Ethan Page strutted into “NXT” like a peacock on parade, but instead of feathers, he brought a bag full of bad behavior. From ambushing NXT Champion Trick Williams to taking cheap shots at Meta-Four members, Page’s antics earned him a title shot at Battleground. Spoiler alert: He got whooped like a piñata at a birthday party.
“All Ego” lived up to his moniker, sashaying to the ring and motioning to his waist like he was already fitted for the championship belt. Meanwhile, Trick Williams, basking in the adoration of the UFC Apex crowd, made a grand entrance to the rhythmic chants of “Whoop that trick.” In a twist no one saw coming, Page actually dominated much of the match. He nearly sent the crowd into cardiac arrest with a series of pinfall attempts and a close call that had fans biting their nails.
The drama peaked when Page, with the devious glee of a cartoon villain, set up the announce table for some extracurricular activities. Williams, flipping the script faster than a plot twist in a soap opera, had Page poised for a suplex. But Page, ever the slippery one, countered and delivered a Powerslam that sent Trick crashing through the table, leaving Booker T’s headset in a state of disarray.
With Williams rolled back into the ring like a defeated gladiator, Page seized the moment, delivering a Powerbomb that had everyone thinking it might be over. But alas, hubris is a fickle mistress. Williams rallied, catching Page in the corner with a Trick Shot Knee that could have sent him into orbit. With that, Williams wrapped up his first title defense, leaving Page to nurse his bruised ego.