Tony Schiavone Lays Out Why AEW Rampage Is Not The Same As WCW Thunder

To Tony Schiavone, two big reasons that "AEW Rampage" is different from "WCW Thunder." Both programs may share their similarities in that they are their respective promotions secondary show and they also air on TBS, but the experienced voice of both companies can parse through what gives "Rampage" a little more heart than its WCW counterpart.

"'Thunder' we didn't want to do, 'Rampage' we do want to do," Schiavone flat out tells Conrad Thompson on the latest episode of "What Happened When." The addition of Thunder created added stress for WCW talent and production staff as it became another date to tape on the calendar. The second reason coincides with the first reason, even if you look at it strictly from a promotional perspective.

"'Rampage' is important for us because we have such a big roster and not everybody gets TV time. Back then, we didn't need it. We had a three-hour show," he said, referring to "WCW Monday Nitro," making it evident that they didn't need another two-hour show.

"It's just too much," Schiavone said. "Right now we're doing three hours of TV and two of it live." Although "Rampage" certainly creates an added platform for talent to showcase themselves on network television, the program has very much suffered in the ratings. "Rampage" initially presented plenty of promise with it being the platform for the pro wrestling return of CM Punk in August of 2021, but even just as of February 17, the show has seen its lowest viewership in history.