Ethan Page has a pretty low opinion of anyone in wrestling who claims they’re doing this purely for the love of the business. The new WWE Intercontinental Champion says everybody backstage is chasing the exact same things he is — they’re just better at lying about it.
During an interview with Rob Wong for the Toronto Sun’s No Holds Barred, Wong suggested that Page was now looking out for himself and calling the shots after winning the Intercontinental Championship from Chad Gable. Page immediately pushed back, because as far as he’s concerned, looking out for yourself isn’t some uniquely Ethan Page trait.
“The only issue that I have with what you said is that everyone in professional wrestling only worries about one person, and it is themselves. But the only difference is that they openly admit it to the fan base who rewards what they’re trying to chase because they agree with it.
Oh, this wrestling fan wants to become Intercontinental Champion. Of course, everyone was congratulating me because they can relate to a kid having a dream and chasing that goal. Great. Every wrestler has that. They all only worry about themselves.”
Page isn’t pretending his own motivations are particularly noble either. He openly admitted that he wants television time, money and attention because all three help Ethan Page become a bigger brand.
“But now I’m openly admitting I don’t care about the business that I absolutely take money from. I absolutely take opportunity from. And that’s all I want.
I want the spotlight. I want the money. And I want the time on TV to grow my brand so that I can take money out of fans’ pockets way longer than I should. But I’m honest about it.”
Then Page went after the rest of the WWE locker room. He claimed wrestlers lie to fans, employees and even the people making the matches because admitting they’re ultimately chasing their own success doesn’t sound quite as nice as saying they love wrestling.
“All the wrestlers in the back, they lie. They lie to all the fans. They lie to everyone in the back. All the employees, all the matchmakers, every single one of them, they get lied to so that they can also chase their dreams.
I just tell the truth about it. So don’t come to me saying, ‘Yes, you only worry about number one.’ We all do. Every single one of us. They just dupe you into thinking it’s, ‘Oh, it’s all out of love.’ No, I’m just honest. I’m telling you to your face.”
Page believes there’s another difference between himself and everybody still chasing that next accomplishment. After finally winning the title he wanted, he says his ego has already gotten what it needed — now he wants the money to catch up.
“I’m over it. I don’t love this. It’s done. I did it. I did it. I satisfied myself. Nobody can say that. They’re always chasing more for their ego. Ironically, mine is full. Now I want my pockets to match, and I’m going to make sure that they do.”
That attitude comes after Page finally reached another major career milestone by defeating Gable for the Intercontinental Championship. After two decades in wrestling, he described finally getting that payoff as becoming the “ultimate victor.”
“It feels fantastic. Twenty years of very, very, very hard work that was not rewarded by any company ever. And now I feel like the ultimate victor.”
Page even admitted that finally reaching this level may have gone to his head a little bit. Then again, after spending 20 years trying to get there, he doesn’t see much reason to suddenly act humble about enjoying it.
“I mean, it changed exponentially. Maybe lifestyle, too. Maybe I’ve let it get to my head. Maybe I’ve enjoyed the fruits of my twenty years. I don’t know. I just feel like you dedicate your life to achieving something, then when you finally do, why would you not fully embrace all the benefits, which I did Monday. I don’t know if you noticed.”
Page isn’t selling the usual story about wrestling being his lifelong passion anymore. He got the championship, scratched the accomplishment off his list and now openly says he wants the spotlight and the paycheck — while accusing everybody else backstage of wanting the same damn thing without having the guts to admit it.
Do you think Ethan Page has a point about wrestlers secretly looking out for themselves, or has becoming Intercontinental Champion completely gone to his head? Let us know what you think in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
