What is it like participating in a promotion’s iconic match?

On the most recent edition of the Bitter Boys Club podcast, I talked to my co-host “All Ego” Ethan Page about participating in Ultimate X at Impact Wrestling Homecoming.

Page worked the big man role against Jake Crist, Trey Miguel and Rich Swann, ultimately coming up short in the match.

So, what was it like taking part in the match?

My biggest thought process was there’s no way I’m going to be able to top or match the athleticism of these guys. So why bother? I’m not going to be able to do the coolest flip, I’m not going to be the fastest one. I made sure I climbed the cable as many or more times than anyone else in the match because I’m a sociopath. I was like, ‘No, no, no. There’s no way I’ll be outdone or have people saying ‘Oh, Page didn’t climb the wire.’’ Nope, that is not happening. I forced myself to make sure I did it.

Nope, that’s not happening. I’m making sure I climb the hell out of this thing. I think I did. There was no point in the match when people would think I wasn’t going to win or make it to the middle.

Was it a difficult match to take part in?

The actual match itself was easy because of adrenaline, you’re just pumped up the whole time. The worst part was practicing climbing the wire to make sure we could do it and it was sturdy enough. They said the max weight was a thousand pounds and it’s like, we’re really close to that.

Did you have to wait until the day of to test out the cables?

Nevermind the day of, we had to wait for them to set it up and they did dry runs of set-up and tear down so everything was flowing smooth during the PPV. If you’re asking how long we had with it? Max it was 45 minutes to an hour. It was major stress.

That spear to Jake looked like it hurt.

It did suck. It was also not planned. We were supposed to do this entire struggle at the top where we’re fighting and eventually he grabs my head and we do a giant cutter off the wire where I land on my head.

His shoulders got so tired he couldn’t pull his legs up, so as I’m doing my climb across the wire for us to fall, he’s like, ‘Just hit me. Just hit me.’ I was like, ‘Spear?’ and he said, ‘Just jump!’

So that’s what we did.

I don’t want to pat myself on the back. But I tried my best to stand out as best as I could.

Any other weird pre-match stuff?

I messed up the swing the legs into the backbreaker earlier. Maybe four times I botched that before the show. I got it once and was like, we’re good. Everyone asked if I was sure and I said, ‘Yeah, we’re good.’

Check out the Bitter Boys Club podcast with Page and Brookhouse anywhere you listen to podcasts.