Did Tony Khan Fumble This Popular Team?

It has been known over recent weeks that former AEW World Tag Team & Trios Champions The Acclaimed have expiring AEW deals. The pairing of Anthony Bowens & Max Caster are set to become free agents on October 1, and a recent report from Fightful Select has suggested that the promotion has not opened negotiations with the pair as of yet, which doesn’t bode too well for their future in AEW. This provides fans with the opportunity to look back at The Acclaimed’s time in AEW to assess whether or not Tony Khan fumbled the bag on this once heavily over team.

The Acclaimed Became One Of AEW’s Most Over Acts

• The Acclaimed experienced a steady and consistent rise in AEW.
• Tony Khan capitalized on their momentum and crowned them as champions.
• The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn were a hugely popular AEW act.

The tag team of Anthony Bowens and Max Caster had humble beginnings, starting their journey on AEW Dark where they crafted their characters and built up chemistry, before getting opportunities on TV where they would lose many of their matches. This has been a tried and tested way of getting acts gradually over and more familiar with fans, leading to many success stories for Tony Khan in AEW. The Acclaimed were one of them. Their natural charisma, unique characters, and infectious energy led to them consistently gaining momentum and becoming one of the most over acts in AEW.

With “Daddy Ass” Billy Gunn by their side, The Acclaimed went on to become the AEW World Tag Team Champions and later the AEW World Trios Champions, all with the fans red hot behind them, showering them in chants of “Scissor Me Daddy”, carrying special Acclaimed themed scissors in the crowd, and buying in to all their wacky segments and fun feuds. At one point in time, it is safe to say that The Acclaimed were one of the most over acts in the entire company… until things went downhill.

Anthony Bowens & Max Caster Failed As Singles Competitors

• Both Bowens & Caster have clear talent and potential.
• Caster briefly got over when getting squashed in AEW.
• Nothing has stuck for Bowens as a singles competitor.

As time progressed, fans bought less and less into The Acclaimed as an act, and their momentum dropped. Nothing had really changed about their presentation, but it was time for a change, leading to both Caster & Bowens going their separate ways and trying their hand as singles competitors. Fans had long lobbied for Bowens to be given a big shot as a solo star, leading to him being repackaged on the Dynasty 2025 pre-show in a squash match win against Caster… only for him to receive very little follow up. He struggled for consistent TV time and lost in notable singles matches. At the same time, Caster had managed to find some momentum as “The Best Wrestler Alive”, getting squashed week-on-week but getting over when doing so. Before long, AEW gave up on their respective singles pushes.

In 2025, Caster & Bowens unwillingly teamed up once again as The Acclaimed, but they had lost all of their charm, charisma, and everything that made fans fall in love with them in the first place. Following a poor reunion, they parted ways yet again, though Bowens failed to find his feet. His only real notable appearances in 2026 came in a losing effort at Dynasty 2026 in a Casino Gauntlet match, and as a new member of The Opps faction. For Caster, his last AEW TV appearance came at the back end of 2025, before falling out of favor. So, did Tony Khan fumble this pair ahead of their potential exits?

The Acclaimed Had Their Time In AEW, But It Is Time To Move On

• The Acclaimed’s act steadily got stale and fans lost interest.
• AEW’s roster is too stacked for Bowens & Caster to survive as singles wrestlers.
• Leaving AEW will likely be best for both men.

Before Tony Khan had given up on Bowens & Caster, it is safe to say that fans had already fallen out of love with The Acclaimed. Their act was one that had their time, got over, and succeeded, but their schtick had a lifespan and unfortunately it eventually got old. It is true that Khan should have done much more to make The Acclaimed to evolve in AEW and to keep them relevant, and way more should have been done to give Bowens a platform in the singles division. There are two realities to the fall of The Acclaimed, and one of those does rest unfavorably on Khan’s shoulders, as it should with any failed act.

If The Acclaimed do depart AEW in 2026, it will be for the best. At this point in time, AEW’s roster in the singles, tag team, and trios divisions are beyond stacked, and there is not much of a place for Bowens & Caster anyway. However, they are such a notable part of AEW’s legacy that a return in the future would not be out of the question, and it would in fact produce huge reactions if Tony Khan wanted to go down that route in a few years time. Yes, The Acclaimed were fumbled, but they are not a huge loss in the present day version of AEW.