AEW star Anthony Bowens recently expressed on his Twitter (X) account that he would like to see the company revive the Tough Enough concept in its own style. He also mentioned that he would love the opportunity to serve as a judge or trainer for the program.
Bowens wrote, “I want @AEW to bring back OG Tough Enough but call it “Becoming The Elite” or something like that. WBD would love the extra content! Sign me up as a judge/trainer @TonyKhan”
WWE Tough Enough started as a reality show in 2001, airing on MTV. The series featured aspiring WWE talent competing for a chance to earn contracts with the organization. It ran for three seasons on MTV before moving to UPN as part of the SmackDown programming in 2004.
After a period of dormancy, WWE revived the show in 2010 for a run on the USA Network. It was brought back again for a sixth season on USA in 2015. Winners of the show included Maven, Nidia, Linda Miles, Jackie Gayda, Matt Cappotelli, John Hennigan (also known as John Morrison/Johnny TV), Andy Leavine, Josh Bredl, and Sarah Lee.
In contrast, AEW has largely avoided unscripted programming, aside from AEW All Access, which aired for a season on TBS in 2023.
