Anthony Bowens dives into the story behind the storyline with The Gunn Club.
Bowens and his tag team partner, Max Caster, formed an alliance with Billy, Colten, and Austin Gunn for a few weeks. But when they struggled to coexist, the Gunns turned on the duo, leading to a Dumpster Match between the two teams. Bowens and Caster subsequently saved Billy when his sons betrayed him, reuniting with “Daddy Ass” in the process.
While speaking to John Orquiola of Screen Rant, Anthony Bowens was asked about how his storyline with the “Ass Boys” came about. Bowens shared that his injury, plus The Acclaimed‘s chemistry with the Gunn brothers, led to them catching “lighting in a bottle.”
“So going into 2022, Max and I were trying to figure out something that could really bring us to the next level,” Bowens said. “And we had to work with people who, I guess, had similar goals. And he had noticed that we had pretty good chemistry with The Gunn Club, as far as just our interactions around the arena. And they’re super funny people. And we thought they would be good people to work with.
“And eventually, one day, I was just sitting on the beach, and I was pretty relaxed. And I was hurt. And I was trying to figure out a way to put that on camera because I was injured, but I was able to walk. And people were wondering why I wasn’t wrestling for months. So we needed a reason, to show people that I was hurt. I came up with the wheelchair thing. And I brought it to the guys, and they loved it. We pitched it, Tony loved it, and we just went for it. And it’s one of those things where we caught lightning in a bottle because all four of us are so entertaining. I mean, I hate them now considering what they did to us. (laughs) But at the time, it was a great pairing. And it just exploded.”
He continued by noting that fans connected with his on-screen relationship with “Daddy Ass”, which took on a life of its own. Bowens also noted that AEW allows its performers to pivot accordingly, rather than strictly relying on material that’s given to them.
“The relationship between myself and Billy Gunn, Daddy Ass, the people really started to latch on to [it], which was something that we didn’t expect. It just took on a life of its own. And that’s kind of the beauty of working here is that we’re able to pivot and create stuff each and every week that’s unique to us, as opposed to having it given to us.”
As for why Billy Gunn turned on his own sons in favor of aligning with The Acclaimed, Bowens had a straightforward response. “I mean, The Gunn Club, or the Ass Boys, they’re not very likable. So I understand why he switched over.”
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