Cody Rhodes left his position as a top star and EVP for AEW, and he helped build that company in many ways. He also had a big hand in All In, the event which many agree spawned AEW’s creation. It turns out that he also paid for some of that out of his own pocket.
How Ethan Page Ended up on All In Card
Ethan Page played a role in the inaugural All In event back in 2018. The goal of All In was to demonstrate that an independent show could successfully sell 10,000 tickets, and the event’s triumph marked the birth of AEW. After being started by a $10 bet by Dave Meltzer, The Elite took on that challenge in a big way.
According to Ethan Page, he believes that Cody Rhodes personally invested to ensure his participation in this groundbreaking event.
The Bragman Breakdown podcast recently spoke to Ethan Page where he opened up about how he believes he was paid, because it came from Cody Rhodes’ own PayPal account.
“Ultimately, my payment came from his name to my PayPal, so I’m pretty sure I was hand-selected by my friend to get this opportunity. The Bragman Breakdown” podcast. “He also put me in the media scrum… he was definitely looking out. I’ll always deliver on my end to make sure whoever puts their neck out for me is not doing it in a way that is going to get them in trouble. He definitely put his foot forward for me.”
How Ethan Page Ended up in AEW
Despite his involvement in All In, Cody Rhodes didn’t promptly secure a deal for Page with AEW. The former Impact Wrestling star only joined the promotion in 2021, a couple of years after its establishment. Nevertheless, Page doesn’t harbor any resentment towards Rhodes for the delayed signing, as he understands the reasons behind the decision.
Before joining AEW, Ethan Page had discussions with WWE. While acknowledging that Cody Rhodes reached out to him during this period, Page chose not to exploit their friendship to secure a deal with the company. Instead, he opted to sign a contract with AEW after parting ways with Impact Wrestling.
“Ironically, when I was signing with AEW, he told me that he wouldn’t [sign me] because he didn’t want me to be a friend hire, and that’s how I started my career. So I actually respected that. He’s always had my back, and I appreciate him putting me in that because it was such a huge spotlight.”
AEW did not own the rights to the All In show, because ROH helped produce the event. Later on, Tony Khan stated that attaining the rights to the All In event was a big selling point for him buying ROH.
Cody Rhodes may be raking up records and merchandise sales in WWE, as he tries to finish his story. Ethan Page is still in AEW, but he will never forget about everything the American Nightmare did for him.
