Karl Fredericks, formerly known in WWE as Eddy Thorpe, is officially stepping back into the ring following his departure from the company. Now wrestling under his real name once again, Fredericks is scheduled for his first post-WWE appearances on the independent circuit.

Over the weekend, Fredericks made an unadvertised appearance at a West Coast Pro Wrestling event and has since been confirmed for their upcoming show in San Francisco on September 5. He is also set to wrestle Mance Warner on September 21 at Jersey Championship Wrestling’s event in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Fredericks, 34, was among the roster cuts announced on May 2, though he later clarified that he had personally requested his release. In a social media post last month, he explained his decision, writing, “I asked for my release from WWE so I could do something f–king meaningful with my life.” He followed up by reflecting on his time in WWE, stating, “I set the goal to work (in WWE). I spent a decade working for it. I got it. And in my experience I came to the conclusion I didn’t want to do it.”

Another point of frustration for Fredericks was WWE’s refusal to allow him to take on a volunteer DJ’ing role during WrestleMania weekend.

Before joining WWE, Fredericks trained at the NJPW Dojo starting in 2015 and earned recognition by winning the Young Lions Cup in 2019. He departed NJPW in 2022 after being left out of that year’s G1 Climax tournament, a decision that led to his exit from the promotion.

*ASBURY PARK UPDATE*

The debuting

KARL FREDERICKS (@KarlFredericks_)

vs

MANCE WARNER

Featuring:

Manders vs Mad Dog
Tremont vs Priest

JCW presents "Knockout"
Sunday, September 21st - 7 PM
The HOI - Asbury Park

Get Tix NOW: https://t.co/JR9WOwjXiB pic.twitter.com/lKOsFOSgqy

, Jersey Championship Wrestling (@JerseyCW) July 28, 2025