WWE star Ethan Page has long pointed to The Rock as his ultimate dream match opponent and wrestling hero. That's why sharing the screen with him in 2025 came as the ultimate surprise.During an interview with "Insight With Chris Van Vliet," Page reflected on his opportunity to collaborate with The Rock for a backstage segment on "WWE NXT" television. In it, The Rock warned Page that his recent callous actions would have major consequences. Still, the former WWE Champion suggested that he'd see Page on WWE's main roster someday."It was very great," Page said. "But there was an interaction we had when we were going through everything. The situation is very interesting. I ended up putting my hand up like I was in school because they were debating on how to handle something. I was like, 'May I make a suggestion?' And they're like, 'Yeah, sure, go ahead.' So I say what I say and they go, 'Yeah, that's good. We'll just do that.' So after the interview, Rock's like, 'Hey, don't ever second guess yourself ever again. If you think it and if you feel it, say it. Worst is we say no.' I was like, 'Oh, okay.' So I've definitely taken that with me going forward through the rest of my career in WWE, and it's definitely helped me."The Rock's appearance on "NXT" came one day after he made his surprise return for the Netflix premiere of "WWE Raw." There, The Rock bestowed the Ula Fala onto the neck of Roman Reigns, whom Page now calls a colleague on WWE's red brand in 2026.
While eternally grateful for his screen-time with The Rock, Page made it clear that his quest for a match with "The People's Champion" wasn't finished. The former NXT Champion even went as far as formally calling out The Rock to make one happen."That whole experience was fantastic. I would say the best part was getting to be able to tell him like, 'Hey, when I started all this, the number one goal was seeing what I created on screen with what I admired.' He was the absolute pinnacle of what I admire from professional wrestling, so to me, the best. So to get to see what I cultivated in wrestling on screen with my number one wrestler, I mean, there's nothing else that I need to do unless he wants to have a match with me," Page said. "Come on Rock, put your little underwear on. Let's do it. Everybody wants to see your hamstrings."The Rock's last in-ring outing saw him and Reigns defeat Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins on night one of WWE WrestleMania 40 in April 2024. Over the next 12 months, he returned to WWE TV for appearances on "Raw," "SmackDown," and "NXT" as well as the Bad Blood and Elimination Chamber premium live events.The legendary wrestler has not been seen on WWE programming since Elimination Chamber as his Hollywood filming schedule, which included a live-action "Moana" adaptation, has ramped up. Meanwhile, Page's run in "NXT" came to an end, with his official call-up taking place in the weeks following WrestleMania 42.If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Insight With Chris Van Vliet" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
