AEW's Surprise Twist

The AEW Rampage segment featuring Anthony Bowens of The Acclaimed coming out as gay took an unexpected turn from the promotion's original plans.

During Friday's show, Harley Cameron made a playful attempt to win over Bowens, unaware that he had already come out years ago and was in a committed relationship. Bowens graciously clarified the situation, which elicited an enthusiastic response from the crowd, including a supportive chant of "He's Gay." Billy Gunn and Max Caster, who were also present in the ring, joined in the celebration of Bowens' 'coming out' moment on AEW programming.

According to reports from Fightful Select, AEW initially intended for this segment to take place on Dynamite. However, the decision was made to move it to Rampage in order to provide ample time for its execution. Sources have revealed that Billy Gunn and QT Marshall played significant roles in putting the segment together, with Marshall personally consulting Bowens about his comfort level in publicly stating his sexual orientation. It's worth noting that Bowens enthusiastically embraced the opportunity.

The segment has received an overwhelmingly positive response from fans, garnering nearly 4 million views on Twitter alone. In a tweet, Bowens expressed his appreciation for the crowd's positive and supportive response, highlighting how a few years ago, the idea of such an affirming chant about homosexuality would have seemed unthinkable.