AEW’s Max Caster may consider himself the best wrestler alive, but the AEW star is far more humble on his brand new album. This week, Caster shared his new album ‘Worst Rapper Alive’ to Spotify. The 14-track album includes songs such as ‘Cancelled’, ‘Mixed Nuts,’ and ‘Performative Feminist.’ The 38-minute album is Caster’s first since 2021 and once again demonstrates the AEW’s talents outside of the squared circle.

As expected, the album includes several references to wrestling. Cancelled includes comments about Caster’s work in AEW and a comparison to John Cena’s time as a freestyle rapper. American Male includes the line ‘Feelin’ like Buff, I should be a gigilo,’ a nod to Buff Bagwell, who once competed in the American Males tag-team.

Caster’s new album comes amid a time of great change for the wrestler. On the latest AEW Collision, Caster and Anthony Bowens ended their tag team as Bowens has grown tired with Caster’s attitude. The Acclaimed had teamed in AEW since 2020 and captured the World Tag Team Championships in 2022. The following year, the duo, alongside Billy Gunn, captured the AEW Trios Championships at All In: London.

Where Caster’s AEW future goes next remains to be seen, but the loudmouth continues to make his voice heard in and out of the ring. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Caster and his role in wrestling and rap.

AEW fans witnessed the final chapter of The Acclaimed at AEW Collision: Maximum Carnage, as Anthony Bowens and Max Caster offically split. After weeks of escalating tension, Bowens turned his back on Max Caster, opting to align with Billy Gunn instead during the latest episode.

Reflecting on the end of The Acclaimed, Caster shared that his desire for personal growth and pointed the finger of blame squarely at Gunn.

“Anthony Bowens is my best friend for life. I know he’s hardheaded, and ever since he started listening to Billy Gunn, he’s been a real stubborn guy. Billy is a bad influence—has been since the ’90s.”

Caster shared that his efforts to grow led to him asking the group to quit scissoring, a request both Bowens and Gunn rejected. The self professed best wrestler alive compared his parting from The Acclaimed to a passenger fleeing a sinking ship.

“That life raft was me. I found self-worth, self-confidence. I love myself, and I think that’s a good thing.”

The Acclaimed began teaming in 2020 and Caster and Bowens captured the AEW World Tag Team Championships in 2022. The following year, the pair and Gunn won the AEW Trios Championships, titles the faction would hold longer than any other group. Now, Bowens and Caster will have to forge separate paths in AEW as one of the promotion’s most popular teams has come to an end.

One of AEW’s most popular tag teams is no more following the events of this week’s AEW Collision. Tensions between Anthony Bowens and Max Caster of The Acclaimed came to a head during the tapings, with Bowens accusing Caster of letting his ego take over. Bowens then announced his decision to align with Billy Gunn, prompting Caster to declare the official end of The Acclaimed.

The on-screen issues between Bowens and Caster have been simmering for months. However, Bowens expressed confidence late last year that a breakup was unlikely. In a November interview with ROAR Around The Ring, Bowens stated:

“Max and I, we have a lot more stuff that we need to accomplish. I’m not particularly worried about anything that’s been happening.”

The Acclaimed joined AEW in 2020, initially appearing on AEW Dark before transitioning to televised programming. The duo achieved significant success, capturing the AEW World Tag Team Championship in September 2022 and holding the titles for 140 days before losing them to The Gunns in February 2023. Alongside Billy Gunn, they also became AEW Trios Champions, holding the belts for a record-breaking 238 days.

AEW Collision Spoilers: Taping Results Airing 1/18

With The Acclaimed now dissolved, speculation surrounds the next steps for Bowens and Caster. Bowens has made his intention to team with Billy Gunn clear, while Caster has previously shown interest in the Hurt Syndicate’s recruitment efforts. Stay tuned to SEScoops for updates on Bowens, Caster, and their post-Acclaimed careers.

AEW fans might have witnessed the end of The Acclaimed following this week’s AEW Dynamite: Fight For The Fallen. During the event, the former Tag Team Champions suffered a decisive loss to The Hurt Syndicate. Max Caster carried the match for his team, while Anthony Bowens appeared uninterested in aiding his long-time tag partner.

