Reigning AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed are quickly becoming one of professional wrestling’s most popular duos. That was evident this week when they battled FTR in the main event of Dynamite on Wednesday.
With these two teams, you just knew that it would be an all-out banger, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. FTR, currently the champions in Ring of Honor, AAA, and New Japan, were looking to add a fourth set of world titles to their collection. They came up short on this night.
Despite FTR being the best overall pairing in the world, and likely the tag team of the year for 2022, they couldn’t finish the job. After one hell of a battle, Max Caster scored a clean pin over Cash Wheeler. It was an epic encounter. One we need to see more of in the future.
The Acclaimed have become a fan favorite amongst the AEW faithful
Anyone who watches them make their way to the ring can see and hear just how ‘over’ this team really is. Draped in platinum and pink, their entrances are more like some kind of wild, hip-hop show. The people go absolutely crazy.
And then… there is the matter of all that scissoring.
Starting out as somewhat of a running gag, The Acclaimed version of scissoring is sort of like a gang handshake. If you know how to do it right, then you must be part of the clique. And it’s become a huge signature of this squad.
It doesn’t hurt that the ‘joke’ is the fact the term is used in a more adult and (ahem) ‘graphic’ nature elsewhere. It simply lends itself to the almost childlike humor and unbridled joy this team possesses. They actually look like they’re having a good time out there. So, the fans go on that ride with them.
Having Billy Gunn by their side has been a huge boost for the team
In so many ways, the presence of WWE Hall of Famer Billy Gunn has only added to this team’s appeal. As ‘Daddy Ass’, he’s not only a mentor to Anthony Bowens and Max Caster, he’s like a father figure. The fans love the story of how the trio stuck together, after Gunn’s own sons betrayed him.
They say the sum of the parts can be greater than the whole, and that seems to be true with The Acclaimed. Having Gunn there gives the team legitimacy – with a guy that knows a thing or two about successful tag teams. He’s also still built like a tank, so he’s an enforcer outside the ring, as well.
On top of that, he’s a focal point in the entire scissoring movement. Given his penchant for being able to play a tongue-in-cheek character in the past, he’s the perfect partner for a few comedy gags here and there.
They have a bright future ahead of them
While the team already holds the AEW World Tag Team Titles, they are both still relatively young. At least in terms of the wrestling world. Caster, at 33, is entering his prime years as a performer. Anthony Bowens is 31, and also just tapping into his amazing athletic potential. So, in a sense, they are both peaking together at just the right time.
There’s no reason to split this pair up any time soon – or, ever, really. They have the type of symbiosis that very few modern teams have. They feed off of one another. That combined energy permeates the arena and gains a healthy reaction from the AEW fan base.
It also doesn’t hurt that they are homegrown talents and that All Elite Wrestling considers the talented team as ‘one of their own. In a company that is built off the cultish nature of its audience, that’s a good thing.
So, the sky’s the limit for this high-flying twosome. They will likely have multiple world title reigns and travel the world, taking on a lot of tough competition. But they will always have a home and a following in AEW. They’ve established that foundation, tight there in prime time. Now, it’s time for this team to soar.
Before 2023 is all said and done, we might just be calling The Acclaimed the very best tag team in the entire industry. And if that happens, the AEW fans will celebrate that moment by yelling out, “SCISSOR ME, DADDY-O!!!”
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