Interview: Ethan Page Discusses Retro Impact And Characters In Wrestling

Retro Wrestling comes to IMPACT on AXS Television Tuesday Night as the company presents a special “Throwback Throwdown” edition.  Many of the IMPACT Wrestlers will be playing characters that will look and feel familiar to wrestling fans from the 80’s.

We're journeying back in time to 1983 next week as IPWF presents wrestling how it used to be. #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/SjVILyTkvU

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) November 20, 2019

Ethan Page will be starring as Julian Cumberbun and will be defending the International Commonwealth Television Title against Downtown Daddy Brown (Willie Mack).  Cumberbun will be accompanied by Sami Callihan who will be playing a character similar to that of a certain tennis-racket carrying manager.  Ethan, laughed, but had no comments on this character due to heat on them.

We had the chance to sit down with Ethan Page to talk about the show and much more.  How did the show come to be?

“I have no idea.  It was told to us maybe a week or two before.  We were told to get our costumes. It all sounded so fun none of us questioned it…It ended up being an amazing experience to do that with a bunch of people I like working with…Everyone had such a good time.”

Cowboy Colt McCoy may never see again after a fireball to the eyes but that won't stop him. @TheEddieEdwards pic.twitter.com/Avdl9Zf5Tf

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) November 24, 2019

Wrestling in the 80’s was very serious and everything was portrayed as “real.” What can we expect from this show?

“The opposite of everything you just described…I’m in a loser leaves town match and I live 20 minutes away from the place it was filmed.”  Page continued “It was essentially a parody of what other companies, currently, are trying to do with by doing the throwback wrestling.  It was a lot of fun, but it mixes with 2019.  There’s a huge integender 4 on 4 tag match.”

What match or matches should we be looking for on the special edition show:

“We got Muscles Magee doing the $3,000 BodySlam Challenge.  I sat by the monitor and watched all of them because it was so entertaining…”

Page would go on to talk about how he’s featured on all the promotional materials and would liken this to a beta test for how he would do as the front man for IMPACT.  Given Ethan’s wrestling history and his ability to adapt to whatever character he is given, this show would seem to be right up his alley.

https://twitter.com/IMPACTWRESTLING/status/1198647468856094721?s=20

When you look at Ethan Page’s Twitter account, he goes by Ethan Page played by Julian.  Impact Wrestling’s Jordynne Grace has been very outspoken about how wrestlers are real people playing characters on TV.  How does Page respond to those who question that?

“I think there’s going to be pushback from both sides forever.  I have a very old school mindset when it comes to wrestling, but we don’t live in that day and age anymore. So, I have to adjust with what’s happening now.  I have a family.  I like to live my life in public.  I like going to the mall.  I like going to restaurants with them.  I play a bad guy on TV and I think a very convincing one.  I choose to let people know that I play a character…If people only see IMPACT Wrestling, then they’ll think that Ethan Page guy is a jerk.  It could cause problems for me when I’m just walking down the street.  In 2019, It’s not okay to be a giant piece of crap of a human being.  I’m okay with people know I’m just acting.”

How do you manage to make your characters and the product as believable as it can be when you let people know you’re not that character 24/7?

“I liken it to Disney World.  When people come into the building, they are expecting an experience and that’s where they’ll get the experience.  Once the shows over we can just go back to being regular human beings.  When you go to Disney World, you know someone is in a suit, but why does the inner child in us get so excited…It’s the magic about it.  It’s the way it’s presented to us. “

Ethan has a Vlog that he shows a lot of behind the scenes activities.  How important of a role does social media play in getting characters, companies, and storylines over?

“I think it’s important.  It’s more important to me, personally, to show who I am in real life.”

Ethan also commented on the fact that he really likes to share the wealth.  He feels if he can share his “small” following with others then it will help them to get over and IMPACT to get over.

You can listen to the entire interview here.  We talk about intergender wrestling, The North and where they rank in the historical rankings of IMPACT’s tag teams, the positive example Tessa Blanchard has set for little girls and women, and we also compare IMPACT’s roster to Disney Characters.  Which Disney character do Sami Callihan and Tessa Blanchard remind him of?  Check it out.

• ethan page
• sami callihan
• Impact Wrestling
• tessa blanchard

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