Anthony Bowens Reveals His Struggles Coming Out As A Gay Pro Wrestler

Anthony Bowens is one half of The Acclaimed, the current AEW World Tag Team Champions. Bowens became the first openly gay AEW wrestler to win a title by claiming the Tag Team Titles at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam. Despite his current popularity as one of the most popular acts in wrestling, Bowens was not always as open about his sexuality.

Bowens discussed why he struggled to come out and the importance of his position in AEW for the LGBTQ+ community on the Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend podcast. He shared that it makes him proud, since there was a point when he didn’t think he’d ever have a moment like that. Bowens also admitted that he used to cry and worry that if he came out, his fans and other wrestlers would despise him.

It makes me feel proud because, you know, there was a time, I said that in a promo, I didn’t think I’d be able to have a moment like that, ever. I would sit in my room, in my car, and just cry thinking if I came out, you know, my career is over, fans would hate me, wrestlers would hate me, a national TV company wouldn’t take a chance on me. So, there was all this fear, you know, all this fear and anxiety that I look back on now … To be able to be somebody that people can watch on television. Hopefully connect to and relate to, to give them that sense of hope that, I made it through, they can make it through.

Over the last year, supporters have welcomed Bowens. His signature Scissor me, Daddy Ass catchphrase was responsible for The Acclaimed’s shirt, with the phrase becoming the hottest-selling piece of AEW apparel recently. It has also contributed to the rapid growth of the native AEW tag team.

Bowens and teammate Max Caster will defend their AEW World Tag Team Championships against the ROH World Tag Team Champions FTR this week on Dynamite. Let’s see what happens. To get the latest updates, keep an eye on Ringside News.

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