In a digital exclusive interview, Caster expressed outrage over what he described as a “two-on-one attack” by The Hurt Syndicate, once again proclaiming himself the “best wrestler alive.” This declaration enraged Bowens, who accused Caster of bringing the loss upon himself.

“You’ve been pissing me off for months, so much so that Billy [Gunn] doesn’t even want to show up and deal with you.”

Caster didn’t hold back, telling Bowens “F*** Billy Gunn” and asserting himself as the leader of The Acclaimed. Bowens fired back, hinting at a potential showdown between the two.

“The only reason why I haven’t punched you in the face is because Billy asked me not to.”

Caster may have been at odds with The Hurt Syndicate this week, fans are speculating about Caster’s future with MVP’s faction. After all, The Hurt Syndicate previously offered The Acclaimed business cards. While Bowens dismissed the idea of aligning with MVP, Shelton Benjamin, and Bobby Lashley, Caster seemed to consider the proposal.

The Acclaimed has spent years as one of AEW’s most popular tag teams, but now Max Caster and Anthony Bowens can barely stand each other. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on The Acclaimed.

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Max Caster recently voiced his frustration with AEW’s decision to heavily edit his entrance rap during the recent episode of AEW Rampage.

The rapper and wrestler called the move disrespectful to both his artistry and hip-hop culture.

What Happened on AEW Rampage?

During the match where Anthony Bowens faced Chris Jericho, fans noticed that Caster’s trademark rap introduction was unusually brief. This raised eyebrows, leading to speculation that the segment had been altered. Caster later confirmed on social media that the rap had indeed been cut, describing the move as an affront to his craft.

In a fiery Instagram post, later shared on X (formerly Twitter), Caster revealed the full lyrics of the edited rap. The original lines contained witty jabs at Jericho and references to Luigi Mangione.

Max Caster’s Response

Caster did not hold back, accusing AEW of lacking respect for his creative contributions and the broader hip-hop culture. His lyrics, as posted online, carried his usual sharp humor and biting commentary, which has become a hallmark of The Acclaimed’s appeal.

He wrote: “Since they cut my rap again, here’s what I said. Whoever decided to chop it up is a huge p**y and has no respect for what I do and no respect for hip-hop.”*

AEW Dynasty packed a punch for ardent wrestling fans on Sunday night and per usual Max Caster strived to do the same with his words. However, this one was a little more dicey than others.

Max Caster, Anthony Bowens and Billy Gunn were set to go up against Jay White and The Gunns on the Dynasty Zero Hour and naturally Caster would have his pre-macth rap ready to fire off. Caster thought he had his own verbal bullets for Bullet Club Gold, but his content this time around was a little more controversial than even his usual rhymes.

“Switchblade’s what I switch. I’ll fufill your fantasy and I’ll make you my b****. Yo this dude’s just making me sick. I’ll violate you so bad you’ll have to tell the legal team about the taste of my d***.”

Some of Max Caster’s freestyles have been really clever, but this is another one that’s in such bad taste. Where’s the judgement? #AEWDynasty pic.twitter.com/eQ7iJ6MTg8

— SEScoops (@sescoops) April 22, 2024

The line sure got a shocked reaction from the live St. Louis crowd, but it also got it’s own share of opinions from fans and critics online. The Wrestling Observer‘s Dave Meltzer mentioned how Caster’s call has the potency to put him in hot water with AEW, simply saying, “I think Max Caster may get in trouble.”

That Time When Max Caster Called Out Dom Mysterio & Rhea Ripley

This is far from the first time Caster’s lyrics has raised eyebrows. Earlier this year, he cross-cut a line about Dom Mysterio and Rhea Ripley when he was about to have a match with Ripley’s real-life fiance, Buddy Matthews. Ripley ended up commenting on the matter, noting that she and Dom are over in two different promotions.

“But I mean, good for me. It’s good for Dom. At the end of the day, it got us trending on Twitter or X, whatever you want to call it these days. It got us trending. And if that’s what you want to do in your match, get two other people in the opposite promotion that you are battling with trending? Then I feel like you did the wrong job because you put us over instead of yourself, so that was a mistake on their part.”

AEW has a few stables going, but they don’t have as many as they used to. Now, after their Big Business Dynamite, it is apparent that they have one less faction on their roster, but the war is not over.

