Ethan Page fell victim to AEW's stacked roster

News broke on Thursday that Ethan Page is no longer All Elite. After fans recognized that his profile was removed from the AEW roster page, Fightful Select issued a report that Page is no longer with AEW or Ring of Honor. This was an unsurprising, yet unfortunate bit of news as Page was someone that many saw a lot of long-term potential. He’s an unfortunate victim of an organization like AEW having a stacked roster.

Ethan Page made his debut as a surprise entrant during the Face of the Revolution ladder match at AEW Revolution in 2021. Even though he didn’t win the match, there was a lot of excitement about him making the jump. He just had a hot run in Impact Wrestling and was seen as a guy who could break out as a singles performer after splitting from Josh Alexander in The North. Alexander went on to build a strong run as a singles standout, and the expectations were that Page would do the same regardless of where he went.

Unfortunately, this moment in the ladder match was probably his biggest spot in AEW. From there he would be saddled with bad angle after bad angle. AEW paired him with another forgotten member on the roster, Scorpio Sky and they were slotted with American Top Team. That angle was dead in the water as it spent week after week trying to create bland heat for Dan Lambert. The angle with Matt Hardy did get positive responses, but it never played out well long-term on television. It looked like there was hope for him in Ring of Honor, but Kyle Fletcher’s visa issues brought a halt to that storyline around the AEW World Television Championship.

Page is a talented worker who looks and performs the part. He has the charisma to be a credible heel or a believable babyface with the size that allows him to avoid being typecast into the typical underdog role. Not only is Page a great pro wrestler, but he has the comedic timing necessary to be a strong sports entertainer as well.

There’s speculation around what is next for Page. He could return to TNA where he’d had several built-in angles waiting for him. It will be interesting to see if WWE shows interest in him, as he could have a strong run in NXT. That brand needs established performers who can reinvent themselves while helping the youth around them, akin to what Dijak achieved. Page is someone who can do the same. He also has his independent organization which is surely going to take up much of his time.

Ethan Page’s arrival in AEW was met with the hope that he’d get a strong run to show wrestling fans what he’s capable of doing. Unfortunately, that never came to fruition. He’s uber-talented, but with a roster as stacked as AEW, he’s yet another name that fell by the wayside.