Ethan Page On Superstitious Thing He Wears During AEW Matches
Ethan Page is coming up on one year with All Elite Wrestling. The former Impact Tag Team Champion made his debut at AEW Revolution 2021 and has been a staple of All Elite programming since.
While Page's on-screen persona often complains about being underutilized, he told Crisis on Infinite Podcasts that his time in AEW has been a dream come true.
"I would say it's exceeded all of my personal expectations," Page said. "And I had very high personal expectations. I try to set my goals to be unachievable. Shoot for the moon and land on a star kind of thing. To think back to some of the matches and moments I've had in my first year is pretty crazy. I'm hoping it just keeps going."
Page began to hit his stride in AEW when he joined forces with Scorpio Sky. The duo, collectively known as Men of the Year, have had no shortage of high-profile feuds.
"If you told me what my first year was going to be, I would've said BS. No chance I share a ring with Sting, Arn Anderson, Chris Jericho, Jake the Snake," Page said. "I'd have thought no way."
All Ego looks back on his past fondly, but he still has goals he has yet to realize. In 2022, Page plans on becoming an AEW titleholder.
"I'm going to be the world champ," Page said. "For sure though, gold around my waist before my second year. I think I'm going to have a legacy in AEW that right now people might say, 'Oh, no way this guy achieves all this.' People have been saying that about me my whole career, and I've been proving people wrong my whole career. It just takes me longer than most because I have too many doubters (laughs)."
Outside of the ring, Page runs a weekly vlog where fans get to see the nerdy side of the real-life Julian Micevski. Page spends most of his vlogs on toy hunts, seeking out collectibles from the worlds of Power Rangers, Marvel, and beyond. While there isn't much crossover between his on-screen and real-life personas, Page noted he brings a part of his fandom side with him to every match.
"I'm always wearing either Doctor Strange socks or Deadpool socks. I have two pairs, and I have to double layer my socks because I ordered a pair of crappy boots from Mexico that sucked," Page said. "It's not even a ritual thing, but I think maybe it's like a superstitious thing. I remember when I had to get a new pair of boots. I was heartbroken. I thought my career was over. I had worn those boots for the last 12 years. It's like, they're good luck. So I thought a new pair of boots would be a jinx."
Page's pre-match preparations also include the standard stretches and occasional diets.
"I always try and warm up every muscle in my body. I'm always worried about tearing something or hurting something. I'll do half an hour of some kind of a full body to warm something up," Page said. "Then, right before I go out, people will be making fun of me but I don't care: I'm always trying to get my arms and shoulders as big as possible. Hey, listen. This is a TV show that a million people watch every week. If you don't want to look your best for a million people, don't make fun of me! (laughs). If it's a really big match that I know of in advance, I'll prep with a specific diet to ensure I show up as lean as possible, and then I'll eat like crap directly after the match. AEW catering is unlike anything you've ever seen before."
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Crisis on Infinite Podcasts with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.