The Bang Bang Scissor Gang joined up as Max Caster, Anthony Bowens, and Billy Gunn joined Bullet Club Gold. Now, they are no longer together after Jay White betrayed the former AEW Trios Champions.

Bang Bang Scissor Gang Breakup

AEW recently disbanded the Bang Bang Scissor Gang, a stable that hadn’t been around for long, to set up a feud between its former members. The dissolution of the group was evident on the March 13 episode of AEW Dynamite when Jay White won a singles match against Darby Allin. 

Following the match, White attempted to inflict more damage on Allin, prompting The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn to rush to the ring to intervene. This did not set too well with Switchblade. 

Initially, White appeared to back off, allowing Caster and Bowens to assist Allin out of the ring. However, when Caster and Bowens left the ring, White suddenly attacked Billy Gunn with a chair, surprising the Boston fans in a big way. 

Despite Caster and Bowens’ attempts to intervene, they were overpowered by Colten and Austin Gunn. This caused a beatdown for the babyfaces.

Bullet Club Gold is showing their true colors tonight!

Watch #AEWDynamite #AEWBigBusiness LIVE on TBS!@JayWhiteNZ | @theaustingunn | @coltengunn | @RealBillyGunn | @Bowens_Official | @PlatinumMax pic.twitter.com/UrtBzF468C

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 14, 2024

What’s Next

The dramatic turn of events marked the end of the Bang Bang Scissor Gang’s run. The trio had joined forces on the January 20 episode of Collision. Currently, The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn still hold the AEW World Trios Championship, while Jay White & The Gunns retain the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team titles.

SEScoops will have more on this story as additional updates are made available. Odds are, fans have not heard the last of this story at all. The Acclaimed will not likely go after the Bullet Club Gold stable to turned on them.

Max Caster knows how to get under fans’ skin. He makes a living as a heel now, and the Bang Bang Scissor Gang gives him a lot of creative freedom. He may have gone over the line recently, but he was HACKED!

AEW’s resident rapper recently took to Twitter/X to said that all of his mean tweets last night was the result of a hacker. That being said, he’s not taking any of them down and agrees with each word that hacker had to say.

Max Caster’s “Hack”

Max Caster knows how to use his words in very creative ways. He recently went on a tear, where he released a few brutal tweets at fans.

On Monday morning, he logged back onto Twitter/X, where he made it very clear that he was the victim of a hack. This was all part of his character, because he’s not going to dismiss himself from anything that nefarious hacker said to fans.

He released a message along with a text graphic that let everyone know what he was up to. As he cleaned up the mess left by the hacker, he decided to leave all traces of this phony cyberattack.

From Max, Hello, users of X (formerly Twitter).

My followers, my former followers, and wrestling fans… Last night, while I was asleep, I was hacked by a hacker. That person proceeded to correspond antagonizing messages to you, the fans. They caused a lot of problems that I would never intend to start. Ironically, I stand behind all the opinions and statements made by my hacker, and I will not be deleting the posts. However, rest assured that I have full control of my account once again. Thank you for understanding.

Humbly, The Best Wrestler Alive

Never thought I’d have to do this… Please understand at this difficult time ? pic.twitter.com/KcfqlBBy06

— ''Platinum'' Max Caster (@PlatinumMax) March 11, 2024

You can check out a few of the mean tweets that Max Caster’s “hacker” sent out in the space below. They are still up, and there are a few more as well. He’s obviously not backing down from any of them.

Yeah… Kinda bad looking https://t.co/NA3PN7bGRA

— ''Platinum'' Max Caster (@PlatinumMax) March 11, 2024

Nope! We are trios champs! No one has come close to beating us! https://t.co/lOWU1Zqnv9

— ''Platinum'' Max Caster (@PlatinumMax) March 11, 2024

I’ve never choked on a freestyle https://t.co/sbZjEq3DhI

— ''Platinum'' Max Caster (@PlatinumMax) March 11, 2024

What’s Next

We will have to see what Max Caster does next to catch attention. He is known for catching headlines with controversial remarks, and this one was incredibly inventive.

Max Caster and Anthony Bowens’ drive in AEW was put on another level when Billy Gunn joined them. We have to wonder whose idea it was to pull off this hacker deal, but we have to give him credit.

SEScoops will have more on this story, and so much more, in the pro wrestling world. Keep checking back for the headlines that you need.

