It's time to break up The Acclaimed

A lot of things happened at AEW Full Gear, most of which have fans talking days later. One topic swirling involves The Acclaimed. Tension is brewing between Max Castor and Anthony Bowens. If there’s one constant in professional wrestling, it is that most great tag teams eventually split. With that in mind, it is time to finally break up The Acclaimed.

In many ways, the duo of Caster and Bowens are representative of many of the good things that All Elite Wrestling represents. They are two individuals that some consider “overlooked” by WWE. Caster was involved in that infamous segment featuring Bobby Lashley’s “sisters,” while Bowens was meant to be offered a deal by WWE but the company basically forgot to follow through. Yet, they came together in AEW and became one of the most important teams in the company.

The fan support of Caster and Bowens not only represented their characters and in-ring work, but Bowens especially represented outside the ring. Seeing professional wrestling embrace him was one of the fleeting moments of things being “good” across the board in the industry. Their title win was a testament to this team being one of the bright spots in the business. Unfortunately, bad acts started to chip away at that as well.

Caster’s behavior both with his “freestyles” and on social media slowly turned fans against him, while pushing them firmly behind Bowens – in hopes to see him get a run on his own. It’s well known that Tony Khan is notoriously “online” when it comes to seeing feedback across social media, so it’s safe to bet that he was aware of the growing feelings toward both men. In the eyes of some, the on-screen split that is brewing between the two performers is due to the rising push against Max Caster as not only a wrestler, but for his behavior online.

It will be interesting to see how this split plays out. When tag teams break up, there’s always the Shawn Michaels-Marty Jannetty conversation. Who will be the star, and who will be the “good hand” on the roster? A feud between Bowens and Caster will have a strong reaction at first, but what to do with them after that is a question that can’t be ignored. AEW has the potential to build Bowens into an important performer on the roster. One that professional wrestling actually needs as the industry looks to further diversify in ways that better represent the fans that watch the content. Breaking up the Acclaimed not only makes sense as a story, but it also makes sense for the opportunities to come.

The team of The Acclaimed may not be long for AEW. It’s time to bring them to a close to appease fans and see how far both men can go as individual performers.