The Acclaimed free agency: What’s next for Max Caster & Anthony Bowens following AEW contract expiration

AEW

Former AEW World Tag Team and Trios Champions Anthony Bowens and Max Caster of the Acclaimed are now free agents.

It was reported a number of months ago that the contracts of both Anthony Bowens and Max Caster were set to expire on October 1, with neither having re-signed with the company as of recently.

Max Caster has not featured on AEW television for the entire year of 2026, with his last match being the Dynamite Diamond Ring Battle Royal on December 17, 2025.

Bowens however, while used sparingly on the show, had appeared more regularly after joining the Opps during Samoa Joe’s absence, with him being in action on the Buy-In for AEW All In London last month.

Anthony Bowens &  Max Caster now free agents

In an update from Fightful Select (subscription required), the former Acclaimed members are now officially free agents following the expiration of their AEW contracts.

With the Acclaimed now free agents, there are a number of potential options for them outside of AEW.

Will Anthony Bowens remain with AEW?

As Caster has not been used at all this year, it seems unlikely that he will be staying with AEW following his free agency, but with Bowens there is more of a chance.

Bowens had been part of the Opps, even appearing on the All Out Buy-In when Samoa Joe made his return, seemingly setting up a more prominent role for the Opps coming out of All Out.

In the past, AEW contracts have expired only for the company to reach an agreement with the talent to re-sign with the company, which could be a situation we see take place with Bowens.

Will the Acclaimed reunite outside of AEW?

In 2025, The Acclaimed broke up after becoming one of the most popular teams in the company the years prior, but after a very underwhelming feud, neither man really benefitted from the break up.

AEW had begun a storyline where Billy Gunn was attempting to get the pair to reunite at the end of the year, with them potentially set to rejoin the tag team division before it was ultimately scrapped.

For Bowens and Caster to achieve the heights they once reached, we could see the Acclaimed reunite as a tag team outside of AEW, whether that be in NXT, TNA or just on the independents.

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• free agency
• AEW
• Free Agents
• Max Caster
• Anthony Bowens
• the acclaimed

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