AEW has a number of former WWE Superstars on their roster. It appears that they may be adding one more, but that doesn’t mean it will be a universally praised decision.

Shelton Benjamin was released from WWE in September last year, but he hasn’t signed with another company yet. He may just end up in AEW at this point, and Max Caster couldn’t keep his opinion to himself. Caster doesn’t think AEW needs Shelton.

Max Caster Reacts

It was previously reported that AEW is in talks with Shelton Benjamin. That would be a great get for Tony Khan, because Shelty hasn’t ended up anywhere else since his WWE release in September 2023.

Max Caster apparently heard this report, and he couldn’t keep his opinion to himself. While reacting to this new story about another former WWE Superstar who may be coming into the Land of All Elite, Caster posted on Twitter/X to let everyone know how he feels about things.

We Don’t Want Him

We don’t want him! https://t.co/klLXzTc5rF

— ''Platinum'' Max Caster (@PlatinumMax) March 11, 2024

What’s Next For AEW & Shelton Benjamin

Shelton Benjamin’s release was a surprise for many, because he is a veteran and has a ton of tools to offer any company he works for. At 48-years-old, Benjamin still has a lot of gas in the tank, and he just may end up in AEW soon enough.

For what it’s worth, there have been people in AEW pulling for Tony Khan to sign Shelton Benjamin since before WWE released him. So, he does have people on the roster who are on his side. 

AEW is looking ahead for their Big Business episode of Dynamite in Boston this week. March 13th’s episode will likely see the debut of Mercedes Mone for the company. It’s anyone’s guess how much longer fans will have to wait until Shelton Benjamin joins the mix.

SEScoops will have more on this story, and everything else that AEW is doing to gain headlines. Please keep checking back for more details on the stories you need.

Vince McMahon’s days in WWE may be over, and that provided AEW’s Max Caster with some ammunition during a recent rap at an independent wrestling event. 

McMahon re-signed from TKO and WWE last month, following a lawsuit filed by ex-employee Janel Grant. Miss Grant claims that McMahon was sexually abusive to her and that he trafficked her to others in the company, including John Lauriniaits and a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. McMahon has denied the allegations against him and, via a spokesperson, has claimed the lawsuit is rife with “obscene made-up instances that never occurred.”

Max Caster on Vince McMahon

An AEW Trios Champion, Max Caster appeared at the Alpha-1 Wrestling event on February 4. During his pre-match rap promo, the Acclaimed wrestler made reference to the scandal surrounding the 78-year-old ex-Chairman of WWE. 

“You wanna try me on the mic? Get a different plan cause I’m freaky with the words like I’m Vince McMahon.”

This is not the first time that Max Caster has name-dropped McMahon’s name. During a May 2023 edition of AEW Rampage, Caster poked fun at Dutch, saying he had the “worst mustache since Vince McMahon.” This was a nod to McMahon’s infamous lop-sided facial hair that he had debuted mere weeks before Caster’s barb. 

In June 2022, Caster took another dig at McMahon, this time due to the initial allegations of sexual misconduct. Caster said that “Honestly I had something to say but somebody made me sign an NDA!” This rap also made reference to Donald Trump, a WWE Hall of Famer and friend of McMahon. 

The Acclaimed (Max Caster and Anthony Bowens), along with “Daddy Ass” Billy Gunn, are having the most successful run of their AEW careers.

They’ve developed into a very capable tag team, having just wrapped up a run as AEW World tag team champions. In-ring work aside, it’s the ‘sports entertainment’ aspect of their act that’s really connected them to the fans.

Caster’s freestyle raps, and their music videos, are often controversial and highly entertaining. However, it’s their love for scissoring’ that has gotten them the most attention. A new trademark filing from Max Caster reveals his plans to do a lot more scissoring in the near future.

Max Caster’s ‘Scissoring’ Trademarks

On February 27, Max Caster filed to trademark “Scissorfest” for the purposes of entertainment events and “Scissor Me” for merchandise purposes.

According to the United States Patent & Trademark Office. the Goods and Services usage description for the marks include:

SCISSORFEST: trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of conducting of entertainment events in the nature of meet and greets, wrestling exhibitions, and music; Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainers; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Organization of entertainment events in the nature of meet and greets, wrestling exhibitions, and music; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; Providing online interviews featuring a professional wrestler and sports entertainer in the field of professional wrestling and sports entertainment for entertainment purposes.

