Anthony Bowens: I Would Love To Be AEW’s First Gay World Champion

Anthony Bowens has a big career goal. 

Anthony Bowens is an openly gay man, who received a positive response from the audience on the June 23 episode of AEW Rampage as they chanted “He’s gay” after he turned down Harley Cameron. 

Bowens has already been an AEW Tag Team Champion alongside Max Caster and is one-third of the AEW Trios Champions with Caster & Billy Gunn. He still has one big goal on his list. 

“As much as I hope The Acclaimed, the tag team I’m a part of, stays forever, I would love to become AEW’s first gay World Champion. I got the Tag Team titles checked off the list, but there hasn’t been a gay World Champion. I would also like to be a Grand Slam champion, too, which is where you win every title once,” Bowens told Out Magazine when asked about his goals in AEW. 

When asked about how gay people are presented on television or in storylines, Bowens said, “Thankfully we don’t have to exist anymore being stereotypes or being the fodder in the story. We’re presented as credible athletes and champions like myself or [Nyla Rose]. Wrestling has come a long way with the presentation of queer athletes, which is why I’m particularly happy I’m signed to [All Elite Wrestling]. Tony Khan and the company allow us to be us and whatever that may be, whether it’s Sonny Kiss, who is genderfluid, or Nyla Rose, or myself who now has straight people scissoring each other (laughs). I don’t ever have to worry about upper management trying to change me or direct me to be a certain way. Hopefully, wrestling continues to move in that direction. The independent circuit is doing great because now, there are so many LGBTQ+ wrestlers. It’s come a very long way and I’m excited to see where it continues to go.”

Billy Gunn infamously played a gay person in his tag team with Chuck Palumbo in 2002, but it was all revealed to be a publicity stunt during their commitment ceremony. 

The Acclaimed are set to appear on the September 9 episode of AEW Collision.