Lately, AEW has struggled to make Friday Night Rampage much of anything besides filler, but Dustin Rhodes vs. Claudio Castagnoli may have given the company a strong blueprint to work with moving forward. Rampage has felt like the "look, we found these wrestlers TV time" show as opposed to a program that has any real forward momentum for months now, and that shows in the horrible ratings. Performers who aren't main event acts have been shoehorned into that role seemingly as a way to generate talking points instead of compelling television for the viewers.
The August 26 edition of Rampage didn't tear the house down by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still an enjoyable show with a handful of matches worth watching. That should be the low bar AEW is trying to clear on Friday nights. Most major storylines will be pushed forward during Wednesday Night Dynamite, and anything significant that happens on Friday will just be recapped the next week. So why not declutter the show and focus on some of the more underutilized veteran talents, like Rhodes, who doesn't need the spotlight on Dynamite? Sprinkle in a few of the younger wrestlers who have most of their storylines play out on Fridays, and suddenly Rampage is cohesive and consistent.
Asking AEW to take a page out of WWE's SmackDown Six playbook would be asking a bit much. The company doesn't have an Eddie Guerrero or Edge just waiting on the sidelines, ready for a push. They have plenty of comparatively inexperienced talent, but it doesn't seem like Tony Khan is interested in using blue-chippers like Daniel Garcia or Jungle Boy on Rampage. Both of those young men are engaged in high-end feuds on Dynamite. Those programs might be better served on Friday night, but AEW simply isn't going to slot them there. Tony Khan has stressed that Dark is the company's developmental program, and Dynamite is clearly where most of the creative energy goes. It stands to reason that All Elite could tap into some of its older talents to make Rampage worthwhile viewing. Untapped talents like Dustin Rhodes, and up-and-comers who need to be on television to gain necessary experience.
Everyone Can't Be On Dynamite, So Embrace It
There'd be a natural pull for Rampage if AEW fans knew they had to tune in to that show to see certain wrestlers. Instead of scrambling to get everyone involved in every third or fourth Dynamite, it makes way more sense to focus some talent on Wednesday nights and some on Fridays. It wouldn't be a brand split. Instead, certain top-of-the-card wrestlers would become more associated with one show than the other. Center the show on a few younger performers like Wardlow and HOOK, and surround them with high-end veterans who don't need air time on Wednesday nights.
Rhodes put on an excellent match against Castagnoli on August 26. Watching him put on banger after banger on Fridays would be a blast, making fans wonder if and when he'd be popping up on Dynamite to get a piece of that primetime action. Then it'd create some intrigue on a week-to-week basis. It'd make Rampage's outcomes meaningful while allowing a more significant portion of the roster to shine in places that make sense for them. Right now, AEW is just trying to get everyone on television every two or three weeks, leading to storylines that feel disjointed and inconsistent. AEW fans tune in for good wrestling, so give it to them. More Dustin Rhodes. Let's see some Christopher Daniels, Jay Lethal, and Shawn Spears on Rampage. They feel forced into most Dynamite angles, but that would change on Friday nights.