Summary

Ethan Page says his run in NXT has left him happy, busy and creatively fulfilled, and he credits Shawn Michaels for setting that tone from the start.

While speaking with Adrian Hernandez, Page said his life changed for the better after joining WWE and described Michaels as the person who gave him the kind of honest opportunity he had been looking for. Page said that mattered immediately because Michaels did not overpromise, he simply told him he would get a fair chance and stay creatively involved.

Quote from Ethan Page

"I think we’re creeping close on two years in May but, great. It’s changed for the better. Fantastic. I’m very happy, I’m creatively satisfied. My body, falling apart in the best way. It means I’m working, it means I’m busy. Yeah, as long as I’m one of the toys they always wanna play with, I’ll be happy. It’s great. Legitimately no complaints and the reason that we’re talking is literally about the man that changed my life and gave me all these opportunities. So yeah, I’m pumped."

Page also looked back on his first private conversation with Michaels before his on-screen debut and said the message stayed with him.

"He snuck me into some room. I think like a day before or something like that to have a quick chat with him and the head writer and honestly, it was one of my favorite chats because he was very blunt, very honest, and he pretty much told me, ‘I can’t promise nothing. All I can promise you is opportunity and you’ll be creatively satisfied.’ He’s like, ‘Pretty much, everything I’ve heard about you is that you were never really given a fair shake so, I’m gonna give you a fair shake, and if it works out, we’ll go with you. If it doesn’t, I’ll give you the chance.’ So to me, it was just like, hey, this guy flat out told me, not B.S., you know what I mean? All I wanted was that. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, was to never have to convince someone verbally I’m worth it. I just want to show you. Just give me the chance to show you and I promise you you’ll have to come back because there’s no one else that will do it like me, and that’s kind of seemed like the way it’s been going and it’s continued to go like that and he keeps calling me so, yeah, whatever. I’m all in for anything that HBK needs. He’s been great to me."

What Ethan Page's comments say about his NXT role

Page's comments line up with how he has talked about Michaels before, including why Shawn Michaels arrived at the right time in NXT. The consistent theme is that Page values clarity as much as opportunity, and that helps explain why he sounds fully bought into the brand.

That matters because Page was still positioned in a major spot this week when he challenged Tony D'Angelo for the NXT Championship on NXT Revenge. His remarks do not guarantee anything about what comes next, but they do reinforce that Michaels sees him as a useful featured piece on television, and Page clearly believes that trust has changed his career.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.