From reigns as World tag and trios champion with The Acclaimed to his current membership in The Opps, AEW’s Anthony Bowens has continually made a strong impression on wrestling fans. In this PWI digital exclusive, “The Pride Of Pro Wrestling” reflects on his evolving role in All Elite Wrestling
TEXT BY LIZZY FLANAGAN
I DON’T THINK I’D be alone in saying that June feels more important than it has in recent years. Of course, Pride Month is always important, but in an increasingly hostile political climate, it offers a reminder that progress can’t come without a fight.
Queerness and professional wrestling have a complicated history, to say the least. Historically speaking, queerness was only portrayed in wrestling through caricatures, meant to mock and demonize the LGBTQ community. Things began to change in the early-2010s as athletes such as Fred Rosser (known in WWE as Darren Young) made themselves authentically known and shifted the public’s perception of what a pro wrestler can look like.
Today, boundaries continue to be broken by wrestlers such as Toni Storm, Indi Hartwell, Mike Bailey, and the newest member of The Opps, Anthony Bowens. I was fortunate enough to speak with Bowens about his decision to join Samoa Joe’s group, the importance of representation, and his relationship with AEW’s fan base.
And really, who better to talk to during Pride Month than the “Pride Of Pro Wrestling” himself? Anthony Bowens came out to the public through a YouTube video he made with his partner, Michael Pavano, back in 2017. Before that, he said he was out to friends and family “on a need-to-know basis.” The first person he ever told was his best friend, an experience he would later refer to as “petrifying.” “I was so nervous he thought I was dying,” Bowens said. “But he was really supportive.”
But there’s a big difference between coming out to friends and family and being out to millions of people across the globe. Bowens, for his part, has been largely embraced by the AEW faithful. It’s been a refreshing change to witness as a queer wrestling fan. With that in mind, I asked the former tag team champion whether this reception came as a surprise. “No, not at all,” he said. “We have the coolest fans in the world. Every now and then, you’ll get a knucklehead yelling stupid stuff, but there’s always gonna be people like that in the world.”
We spoke in particular about the interaction between The Acclaimed and Harley Cameron on the June 23, 2023, edition of Rampage. In that memorable segment, Cameron came onto Bowens, who shut down her advances by asking, “Did you get kicked in the head too many times by a kangaroo when you were a kid?” before telling her, matter-of-factly, “I’m gay!”
The audience in attendance roared with laughter and applause before breaking into a supportive chant of “He’s gay! He’s gay!” It was a shockingly wholesome moment that drove home just how far wrestling (and society in general) has come these past few decades.
“I didn’t realize how big of a reaction it would get,” Bowens told me. “I especially didn’t think it would go viral every year, and that it would make so many people so happy. AEW has fostered an amazing fan base.”
A lot has changed since 2023, though. The Acclaimed have since gone their separate ways (an attempted reunion between Max Caster & Anthony Bowens, orchestrated by ECW legend and AEW coach Jerry Lynn, didn’t pan out). Instead, “The Pride Of Pro Wrestling” cast his lot with Samoa Joe and The Opps, the same faction that used underhanded tactics to cost fan favorite “Hangman” Adam Page the AEW Men’s World championship at Full Gear 2025.
Bowens wasn’t worried about whether his villainous turn would damage his relationship with AEW fans. Instead, his focus was on the need to better himself. “Part of wrestling is not relying on one thing and constantly evolving,” he noted, viewing the new alliance as a way to advance his career. And if he were to feel nostalgic and yearn to “scissor” again down the road? “There’s always the option to go back whenever you want to.”
Since becoming an Opp, Anthony Bowens has embraced a more vicious in-ring style. This comes as no surprise, considering the ruthlessness of Opps leader Samoa Joe. Bowens spoke highly of the two-time AEW Men’s World champion. “Joe is a legend in the business,” he said. “He’s brought out a more violent, serious side of me.” In the ring, Joe has taught Anthony to work “a little bit more on the aggressive side, and clearly it works. I wasn’t winning much before that.”
One of the defining features of Bowens’ new style is his brand-new, yet-to-be-named submission maneuver, crafted in tribute to fellow New Jersey native Mario Bokara (a wrestler Bowens believes never got the credit he deserves).
With his new ring style and no-nonsense attitude, Bowens is reshaping himself into a dangerous contender. “I’m taking all the puzzle pieces and putting them together,” he said. “A lot of wrestling is trial and error, but that’s a lot harder when you have to do it on live TV.”
It’s tough to think of two men with more varied philosophies on professional wrestling than Bowens’ past and current mentors, Billy Gunn and Samoa Joe. “Joe prioritizes violence, Billy prioritizes entertainment,” Bowens noted. “I’m lucky enough to be able to blend those two worlds together and find what works for me.”
With his decision to join The Opps, Bowens also unlocked an opportunity to work with one of his closest allies outside of the ring, Hook. But, with Samoa Joe temporarily out of the picture, their relationship is showing some early signs of strain now that they’re teammates.
“Hook is one of my best friends, but I have been having my issues with [him],” admitted Bowens. “He seems to think he’s the leader of The Opps now, which I disagree with. I’m the one who should be leading this faction to the future.”
Still, the new Opps recruit remains optimistic about the partnership … at least for now. “This happens in friendships,” he added. “I’m happy to be working with him.”
With the group’s menacing leader away from AEW TV, will The Opps aim to shore up its reduced numbers with a new member? “I gotta give Joe a call about that,” Bowens said. “I think I would do a better job than Hook did, but Joe’s the one who gets the final say.”
When pressed further, Bowens added, “I have two people in mind, but I won’t say their names here. We’ll keep it a mystery for now.”
Anthony Bowens’ mind isn’t solely on Opps business. He remembers what it was like to be a kid, dreaming of being a pro wrestler but not having any openly gay role models to look up to. And he’s grateful for the fans—some of whom are aspiring wrestlers from the LGBTQ community—who remain in his corner.
His message to them:
“I thank them for supporting me. I hope I can make a difference. If you’re wondering if you can do this, I’m here to tell you that you can. You have me, and you have a slew of other LGBTQ wrestlers now, helping make wrestling a safer space.”
This is an exciting time to be an AEW fan. It’s an exciting time for the athletes, too. Anthony Bowens, a former collegiate baseball player and baseball fanatic, is particularly excited for Brawl in the Ballpark, coming up on July 10 at Target Field. Ever the company man, he encourages fans to tune in—and hopes to see further collaboration between AEW and MLB in the future.
Since joining The Opps Anthony Bowens has been batting one thousand. While we can’t predict the future, this writer is confident that the “Pride Of Pro Wrestling” will knock this opportunity out of the park.
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