SCISSOR ME: trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of bandanas; Hats; Shirts; Socks; Sweatshirts; Shirts and short-sleeved shirts; Hooded sweatshirts.”

The Acclaimed has been embroiled in a feud with The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn). They will collide for the AEW Tag Team Titles at AEW Revolution in a four-way match that also features Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett and Orange Cassidy & Danhausen.

This weekend’s AEW Full Gear card may be forced to change as Anthony Bowens is believed to be injured.

Bowens and Max Caster are scheduled to defend their AEW World Tag Team Championships against Swerve in Our Glory this Saturday in Newark, New Jersey.

The Acclaimed captured the titles from Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland at September’s AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam special, making Bowens the first openly gay champion in the promotion’s history.

Bowens Injured

Fightful Select reports that sources who spoke to them said that Bowens may have suffered an aggravated shoulder injury during Dynamite.

On last night’s show, Bowens faced Swerve Strickland after The Acclaimed debuted their special music video featuring Paul Wight as Captain Insano.

The finish of the match saw Strickland hit Bowens with the JML Driver for the pinfall victory.

Fightful added that they can’t say for certain if this is legit or if it’s being worked into a story. 

AEW has not publicly commented on Bowens’ status and he remains booked for Full Gear at this time.

Previous Injury

If Bowens is indeed injured, it won’t be the first time that he will have been hurt during his AEW tenure.

In May, Bowens underwent a procedure on his knee that kept him out of action for months, after suffering a knee injury in March of this year.

Despite the injury, Bowens continued to appear on AEW programming and used a wheelchair to get around.

AEW wasted little time referencing the latest drama surrounding WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

McMahon could be in hot water after The Wall Street Journal reported that the WWE boss made a secret $3 million pact with a former employee. Vince was said to have had an affair with the ex-WWE worker and paid the person to keep quiet.

The report also notes that Vince allegedly passed the former employee off to WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis “like a toy.”

The WWE Board is investigating the allegations.

Max Caster Drops Rap Referencing Vince McMahon Drama

Max Caster was in action during a recent taping for AEW Rampage, which is set to air on June 17. Caster usually does a rap during his entrance and as expected, he wasn’t about to let this investigation slide.

At one point in the rap, Caster said, “Honestly I have something to say/But somebody made me sign an NDA.”

This isn’t the first time Max Caster has tried ruffling the feathers of the WWE Chairman. He recently flipped the bird at McMahon’s Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Many have been wondering what the potential fallout could be for Vince McMahon and WWE as a whole. Many experts believe that this is a legitimate threat to Vince’s power in WWE.

Some also feel that John Laurinaitis could be the scapegoat here and eventually get released. For now, it’s “business as usual” as PWInsider reported that McMahon is expected to be behind the scenes for this week’s episode of SmackDown.

Some lucky AEW fans got an extra special souvenir during last night’s taping of Dynamite and Rampage.

Last night’s taping took place at the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri and saw the promotion continue on the road to AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door on June 26.

Prior to the show going live, Austin Gunn said that he and the Gunn Club had written notes which had been left under the seats throughout the arena.

Shortly after Anthony Bowens of The Acclaimed shared a similar message, saying he and Max Caster had joined the Gunn Club with this idea.

The Gunn Club and The Acclaimed

Since The Acclaimed and the Gunns aligned, both groups have seen a rise in popularity, despite Anthony Bowens being unable to wrestle due to a knee injury.

The group has been riling up fans with their entrance, in which Caster performs his rap and the Gunn Club gets the name of the city wrong.

Bowens corrects them before doing his signature scissor taunt.

While neither team has captured the AEW World Tag Team Championships yet, both teams are quickly proving themselves to be all-rounders in Tony Khan’s promotion.

Both members of the Gunn Club and Max Caster competed in last night’s Casino Battle Royal, which was won by Kyle O’Reilly.

• The Acclaimed’s Max Caster Responds to John Cena’s Praise of Him

One AEW star has given Vince McMahon’s Hollywood Walk of Fame the finger.

