"Actually, I said yes to WWE" – 32-year-old star agreed to join AEW's rival before Tony Khan found out

Tony Khan is pretty popular among wrestling fans. Fans love him for all that he did to make AEW a reality – and that includes going out of his way to sign up some hot wrestlers.

Wrestlers signing up with different franchises is something that happens all the time. In some cases, the signing of contracts actually becomes the foundation of some pretty interesting matches.

It's always interesting for fans when a wrestler reveals what really went on behind the scenes before they signed up. One insanely popular AEW wrestler has done exactly that, and he's none other than The Acclaimed's Anthony Bowens.

The star is currently having a dream run at AEW, and had the Tag Team Championship gold around him from September 2022 to February 2023.

Bowens was hot property even before his AEW stint. He wrestled at WWE NXT before signing on the dotted line with the Tony Khan-led promotion.

On the Chrissy Chaos podcast, Bowens revealed something that could have potentially changed the way AEW and WWE set up their programming.

"We (Bowens and Max Caster) weren't there for the very first couple of months, weren't there for the ground floor, but we are the foundation of AEW and it could have been the other way around. I found myself in a position where I was lucky enough to be able to choose, whether I went to WWE or AEW. Actually, I said yes to WWE, and then Tony [Khan] found out and flew me down there," said Bowens. [H/T WrestlingInc]

Anthony Bowens further revealed that Tony Khan gave them their contracts after their first match on AEW Dark.

Anthony Bowens wants The Acclaimed to face off against Edge and Christian – is Tony Khan listening?

While at Tony Khan's AEW, The Acclaimed have been part of some vengeful matches and have dominated their opponents. The two are pretty high on confidence as well. Bowens recently tweeted about his dream match – The Acclaimed vs. E&C.

Both tag teams have captured the audience's imagination with their antics in and out of the ring. Edge and Christian were an integral part of WWE during the Attitude Era. Anthony Bowens and Caster create the perfect blend with their physique, exquisite wrestling moves, and unique rapping skills.

Of course, this dream match will take a lot of doing on the part of Tony Khan and Triple H, what with Edge competing in WWE and Christian in AEW.

What do you think about The Acclaimed's run in the AEW? And who would win if there was The Acclaimed vs. E&C? Tell us in the comments section below.