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VIDEO: Ethan Page Wants to See His Smiling Face All Over the CW Network [Exclusive]

Acting gigs, toys and more screen time with CM Punk. Ethan Page wants it all as NXT moves to the CW Network.

Rick Ucchino

Ethan Page talks Trick Williams, CM Punk and more with the Takedown on SI!
Ethan Page talks Trick Williams, CM Punk and more with the Takedown on SI! / wwe.com

After grinding it out in the professional wrestling scene for nearly two decades, Ethan Page suddenly has no shortage of reasons to be smiling these days.

Page made the decision to leave All Elite Wrestling when his contract expired back in May and was prepared to go on an extensive tour of the independent circuit when he received a phone call that was too good to believe.

Literally, he didn't believe it.

The man dubbed 'All Ego' recently told Chris Van Vliet that he jokingly agreed to a WWE contract, believing that someone was trying to prank him. Turns out the offer was very real.

Within two months Page moved his entire family from Michigan to Orlando, Florida, debuted on NXT and became the fastest Superstar to capture the NXT Championship. Doing so just 40 days after he stepped foot in a WWE ring for the first time.

Using the term 'whirlwind' to describe his first four months as a WWE Superstar doesn't quite encapsulate the ride Page has been on since receiving that phone call, but he's been relishing every second of it.

"The more comfortable I get, the bigger my smile grows," Page said when sitting down with The Takedown ahead of tonight's (10/1) big NXT debut on the CW Network.

If you weren't aware that the Black and Gold Brand was making the jump from USA to the CW, you probably missed our conversation with the head of NXT creative, Shawn Michaels. You also haven't been paying close enough attention to WWE programming or it's social media channels, all of which have been featuring a robust promotional campaign for the NXT on CW.

One of the faces of that campaign, again quite literally, has been the NXT Champion. Ethan Page's million dollar smile was plastered on the side of NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Cole Custer's car ahead of last weekend's race at the Kansas Speedway.

“That's like so nutty to me, because it's a thing that you never in your wildest dreams would be like, ‘Yeah, that's gonna happen.’ Who's ever, like, ‘You know what would be sweet? If they just put my face on the side of a NASCAR.’ And not only on the side of a NASCAR, but for the former champion who's probably gonna win this one too. So you'll probably see Ethan Page's grin crossing the finish line in first place.”

Custer would wind up finishing in a close 2nd place this past weekend, but still a very respectable finish. And everyone who tuned-in to watch the race on the CW Network still saw Page's face cross the finish line. He said he received congratulations from people who were 'coming out of the woodwork' when Custer's new car design was unveiled.

“The NASCAR one was huge. That was like, ‘Oh, you broke into a different cultural phenomenon and it's different worlds coming together.’ And NASCAR has its own audience and fan base. So, I'm super hyped that I got to be exposed to that.”

As a connoisseur and collector of vintage WWE/WCW merch, Page says his real dream now is to see Custer's car, with his own face included, become a toy. Similar to the old Diecast wrestling cars that came out back in the day.

Note to our younger readers: Google is your friend.

Page's dreams aren't stopping at collectables either. With NXT's new five-year media rights deal with the CW Network kicking off Tuesday night, Ethan has his eye on many more cross promotional opportunities down the road.

“I wanna act on some of these shows on the CW, Okay. Even just popping in for an episode or two and eventually earning my spot on a TV show. I would love that. Especially just the fact that we're collaborating with the CW. They have so many great shows. I'd be happy to do that.”

It's certainly not an unrealistic goal. Especially once an idea is put out into the universe, who knows how far it will go. Look no further than Liv Morgan's dream of an encounter with notorious fictional serial killer Charles Lee Ray, aka Chucky, which came to fruition thanks to WWE's relationship with the USA Network.

In addition to the network's regularly scheduled programming, the CW has built up a sizeable sports package. NXT now joins a lineup that includes, as already mentioned, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but also ACC & Pac-12 football, Inside the NFL and the LIV Golf Tour.