It’s no secret that some AEW and WWE stars have engaged in some banter on social media in a show of gamesmanship. Some of the back-and-forth exchanges are in jest while others are a bit more heated.

We’ll put this one in the fun category.

Max Caster of The Acclaimed is in Los Angles for tonight’s (June 1) AEW Dynamite show. He took to Vince McMahon’s Hollywood Walk of Fame and had a little “sign language” as Stone Cold Steve Austin used to say.

Vince received the Hollywood Walk of Fame honor back in March 2008. The honor was awarded to him for years of turning WWE into a TV success.

SEScoops will have you covered tonight with live results for AEW Dynamite from Los Angeles.

Battle Slam will air its Vendetta special this Tuesday on FITE at 10p ET with several AEW stars in action. 

The show took place on April 24th in front of a sold-out crowd from Oasis Event Center in Morrow, GA. There were performances by Pastor Troy, Josiah Williams, and Johnny x Apollo. 

Those from AEW that wrestled included Leon Ruff, Darius Martin, Lee Moriarty, Baron Black, Max Caster, and Fuego Del Sol. MLW’s Myron Reed also competed. 

Battle Slam Vendetta Card

• Leon Ruff vs Darius Martin
• Baron Black vs Lee Moriarty
• Myron Reed – vs – Max Caster
• The Infantry – vs – C4 *Prestige Tag Championship 
• Fuego Del Sol vs Alex Kane
• Queen Aminata vs Janai Kai vs RobyMax Caster Among AEW Stars In Action On Tuesday’s Battle Slam Vendetta n Renegade vs Angelica Risk
• Shazza McKenzie vs Ashley D’Amboise
• Austin Green Open Challenge
• Adam Priest vs JDX vs Zenshi vs Chad Skywalker

The match took place before Darius Martin was sidelined again as the Top Flight member recently sustained a leg injury.

He had recently returned from a torn ACL that left him out of action for over a year, but will now miss a lengthy amount of time in the ring with a leg injury. Malakai Black confirmed in an interview with The Universal Wrestling Podcast that Martin suffered the injury in a bad car accident.

Max Caster recently received quite the compliment when John Cena praised him for his work on the mic and as a performer.

Of course, Cena came to prominence in WWE initially as a character who would come out and freestyle rap about his opponents, much like Caster does today with AEW. That act catapulted Cena up WWE’s card and eventually to the world championship (and even a rap album).

Taking part in a signing with Golden Ring Collectibles, Caster responded to Cena’s comments.

Caster noted Cena was one of his biggest influences to get into wrestling and acknowledge he is paying homage to Cena in part with his character. While Cena said that he didn’t think he could defeat Caster in a rap battle, Caster had a cagey response.

“John has been very, very nice to me and when he didn’t need to,” Caster said. “He reached out and he made that public so I’m allowed to say it now so he reached out and then he said things publicly about me in Forbes and that means a lot to me. So, it’s never been about beating him in a rap battle. It’s about trying to get past the point of people saying I’m a Thuganomics rip-off. Am I to an extent? Maybe. He’s a huge influence on me, one of my favorite wrestlers.

“The guy, I will say in 2004 that got me back into watching wrestling. So, I take that energy and propel it forward and say, maybe there’s people now in 2022, even last year, who fell out of wrestling that they hear there’s this rapping guy on wrestling now and he does these disses and they are hilarious and you watch it and you say, ‘Oh, this is my guy.’ You listen to the mixtapes, songs or diss tracks that I put out, the music videos, you say, ‘Wow, this guy actually has some skill.’”

• John Cena Offers Big Praise To AEW Star: “He’s Really, Really Spectacular”

Caster finished by saying, “So, to me it’s not about beating John at anything. It’s about paying homage, paying respect and elevating what he did and I think, by his own admission, that I’m there, I’m doing it and I hope to continue doing that.”

Caster and his partner, Anthony Bowens, are currently one of the most popular tag team acts in AEW. It’s not hard to envision a tag team championship run for the duo in the not too distant future.

Make sure to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcript.

The Acclaimed’s Max Caster took to social media recently to challenge Tony Khan to a rap battle in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Last night, Khan came out to answer the Acclaimed’s challenge but also brought in a little help.

Between Dynamite and the taping of Rampage, the Acclaimed came out and again challenged Tony Khan to a battle rap. Khan came out and answered the call.

