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Hamilton’s Ethan Page is wrestling his way to the top

Posted: Mar 18th 2021 By: Scott Radley

His first bodyslams, clotheslines and leaps off the top turnbuckle came on garbage days back when he was 14. He and some friends from Saltfleet District High would find some old mattresses that had been tossed to the curb, drag them to Paramount Park to use as mats and stage their own wrestling shows for nobody but themselves.

Hold on, used mattresses?

“It’s pretty gross,” Julian Micevski laughs.

If you’re a wrestling fan, you’ll know him better as Ethan Page, one of professional wrestling’s rising stars. A guy who made his TV debut with All Elite Wrestling the other day, which, for those who don’t follow the business, is one of the top promotions in the world.

But he’s right about the mattress thing. It is kinda gross. Then again, it fits with the hard, gritty and less-than-glamorous road the 31-year-old from Stoney Creek has taken to get where he is today.

When he wasn’t involved in matches at the park with his buddies, he was playing football and performing in school musicals — he was Danny Zuko in Grease among other roles — which was giving him both the physical and acting tools to be a real wrestler.

By the time he was 16, he was tagging along with some pros as they were working the independent circuit. They’d drive hours to Chicago or Cleveland or wherever to do a couple shows over the weekend. He’d help set up the ring, do camera work, operate the music or anything else required. He wasn’t listed on the card but if someone didn’t show up, he’d often get a spot as a fill-in.

He recalls being paid $2 for a match one time. After you pay for gas, food, a place to stay and a few other expenses, he was paying them to work. The thing is, he loved it. Especially the over-the-top characters and huge personalities involved.

Micevski soon began working everywhere under a variety of different names. If there was a promotion out there, he probably appeared in it. Black Label Pro, Insane Wrestling League, Absolute Intense Wrestling, Fringe Pro Wrestling, Deathproof Fight Club and so many more. Including a bunch he admits he can’t even remember. It was the ultimate grind.

Along the way, Ethan Page was born. There was no real person named Ethan or Page that inspired his alter ego. It just came to him.

“I figured it would be pretty hard for fans to chant ‘Julian Micevski,’” he says. “So, I kind of just came up with something easy to spell, easy to find and easy to remember.”

The role actually started as ‘The Motion Picture’ Ethan Page but he quickly decided that was too hokey. A better character, he thought, would be the ultimate egomaniac. Just an arrogant, annoying jerk. The perfect ingredient to become a memorable bad guy. In wrestling terms, a heel. A guy even he would hate in real life. ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page took over.

It paid off. Late last year, he got a call from AEW. In the world of the squared circle, there’s the WWE and there’s AEW. The first is the biggest name in the game and the one most people think of when they think of wrestling. The second is attracting nearly a million eyeballs to television screens each week and sees itself as the challenger. Shaquille O’Neal made a guest appearance the other day. That’s the one that reached out and offered a deal.

“Ethan Page has proven himself in whatever company he has been in to be a great performer,” says longtime wrestling writer Greg Oliver.

A little over a week ago Ethan Page made his pay-per-view debut. Days later he had his first regular TV spot (AEW is on TSN Wednesdays at 8 p.m.) and came out on top. Then he proceeded to enhance his bad-guy credentials by kicking and stomping his flattened and helpless opponent for a while.

Because AEW does a full show on YouTube every Monday and Tuesday in addition to the televised shows, he’ll be working a lot during his three-year deal. How often he gets on TV will depend on how many people want to see him. Ratings equal exposure.

That’s goal No. 1. Also on the agenda? Carving out his place in Hamilton’s wrestling story. This city has produced plenty of legendary grapplers including Dewey Robertson as the Missing Link and Iron Mike Sharpe as Canada’s Greatest Athlete and many more.

“Not to step on the toes of anyone that’s come before me but my goal has always been to be a bigger name than (them),” Micevski says.

That’s not his ‘All Ego’ character speaking. He comes across as too down-to-earth for that. He’s just saying where he’d like to end up.

No harm in aiming high right? After all, he didn’t get this far by playing it safe.