Ethan Page Believes He’s More Prepared Than Anyone Else at WWE NXT Deadline

– During an interview with The Takedown on SI.com ahead of WWE NXT Deadline, where he’s competing in the Iron Survivor Challenge. Below are some highlights:

Ethan Page on how prepared he is for NXT Deadline: “I’ve been wrestling for 18 years. I think I’m more prepared than anybody else in the match (Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge). You might even been able to combine two or three of the wrestlers experience, so I still am more prepared. I’ve been in long matches. 25 minutes is not the longest match I’ve ever had, not even close. I’ve been in matches with more than five guys, so the multi man part, it’s not really intimidating. I’ve been in high pressure situations more times than any wrestler in NXT currently, maybe ever. I think prepared is probably the best thing I am. Everything after that is, we’ll see what happens. I don’t think I could be any more prepared for this at all.”

On what people can expect from the matchup: “I bring those 18 years I was talking about. I’m able to look at scenarios and situations and come up with more solutions than any wrestler on the entire roster, honestly, maybe even in WWE. I’m willing to stoop to lows that other people aren’t willing to stoop to, whether they don’t want to embarrass themselves, or some dumb moral reason. I just look at every opportunity and every scenario with the eyes of like a winner. So, what am I going to bring to the table? Obviously, people will be entertained anytime a camera is pointed at me. That’s just bound to happen, win, lose or draw. So you’ll be entertained at the very least.”

On working in the WWE Performance Center: “Imagine starving for 18 years and then someone just gives you the keys to a grocery store. And they go, go ahead, you can have as much as you want. How much you’re going to take? I’m going to take as much as I can. I mean, yeah, I will pick the brains of anyone that I feel I should. I absolutely love working with Terry Taylor. I think his views on wrestling, I don’t know if they just align with mine, but it’s just what he says to me, makes sense, and it’s already made me (better) and I’ve only been here six months. I think it’s made me a better performer, a better wrestler, mentally, physically, in the ring as well.”

On feeling like a kid in a candy store: “I mean, Finlay, another guy that I feel — How are you not asking questions? I’ve never had a boss (Shawn Michaels) with that resume before. I’ve never had a boss that had a successful wrestling career first and then tried to guide others to have successful wrestling careers. So there’s like a perfect mutual respect there. I mean, it’s coming from the mouth of one of the greatest of all time, arguably the greatest of all time. So yeah, this is like a kid in a candy store where I’m being paid to walk around the candy store and eat candy. That’s just, that’s what it is. It’s the best.”

Ethan Page competes in the Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge against Je’Von Evans, Nathan Frazer, Wes Lee, and Eddy Thorpe tonight at NXT Deadline. The premium live event is being held at the Minneapolis Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The show will be broadcast live on Peacock.