bowens and Caster have picked up wins over The Swirl, and later over Bryan Keith and Big Bill, suggesting that AEW sees short-term value in reigniting their chemistry inside the ring. However, Fightful’s report emphasized that the creative team didn’t anticipate how strongly fans would respond to Caster’s “open challenge” angle, which has become more popular than expected among live audiences.
Despite the in-ring success, the on-screen story remains focused on dissension. On last week’s AEW Collision, Bowens and Caster took the microphone to insist that they are “not The Acclaimed.” Bowens went as far as declaring that he has no intention of reuniting with Caster permanently, while both men pleaded with Tony Khan not to force them to team up again.
