Do you remember Ethan Page in AEW?
No one would blame you if you forgot that the former NXT Champion was in All Elite Wrestling. The 35-year-old came into the promotion hot as part of the Men of the Year tag team with Scorpio Sky. However, once that partnership ended, Page was relegated down to AEW Dark and Rampage. Then once Dark disappeared, so did the former AEW World Tag Team Champion's time on television.
Page finished off his career in Ring of Honor and left the promotion in early 2024. Instantly, Page was treated as a top star the moment he arrived in NXT. He won the NXT title within three months of his debut, and though his title reign wasn’t particularly long, NXT officials have kept Page in the spotlight since dropping the belt back to Williams.
So why is that Shawn Michaels and the NXT crew see more in Page than Tony Khan?
According to Page on Busted Open After Dark, it comes down to the company being owned by wrestlers. When asked to further explain his answer, Page states that AEW didn’t know what they had:
"[AEW] didn't know what they had, and now they do. I'm gone. These guys have me. They have the ability to do whatever it is that they want, and they have chosen to open a door for Ethan Page to absolutely kick wide open."
Page hasn't been shy about knocking his time in AEW. The NXT star showed glimpses of promise during his stint in AEW, but Tony Khan never fully committed to pushing him as a top act. When Ethan left AEW in May 2024, he noted how chaotic and unorganized his former employer was backstage compared to NXT’s environment during his Talk’n Shop interview:
"Pretty crazy, ‘cause I went from somewhere that was so chaotic and unorganized to a place that — I mean, I’m still learning ’cause I’m still so new here — but it’s just like, this is a machine. And it’s incredible. And it feels good to not feel like I have to do everything myself or like to have people that want to see me succeed is kind of mind-blowing."
The future does look bright for Ethan in WWE. He’s currently in the midst of a story with Je’Von Evans that’s been well received so far. Could Ethan Page headline WrestleMania someday? Given the current trajectory of his career, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if he did.