This AEW Star Is '99% Sure' Cody Rhodes Paid Him Out Of Pocket For The Original All In

Ethan Page was part of the inaugural All In event in 2018, a pay-per-view hosted by Ring of Honor, Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks to prove that an indie show could sell 10,000 tickets. The pay-per-view was a success, effectively giving birth to AEW. Furthermore, Ethan Page believes that Rhodes put his hand into his pocket to ensure he was part of the monumental event.

"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," Page told "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."

Despite seemingly bringing Page into All In, Rhodes didn't rush to get him signed to AEW. The former Impact Wrestling star didn't join the promotion until 2021, two years after its launch. That said, Page understands why Rhodes didn't want to hire him immediately.

"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."

Page was in contact with WWE before he joined AEW. While he admitted that Rhodes reached out to him, he didn't want to use their friendship to try and get a deal with the company, though he ultimately ended up signing a contract after parting ways with Impact.