Ethan Page is determined to win the gold.
AEW continued its tour of Canada with the July 1 episode of AEW Collision, as the company came to the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. AEW World Champion MJF issued an open challenge to anyone from Hamilton, and he was answered by Ethan Page, who cut a heated promo on the champion. The two stars then clashed in a hard-fought match, and MJF emerged victorious
Speaking on his vlog, Page shared his thoughts immediately after the match. He made it clear that he might have lost, but he did not come up short. Page brought up that he promised his daughter he'd win a title, and he intends to keep that promise.
“I lost. The worst thing is that everyone is gonna say to me, ‘You almost touched the top. You were just this close. Everybody you love was there to see you win, but you came short. I did not come up short tonight. The record will show that Ethan Page lost to MJF for the AEW World Title in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, but I did not come up short. When I walked out, I knew I was fighting for myself. I was fighting for every single that made sure I’d be in this position in the first place. Every single person from Hamilton, from the whole freaking country, my family was sitting in the front row and saw me almost reach greatness. But you know what they also saw? They saw the referee ask me if I wanted to give up multiple times, and every single time, I said no. MJF had every opportunity to make me tap, make me quit, but I refuse to give up. If I didn’t show you, if I didn’t show the locker room, if I didn’t show my people in Hamilton that I have what it takes to be a champion, sure, then I came up short. Tell me I came up short now. I gave everything I had. You know what, it breaks my heart to know that my family sat in the front row and saw me lose. But on the way to the back, I stopped to talk to my daughter in the front row. I told her that daddy was okay, this was not my last match, and I promised her that I would win gold in AEW. I don’t plan on breaking that fucking promise," Page said.
Later in the video, Page was back home, and he reflected on the match. He stated that, even in defeat, he got to accomplish a few dreams. Page highlighted that he was proud that he was able to cut a heated promo on MJF while his father was in the front row. He emphasized that he believes he can win a title in AEW, and that's still his goal.
"My biggest takeaway from everything was I got to accomplish a couple dreams. I guess that’s the first time anyone from Hamilton has wrestled in the FirstOntario Centre for a major world heavyweight championship title. I’m very proud. Most proud, though, that my father was sitting in the front row and I got to do that little speech on MJF, which was really from the heart. That’s why I was so passionate. I was yelling in this man’s face. It was cool to feel the love of my hometown and to wrestle for the world title on Canada Day, and for them to be so supportive. I actually thought I was gonna win the damn title. I believe I can, I believe I still have the opportunity to win a belt. That’s my goal. I made the promise to Gabby, so that’s the goal, is to become a champion," Page said.
After Page thanked the Hamilton fans and expressed his gratitude to Tony Khan for booking a show in the city, he described how the trip helped him see how far he has come since he started wrestling. Page noted that his journey is similar to the story of the tortoise and the hare, and while he might be the tortoise, he doesn't plan on giving up.
“It was a great reminder to go to Hamilton and see where I came from and see all the familiar faces and realize that I’ve achieved so much since starting in wrestling, and to be proud of that I’ve accomplished and how far I’ve come. We’re climbing, guys. This is the tortoise and the hare. Ethan Page is clearly the tortoise, but I don’t plan on giving up, not even for a second. So thank you to everybody who’s supported me. For real, it means the world. Let’s see what happens next," Page said.
Page's initial comments about promising to win the gold in AEW can be seen here.
Click here to see what Page had to say about getting his first AEW action figure.
Check out the card for the July 19 episode of AEW Dynamite here. Fightful will have coverage of the show as it airs.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.
