"I cried in that man's face in the locker room" - AEW star opens up on breaking down in front of Sting
AEW star Anthony Bowens recalled how emotional he was during a conversation with Sting after the two competed against each other on a recent episode of Dynamite.
Bowens teamed up with Max Caster as The Acclaimed to take on The Icon and Darby Allin in the main event of the January 19th edition of Dynamite in Washington D.C.
Not only was it the first time either Caster or Bowens had been in the ring with the former world champion, but it was also the first time since November 2000 that he had wrestled on the TBS network.
Such a momentous occasion overwhelmed Anthony Bowens, as he noted when he discussed the experience on the BBC LGBT Sports Podcast. He also described how he cried in front of Sting after the match was over.
"He was incredible and I think the best part afterwards was how happy he was over-about the whole thing which made me feel even better because for me locker room respect is a really big thing and having the acceptance and the acknowledgement of these veterans that I looked up to who are stars and make money in the business, having their acceptance and their approval for my work means a lot. Especially from an icon like Sting, so it meant, I think a theme here which you’ll hear me say a lot is that I cry a lot, I cried in that man’s face in the locker room," said Bowens. [16:12-16:49]
TONIGHT for the 1st Time in over 21 years #theIcon @Sting returns to where he first became a worldwide star, @TBSNetwork, as he teams with @DarbyAllin aiming for payback vs. #TheAcclaimed (@Bowens_Official/@PlatinumMax) LIVE on Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite @ 8pm ET/7pm CT on TBS! https://t.co/Sl7EcDnds4
The night itself had plenty of personal meaning for Bowens as well, as he explained that it marked the ninth anniversary of becoming a professional wrestler.
“That was a very, very surreal night, and I think the cool thing was, I guess for people who aren’t aware, so that night, it was a couple of months ago, I went from seeing Sting on television as a seven-year-old being in awe, to-it was my ninth-year anniversary of becoming a pro wrestler, it was in Washington D.C. which was the same exact city that the [Hulk] Hogan vs. Sting match was, and we main-evented [AEW] Dynamite with him," Bowens continued. [15:19-15:47]
Sting is currently undefeated in AEW
As the saying goes, "age is just a number", and no one embodies that phrase more than Sting. He's 63 years old, but he remains one of the few stars in AEW that has yet to lose a match.
The Icon currently sits on a record of nine wins and zero losses, with three of those wins coming on pay-per-view. His first bout in the promotion came at Revolution 2021 against Team Taz. Then, he and Darby Allin defeated Men of the Year at Double or Nothing 2021. Finally, he teamed up with Allin and Sammy Guevara to defeat the Andrade Hardy Family Office at Revolution 2022.
#AEWRevolution is LIVE on PPV!What did we just witness from #TheIcon @Sting ?! 😱 #AEWRevolution is LIVE on PPV! https://t.co/zTeRjBS03I
During several of his matches, Sting has channeled his inner-ECW and thrown caution to the wind. He has amazed fans by jumping off balconies and delivering unforgettable moments.
The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion hasn't been seen since he suffered a beatdown at the hands of The Undisputed Elite, so fans are eager to see him get his revenge at some point soon.
Please credit the "BBC LGBT Sports Podcast" and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.