Max Caster and Anthony Bowens reflect on the breakup of The Acclaimed, former AEW World Tag Team Champions, which unfolded during AEW Collision: Maximum Carnage. After weeks of rising tensions, the duo had a heated argument leading to Caster walking out on Bowens.

In a digital exclusive, Max Caster stated, “Yeah, The Acclaimed is done. I’m just trying to grow as a person. Anthony Bowens, Billy Gunn, they’re not ready to grow. But everybody’s at different stages of their lives, and you gotta understand. But I knew that going into this speech today. Anthony Bowens is my best friend for life, and I know he’s hard-headed. Ever since he started listening to Billy Gunn, he’s been a real stubborn guy. I have been, too. Billy is a bad influence, has been since the 90s. But I just told it like it was, and as the captain and the leader of The Acclaimed, sometimes the captain’s gotta go down with the ship. I was going down with the ship. “Even though I said I want to stop rapping, they said, ‘No, it’s all we got.’ I said, ‘Let’s stop scissoring.’ They said, ‘No, everyone loves it.’ I said, okay, let’s keep doing it. But I want to grow, but they never let me grow. So I went a little off the deep end, and I just had to find that life raft off that sinking ship, and that life raft was me. I found myself, my self-worth, my self-confidence. I love myself, and I think that’s a good thing to say. But Anthony Bowens, Billy Gunn, they’re not at that point in their lives yet. So hopefully one day, they are, and it’s just not today.”

In another exclusive, Anthony Bowens and Billy Gunn shared their perspectives. Gunn acknowledged Bowens' potential as a solo performer, despite Caster's actions. Bowens reminisced about their successful partnership, saying, “Five years, Billy. Five years as a team. We went from nothing to Wembley Stadium, the highest scissor party on earth, and he threw that all away. This is honestly gonna be a lot to process. But out with the old, in with the new because I got a bad ass in my corner, and I cannot wait to get started because you haven’t seen anything yet.”

EXCLUSIVE: @Bowens_Official & @RealBillyGunn evaluate their future after what happened on #AEWCollision! pic.twitter.com/YGGxq98LfY

, All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) January 19, 2025