Since re-signing with AEW in 2023, The Young Bucks have been cracking down on the company’s antics with the seriousness of hall monitors on a power trip. In their quest to restore order, they’ve bid adieu to legends like Sting (well, sort of), welcomed stars like Kazuchika Okada and Jack Perry to The Elite, and clamped down on social media shenanigans. Their latest disciplinary action? Slapping former AEW World Tag Team Champion Anthony Bowens with a hefty fine for mouthing off on the June 5 “AEW Dynamite” and on social media.
Bowens revealed that he was fined $5,000 by the EVPs, a sum that could double to $10,000 if he steps out of line again. With The Young Bucks, aka Matthew and Nicholas Jackson, wielding their power like Thor with his hammer, Bowens and his Acclaimed cohorts are feeling the heat. Max Caster and Billy Gunn have also been airing their grievances about the Bucks in backstage promos, adding more fuel to the fire.
The Acclaimed and Gunn are set to let off some steam on the June 15 “AEW Collision.” Bowens even hinted on social media that AEW might have been better off if Tony Khan, Cody Rhodes, and Kenny Omega had founded the company without the current AEW Tag Team Champions. Tensions will reach a boiling point when The Acclaimed face The Young Bucks in a Tag Team Championship Eliminator match on the June 19 “Dynamite.” A win will earn Bowens and Caster a shot at the titles, turning their fines into potential gold.