Ethan Page Reacts to The Rock’s Backstage Confrontation After NXT New Years Evil

The Rock made waves at NXT New Year’s Evil with a backstage segment that included a tense yet humorous exchange with Ethan Page and NXT GM Ava. While The Great One made it clear who runs the show, calling Ava the “Final Boss” of NXT, it didn’t take long for Ethan Page to respond to the legendary superstar’s remarks.

Taking to Twitter/X after the event, Ethan Page delivered his own take on The Rock’s comments. “You know, Shawn Michaels? Not a fan. Triple H, not a fan. Nick Khan, I’m assuming [he’s] not a fan. The Final Boss seems to get what I got going on. Hell, he even said I had a sweet ass. I guess we could say that The Final Boss smells what Ethan Page is cooking,” he wrote.

The tweet added fuel to the fire after the backstage interaction, where The Rock slapped Ethan on the ass and told him he’d see him on the main roster someday. The moment was a mix of humor and tension, with The Rock commanding the scene as only he can.

Ethan Page’s defiant tweet shows he’s not backing down from anyone—even The Rock. While The Great One made it clear that Ava is running the show in NXT, Page seems more focused on the recognition he received, even jokingly claiming The Rock “smells what Ethan Page is cooking.”

Love him or hate him, Page is making sure everyone knows his name—and even The Rock couldn’t resist acknowledging him. Whether this leads to bigger things for Ethan or just more heat backstage, one thing’s for sure: the NXT locker room is heating up.

What do you think of Ethan Page’s response to The Rock? Does he have what it takes to live up to The Great One’s comments? Let us know in the comments!