Ethan Page, with a newly-inked two-year deal with Impact Wrestling done and a visa to work legally in the United States in hand, is ready to really show his stuff — like talking on the microphone for one thing, to prove deserving of the “All Ego” nickname he carved out during his career.
The deal, announced publicly for the first time here on SLAM! Wrestling, is for two years, and actually kicked in at the beginning of 2019.
Page debuted with Impact in late 2017, as Chandler Park, the storyline cousin of Joseph Park. He was off TV early in 2018, and didn’t return until October, when he was once again Ethan Page.
The reason for his absence — lack of a work visa — is also one of the primary reasons he re-upped with Impact.
“A big part of it was being able to continue to work in America legally, because of the work visa situation,” he told SLAM! Wrestling.
His previous employer, EVOLVE, where Page was one of the company’s top stars, had not secured him a work visa. It was frustrating for the 6-foot-2, 240-pound native of Hamilton, Ontario.
EVOLVE was part of his growth as a performer, but Impact has new faces, new opportunities.
“If we’re talking about where I’ve enjoyed working more, I’ve enjoyed working more at Impact, especially with the roster of guys that they have,” he said. “I think too, with EVOLVE, not to just toot my own horn, but I feel as if though I reached the top percentile for talent on the roster and I prefer to be on the bottom, because it gives me a place to actually grow, and people to learn from. If I have no, I guess, someone to aspire to be working with, or in a program with, or learning from, then I want to go somewhere else.”
The sitting around at home, waiting for the legal stuff to clear, came at a fortuitous time at least for the man born Julian Micevski — his daughter just turned one, so he’s been around for the ups and downs of first-time parenthood.
But his focus is now back to wrestling, the professional frustrations of the past year behind him.
“A big thing for us was starting and stopping, because of the work visa and stuff like that, because technically I have already been through over a full year of being a contracted talent with Impact, and that was after I started doing the Chandler Park stuff,” he explained. “But getting the actual work visa approved and legally being able to work into America, when that happened was pretty much just before Bound For Glory, when I re-debuted with Matt Sydal. So I almost spent an entire year essentially just waiting for paperwork to be able to work for the company.”
When he was on the Impact show, Page was put in a position to excel at the wrestling aspect, with little attention paid to his character or to mic time.
“I know what I bring to the table, and I don’t want to knock myself, but my wrestling is maybe second tier to storytelling or cutting a promo, so it’s super-strange for me that the last year has been spent just being given time to solely wrestle, because they know I’ll have a good match,” Page said. “It’s not been me for the last 12 years of my career, but I’ll take it as a compliment.”
With the wrestling industry away from WWE seemingly in a boom period, from EVOLVE to MLW to Lucha Underground to Impact to the debuting AEW, and hundreds of other promotions in the mix, Page said he did at least consider possibilities.
“The options for people to make a living in wrestling have gotten a lot bigger and there are more companies that can actually sustain a living, especially allowing their talent to continue to work on the independents and make their own schedules. So that’s good,” he said.
Page was recently a part of a minor brouhaha with members NFL Alumni during an Impact taping in Las Vegas, following his loss to Zachary Wentz of The Rascalz. It’s a step in the right direction, admitted Page. “For me, my biggest thing is being able to speak, and I haven’t been able to do that, to a degree that I can proud of. I think my biggest struggle is trying to convince the people that write the show to give me speaking roles. Once that happens, I feel like that’ll help me more than being trusted to get shoved by a guy who’s not a pro wrestler.”
He said the writers of Impact do “listen to me talking to them.” Page recognizes that he does not yet have the “pull or stroke” necessary, and used an example.
“I honestly think they have a checklist that they need to make sure that they get taken care of. So I guess Moose’s name or Eddie Edwards’ name will be checked off before Ethan Page’s is, and by the time they get to my name, maybe there’s no time left in the show. I don’t know,” he wondered.
“They’re definitely open to actually sitting and talking to talent, which is important to me. At least I get my voice heard or someone will pick up the phone when I call.”
His latest pitch should come to fruition — teaming with his pal Josh Alexander, a recent Impact signee, but as a Canadian, “The Walking Weapon” needs his work visa too. The duo have been champions together previously around southern Ontario.
“And now we wait to see how it goes for Josh Alexander. He’s in the same boat. My heart goes out to him. I honestly hope it’s as quick and painless as possible, so we can get him on our roster and then I can start politicking for us to tag!” chuckled Page.
With upcoming television tapings in Windsor, Ontario, March 22-23, and then the Rebellion pay-per-view from Toronto on April 28, and subsequent TV tapings, Page will be working in front of fans very familiar with his work.
“The pay-per-view going to Toronto in April is exciting for me, just pretty much being a hometown pay-per-view. It gives me motivation to try and make sure that I’m on the show and then if I am, that I steal the show,” he concluded. “Fingers crossed that it’s Ethan Page teaming up with Josh Alexander in essentially our hometown. We’ll see how good I am at kissing butt!”
RELATED LINKS
