Making A Case: Why The Acclaimed Need To Be Turned Face In AEW

They are critically acclaimed. “Platinum” Max Caster and Anthony Bowens of The Acclaimed have worked hard to get to the spot they are today. However, they deserve to be given the push and undeniable face turn they need in AEW.

Despite not being in the company since day one, “Platinum” Max Caster and Anthony Bowens, the team known as The Acclaimed, are as elite as they come. Max Caster was the first to show up in AEW in the summer of 2020 doing a few matches for AEW dark. It wasn’t until October of the same year that Anthony Bowens first showed up in All Elite Wrestling and teamed up with Caster for the first time. The team showed instant chemistry and was officially signed to a multi-year contract with AEW as The Acclaimed. Since then, The Acclaimed has been working hard to make a name for themselves and has been successful so far.

They were easy to get over with the crowd as a hated team thanks to Max Caster’s ability to rap and verbally rip through the crowd, their opponents, and pretty much anything else in The Acclaimed’s way. They were beating every team in their way and quickly earned a shot against the AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks. The Young Buck’s gave The Acclaimed their first loss in the company but they weren’t going to let that keep them down. The continued to go strong in the company until August 2021 when Max Caster would get into a bit of trouble due to some of the comments he made in one of his raps and The Acclaimed were stalled for months.

Fortunately for The Acclaimed, Max Caster and AEW were able to patch things up even though some reports said that Caster would be on “thin ice” moving forward. Since getting a second chance, The Acclaimed haven’t wasted it. They have beaten countless teams that have come their way. Unfortunately for The Acclaimed, they are yet to win when it means the most. They have had a chance against two sets of the last tag team champions and came up short. They would be set back, even more, when Anthony Bowens suffered a knee injury this past May.

However, Anthony Bowen’s injury would turn out to be helpful for The Acclaimed. While Bowen wasn’t able to get in the ring and wrestle, he was more than able to sit in a wheelchair and get the crowd hyped up. With his partner out of action, Max Caster started teaming with the members of The Gunn Club, a pairing that has arguably been getting all five members involved more over than they were before. The “Ass Boys” nickname has been helping Colten and Austin Gunn get over as much as they say they hate it. The fans love shouting it at them and that’s all that matters.

The Acclaimed has been a crucial part of getting the nickname over as well with Max Caster including the name in his raps and Bowen’s shouting it at the top of his lungs when he says they have arrived at every show. While Austin and Colten continue to play the heel and get booed by the crowd for nothing knowing the name of the show or the location they are at, Caster and Bowen have been getting pops from the crowd when they have the microphone. When The Acclaimed music hits these days, you can expect to hear the roar of the crowd and that may be something Tony Khan wants to be listening to.

They have naturally been able to get over with the crowd even though they have been known to be the bad guys. Max Caster’s raps have been top-notch and he has no issue dissing anybody. The fans have started to love him for it as they did John Cena early in his career. However, since being injured, Anthony Bowens has shown how charismatic and over the top he can be without even leaving his chair. He simply shouts the correct name of the show or location of the show the Gunn’s got wrong and the fans love him for it. While also getting “scissor me, Daddy Ass” surprisingly over with the fans at the same time.

While many in AEW’s management may want to pull an elaborate face turn for The Acclaimed, I believe that would be the wrong decision. The face turn for The Acclaimed has been happening naturally and that should be exactly how it should be planned out to seem. The tension between The Acclaimed and The Gunn Club has been growing slowly and steadily for weeks. While The Gunn’s are being mocked as “The Ass Boy’s,” their father is embracing the name and embracing The Acclaimed more than his own two sons.

At the recent “Blood and Guts” edition of AEW Dynamite, the seeds for The Gunn Club and The Acclaimed’s feud were perfectly put in line. Anthony Bowen’s had a miracle as he got out of his wheelchair and tried to get involved with the match. However, he hit the wrong person and cost The Gunn’s the match. After the match, The Acclaimed and The Gunn Club had words that ended with “Daddy Ass” Billy Gunn pushing down his own son Austin and leaving with The Acclaimed. With that being said and done, it leaves The Acclaimed looking like the bad guys and that needs to be changed.

Which is honestly an easy fix. After being ultimately humiliated by their own father, Austin and Colten Gunn need to beat some sense into him. However, before they would seem successful, The Acclaimed would run out to make the save and run off Austin and Colten. Billy would stand by The Acclaimed going into the feud with his kids but I wouldn’t leave him there long. The ultimate move to solidify The Acclaimed as the faces moving forward and have The Gunn Club even more despised is to have Billy turn on The Acclaimed. Then we can have The Acclaimed take out all of the Gunn’s and go on to be top faces in the company and eventual AEW Tag Team Champions.