In our earlier conversation with Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative for WWE, Shawn Michaels, HBK called the crossover potential with the CW Network an unlimited force.

“Especially when you talk about NXT in its current environment," Michaels said. "We have so many D-1 athletes that we have recruited from across the nation, and to have the CW building this huge sports package that they have, you're gonna see some former D-1 athletes that used to go to these same schools. They could be showing up at some of these football games.”

Michaels has received rave reviews for the work he's done down in Orlando, from nearly everyone across the board, but especially from the talent on his roster.

Ethan Page considers HBK to be the greatest wrestler of all-time and he's found getting to work with him on a regular basis to be extraordinarily beneficial. It was Michaels who provided him with the opportunity had been working toward his entire career.

"I'll happily say that he's very collaborative, but I will also say I appreciate that everyone in this building… is here to execute Shawn Michael's vision as our leader. And I am happy to have a leader with a plan, a direction and to incorporate me in that direction. So for me, I feel like he's doing a great job. And to be able to create so many moments for me in my career, in such a short amount of time, is just a testament to trusting the process of Shawn is the guy.”

The next step in that process brings Ethan Page to the Allstate Arena on the west side of Chicago, where he'll defend his NXT Championship against Trick Williams in tonight's main event.

Williams is the seasoned vet of this match-up as far as time in NXT is concerned, but with just 109 matches under his belt, Page comes in with 10-times the career experience. A stat that Ego calls crazy, considering how far Williams has come in such a short amount of time.

“He is blowing my mind. That's my honest assessment,” Page admitted. “I don't know, dude, three years in if you asked me to do what he's doing I probably would've panicked and freaked out. But I would've also been 19-years-old, not 30. It's a little different.”

At 35-years-old, Page considers himself the 'old guy' in NXT. A square trying to smooth out his edges to match the mobility of the younger guys on the roster.

Trick Williams isn't as young as some of the other athletes walking around the Performance Center in Orlando, but he presumably has a great deal of space available on his bump card. Regardless, he's more than earned the opportunity to share the main stage with Ethan Page.

“It's the job I've been fighting for my entire life. So, three years in to be in that same spot as me, he should be proud of himself,” Page said. “He connects well with the crowd. Freak athlete, looks great. He's fantastic on the microphone. Has that ‘it’ factor, star quality. You throw him in the deep end and I'm sure he'll learn how to swim… I'll give credit where credit is due.”

Ethan Page and Trick Williams won't be the only stars under the bring lights tonight. What would a big show in Chicago be without an appearance from the Second City Saint?

CM Punk will not only be at NXT tonight, but he's going to put some work in ahead of his daunting showdown with Drew McIntyre this weekend at Bad Blood.

Punk has been assigned as the special guest referee for the main event and he's promised to call it right now the middle. Although, deep down, Ethan Page probably wouldn't mind if Punk tried to start something with him. Knowing it could lead to something big down the line.

“These two characters, Ethan Page and CM Punk, I would love to see more and what they're able to do with each other. Accomplish with each other," Page said. "If CM Punk wants to go to Chicago and try and make everything about himself, like he usually does, I'll happily let him because the more eyes watching on October 1st on the CW Network, the better off I'll be. And the more eyes on Ethan Page means the more attention I can steal away from CM Punk trying to get his glory in his hometown… again… for probably the 30th time now.”

The new era of NXT kicks-off tonight at at 8PM ET / 7PM CT, live for the first time on the CW Network.

You can follow Rick Ucchino on X and on Instagram: @RickUcchino

Make sure to check out our entire conversation with Ethan Page in the video above and don't forget to subscribe to the Takedown on SI YouTube Channel!

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino has been covering professional wrestling since 2019, but his broadcast career has spanned over 15 years. He can be heard every weekday morning on 700WLW radio in Cincinnati, OH. You can also read his work over on SI's Cincinnati Reds Talk. Follow Rick on X and Instagram: @RickUcchino

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