Rickey Shane Page Thought He’d Retire At 30, But No End In Sight Now; Possible Future In Creative
Rickey Shane Page has shown his value on the independent circuit, and has been a part of some of the most fun and infuriating creative moments over the last few years.
Helping develop those creative moments is something Rickey Shane Page takes pride in. In fact, when speaking with Fightful ahead of GCW Fight Forever, Page said that after his wrestling career wraps up, he would love to help in a creative capacity.
“100%,” Page confirmed. “I love doing that side of it and I know that in-ring doesn’t last forever. This year is my 20th year wrestling, so yeah. I would totally love to do something backstage, to be an agent, producer, trainer, anything. Or just on the production side of it. I would love to learn more about filming and things like that. ‘Cause really I don’t know technically the things. If I can’t figure something out I YouTube it, or Atticus figures it out, or I’ll ask somebody. I’m 100% self-taught. I can kinda use Photoshop. I can kinda use Premier. That’s about it. But, yeah, I would love to do that stuff. Again, I know that my in-ring career won’t last forever, so I would love to have a backstage job like that and be able to help in any booking, filming promos, anything. I just want to work in wrestling.”
With Page 20 years in, and talking about what’s happening after wrestling, does he have a certain end date in mind?
“I used to have, when I was younger ‘cause I started when I was 17 / 16, and I would be like, ‘Oh, when I’m thirty, I’m done.’ Then I hit 30 and I’m like, ‘Ah, nah, I’ll keep going.’ Then I was like, ‘Oh, when I hit 20 years, I’ll be okay with retiring.’ Now that’s happened and I’m like, ‘Ahh… I don’t know, I know I could make it to 40.’ So, I’m gonna keep going until it’s time, until I’m ready, or my body straight-up gives up. But, I think I’m doing fine for now. But, like I said, I want to try to set something up in the industry that I can do and continue to help. Whether it be at an AEW, IMPACT!, or Ring of Honor or anything like that. Or starting a small independent when I’m done and having a school and just trying to teach people the right way to wrestle and how, not even to wrestle, but to understand the psychology of a whole show and the business end and not being selfish and not doing every move under the sun to get a GIF’d. I constantly, any of the young guys that are on shows with me, they know that I seem like a bitter old fuck, but I’m really trying to help. I want everybody to make money and everything to be good and everything—whole heartedly everything—to be good. So, I feel like I come off like a crotchety old man, but….” said Page.
It should be noted that Page doesn’t prefer video games or crusty old men with knives. He just prefers good old wrestling.
“Listen have a gun or have a Nintendo Switch, I don’t care. But, just wrestling right. I miss matches going their corrected times. I miss people not doing each other’s finishers. I miss whatever. Nobody communicates to each other in locker rooms any more. It’s just kinda like a, ‘Well, I gotta get a GIF.’ I just don’t like that personally.”
You can see our full interview with Rickey Shane Page at the top of the page, and follow him on Twitch at this link. You can see GCW’s Fight Forever on their channel and on Fightful January 29. Donate to wrestlers who have had their bookings impacted by COVID-19 at this link.