“I’ve written a lot of wrestling shows but never in my life have I written a rap song,” Khan can be heard saying to the Acclaimed in the video below. “I’m not going to start today so I brought somebody in to help me. Ladies and Gentlemen Lil Uzi Vert!”

Caster was off of AEW television for most of August following backlash to lyrics of one of his raps that aired on Dark. The episode was pulled, re-edited, and then re-posted. Khan spoke about the incident later on an episode of Busted Open Radio.

“Last night on Dark, Max Caster’s rap was terrible. I was not out there in the moment when he did it, it was not during Dynamite,” Khan said. “I had not heard it until last night, truthfully. In the editing process, it should have been caught. We deleted the episode and re-posted it with that edited out but it shouldn’t have aired.” 

“This would never have happened (on Dynamite) because Max’s raps, I have always gone over them with him,” he continued. “I don’t script or write wrestler’s promos, but the bullet points I give. In this case, it shouldn’t have happened and what will happen going forward is I will take over the editing of Dark and Elevation myself.”

According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Caster was sent to sensitivity training as a result.

“After what happened last week and the fallout, Max Caster has been sent to sensitivity training,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

Max Caster made his return to AEW after about a month away during last night’s AEW show at the NOW arena. The Acclaimed came out for their usual entrance only this time Max Caster let everyone know that his rap had “been approved by AEW management.” He read the lines from a script.

“Yo, this rap has been approved by AEW management,” Caster began. “We’re the Acclaimed and we came to say that we’re feeling pretty darn good today.
These two guys are formidable opponents but against us, they don’t have the components. How about the Jaguars? They sure are great…”

At this point, Anthony Bowens grabbed the microphone from Caster and called for the music to be turned off.

“Are they scripting our promos now, Max?”

Bowens then read from the scripted rap as well and plugged the Rhodes to the Top reality show. Eventually, the team tore up the script and continued with their usual entrance. Footage of the Acclaimed’s entrance can be viewed in the Tweet below:

According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, Caster was sent to sensitivity classes following a rap of his on Dark being deemed offensive.

“After what happened last week and the fallout, Max Caster has been sent to sensitivity training,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The status of Max Caster in AEW has been unveiled.

Caster was at the center of controversy during an episode of AEW Dark back in August. Caster dropped a rap referencing the mental health issues of Olympian Simone Biles and the 2006 Duke lacrosse rape case. The rap was edited out of Dark and Caster hasn’t been seen on TV since.

Many have wondered about the status of Caster and we now have a clear answer. During an AEW Dark taping, Caster appeared to help his tag partner Anthony Bowens get a victory over Griff Garrison.

It was reported by Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio that Caster was sent to sensitivity training due to the rap.

“After what happened last week and the fallout, Max Caster has been sent to sensitivity training,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Khan made it clear that he will be overseeing the editing process of AEW Dark going forward. He wants to avoid situations like this from happening again.

Caster is set for a rap performance on Sept. 2. He’ll be inside the Bottom Lounge in Chicago, Illinois. The performance takes place just three nights before AEW’s big All Out PPV inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Fans in Chicago this week for Dynamite, Rampage, and All Out have an option for entertainment on Thursday evening. The Acclaimed’s Max Caster has announced a concert for September 2nd from the Bottom Lounge in Chicago.

The show will begin at 10 PM and includes a performance and Q&A session. Caster took to social media recently to promote the event:

Max Caster’s Recent Absence From AEW Programming

Caster hasn’t performed for AEW since wrestling a dark match on August 4th. Earlier this month, an episode of Dark had to be pulled and re-edited after Caster made some insensitive comments during his pre-match rap to his opponents. In the next set of AEW top-5 rankings, The Acclaimed were removed after having previously been ranked #2.

“After what happened last week and the fallout, Max Caster has been sent to sensitivity training,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Tony Khan also spoke about Caster’s rap during an episode of Busted Open Radio.

“This would never have happened (on Dynamite) because Max’s raps, I have always gone over them with him,” Khan said on the show. “I don’t script or write wrestler’s promos, but the bullet points I give. In this case, it shouldn’t have happened and what will happen going forward is I will take over the editing of Dark and Elevation myself.”

