Top WWE champion opens up on leaving AEW: "My career would end"

A current champion in WWE detailed how he came to the decision to leave AEW and jump ship to the Stamford-based promotion. The star made the move earlier this year.

The top WWE champion in question is none other than Ethan Page. Ethan made his debut on the Stamford-based promotion's developmental brand in May 2024 after his contract with AEW was up. More than a month later, Page became the new NXT Champion, capturing the title at the recent Heatwave PLE.

Meanwhile, Ethan Page opened up on the real reason why he decided to leave AEW after three years with the company. During his entire tenure in Jacksonville-based promotion, Page felt like an afterthought as the creative team had no big plans for him and kept losing matches.

Speaking on Talk'n Shop recently, Ethan reflected on his AEW exit:

"It was definitely time to leave...I could sit in catering for the next three years and my career would end or I try and do something before my career ends." (H/T WrestlingINC)

Furthermore, Ethan Page also admitted that it was his lifelong dream to join the WWE, as he idolized legends like "The Macho Man" Randy Savage, The Rock, Razor Ramon, and Billy Gunn as a kid.

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Former AEW star how he got the call from WWE

The former AEW star, Ethan Page also disclosed how he was pleasantly surprised when he got the call from the WWE administration regarding an offer. Here is what Ethan recalled:

"I was like, 'This is not real,' and they were like, 'Yes it is, here's the offer,' and I was like, 'Yes,' and then they hung up. I was like, 'Wait a second, that was a real phone call that just happened?'" (H/T WrestlingINC)

Meanwhile, Ethan Page is the new NXT champion as mentioned earlier, and seems to have a bright future. Only time will tell what the creative team has in store for the 34-year-old star.

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