Anthony Bowens believes AEW could have a hit on its hands by creating its own wrestling reality series, inspired by one of the shows he loved growing up.

The AEW star has previously shared his vision for a reality competition called "Becoming The Elite," a concept he first floated on social media in May 2026. The idea would see aspiring wrestlers compete for a place on the AEW roster, similar to WWE's former Tough Enough series.

Speaking on the Battleground podcast, Bowens explained that the post was more than just a passing thought and admitted he enjoys putting ideas out into the world to see what might happen.

"I like to manifest things and just throw it out there like 'maybe it could become a thing,'" Bowens said. "Warner Brothers Discovery is always looking for more content in regards to us and crossover opportunities. Tough Enough was one of my favorite, not to promote that, but it was one of my favorite things when I was a kid. Even still to this day honestly, I'll go back and watch it. Like it was cool, it's my childhood, it was like a first glimpse of what wrestling was behind the scenes for me. So I thought why not do something here with it? Except make it more AEW and make it fun."

Bowens believes the concept would be a natural fit for AEW, especially with the level of talent already on the roster. He feels the promotion's locker room is filled with world class wrestlers who could mentor the next generation, making the competition stand out from previous wrestling reality shows.

According to Bowens, giving fans a behind the scenes look at how future stars are developed while testing whether contestants truly have what it takes to earn an AEW contract could make for compelling television.

I want @AEW to bring back OG Tough Enough but call it “Becoming The Elite” or something like that. WBD would love the extra content! Sign me up as a judge/trainer @TonyKhan ✌🏽 pic.twitter.com/GfqSBHOeZM

, Anthony Bowens (@Bowens_Official) May 5, 2026