After an episode of AEW Dark had to be pulled and re-edited due to controversial lyrics of a rap by Max Caster, the member of the Acclaimed has reportedly been sent to sensitivity training. The Acclaimed were also removed from the AEW top-5 tag-team rankings this week after having sat in the #2 position the week prior.

“After what happened last week and the fallout, Max Caster has been sent to sensitivity training,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The Acclaimed had a match taped on August 4th that was supposed to air on the August 10th Dark but didn’t.

Anthony Bowens worked a singles match at Wednesday’s AEW TV tapings from Pittsburgh, PA. It will likely air on Dark next week. It’s worth noting that Bowens did not use the Acclaimed’s entrance music for the match.

Tony Khan Addresses Max Caster’s Rap

On Busted Open Radio recently, Tony Khan addressed what happened.

“Last night on Dark, Max Caster’s rap was terrible. I was not out there in the moment when he did it, it was not during Dynamite,” Khan said. “I had not heard it until last night, truthfully. In the editing process, it should have been caught. We deleted the episode and re-posted it with that edited out but it shouldn’t have aired.” 

“This would never have happened (on Dynamite) because Max’s raps, I have always gone over them with him,” he continued. “I don’t script or write wrestler’s promos, but the bullet points I give. In this case, it shouldn’t have happened and what will happen going forward is I will take over the editing of Dark and Elevation myself.”

A transcript of Caster’s rap is below:

“The Acclaimed kicking ass for miles, make you claim mental health like Simone Biles. The Sydals gonna pay the cost, I’m gonna treat those bitches like Duke lacrosse. The Blondes say they the best but those dudes are faker than a PCR test. And what’s that smell here in North Carolina, oh wait that’s Julia’s …”

Ever since their debut, The Acclaimed has had people talking. This is partly due to their in-ring skills, but largely due to the pre-match raps of Max Caster. His words are cutting, barbed and designed to skirt the line between acceptable and offensive.

There is no denying Max Caster is a talented linguist. However, this week on AEW Dark Caster went a little too far over the line. As is the nature of art, whether it is lyrical or visual, boundaries need to be pushed.

While his lyrics aired during the ‘live’ AEW Dark stream, they were sufficiently controversial to warrant a re-upload of the episode to YouTube. In the new file, Max Caster’s words were edited out. In fact, the entrance of both teams was fully removed from the broadcast.

During his entrance rap, Max Caster spat lines such as “make you claim mental health like Simone Biles” and a jab at the expense of the Duke lacrosse rape trial. He also referred to COVID conspiracy theorists with the line “those dudes are faker than a PCR test.”

Max Caster is No Stranger to Pushing Boundaries

This is not the first time that Max Caster’s pre-match raps have caused a bit of a storm. Including his barb at Jon Moxley following an appearance on Renee Young’s Oral Sessions podcast. However, there was something different about the venom this time around.

There was an air of poor decision making ahead of the incident, especially given when the show was filmed. This particular episode of AEW Dark was filmed immediately after Fight for the Fallen. A show hosted for the benefit of the victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. It is difficult to say where the blame should lie. Max Caster should have known better, but sometimes, in the moment, things are forgotten.

The real question is why AEW allowed the entrance to air during the initial stream when they had been sitting on the footage for close to a week.

The Acclaimed’s Max Castor recently dropped some rhymes for TMZ based on some of the latest stories they have published. These included stories about LeBron James, Logan Paul, Naomi Osaka, Julio Jones and Buff Bagwell.

“Platinum, I be looking for attention in the summer
Feeling like LeBron James when he’s switching numbers.”

“He with the stars, red carpet with the pastel
I’m with the bars feeling like I’m Buff Bagwell
I saw his video, does he need a doctor?
Maybe take a tip from Naomi Osaka.”

“Nobody holding me up, I’m not Logan Paul
Feeling like I’m Julio Jones now, going long.”

Castor’s full rap can be viewed in the video below:

Also during the interview, Caster noted that he writes all of his own lyrics.

“I do all my own writing, I write all my own stuff. I will kind of pitch it around to other guys and say ‘hey, is this hitting hard enough? Is this the one or should I make it a little bit better?” Caster said. “I have people who will tell me ‘hey man, that might be too far’ but if they say it’s too far then I stick with it, usually.”

The full interview with Castor can be viewed in the player below: