Pro wrestler from Watertown set to make hometown debut

Watertown resident Joel C. Frederick has been an avid fan of professional wrestling since he was a toddler. Now, he is beginning to have a fan base of his own.

Mr. Frederick, a 2006 Watertown High School graduate, wrestles with Squared Circle Wrestling (2CW), Syracuse, an independent professional wrestling promotion, under the stage name "J Freddie." He will make his hometown debut Saturday when he faces off against his mentor and trainer, Zaquary Springate III, at the Watertown Municipal Arena.

Mr. Frederick said that 2CW matches, which take place throughout New York, attract out-of-state fans and have established a crowd of about 200 regulars.

"2CW just really is a product where you pay your money for your ticket and you're going to get your money's worth each show," he said. "It's a treat for everyone to go and just watch even if you aren't a wrestling fan."

The upcoming match, which is the second held in Watertown, will be a tribute to the late Walter "Killer" Kowalski, who trained Mr. Springate and many of the other wrestlers who started 2CW in 2006. Mr. Kowalski died Aug. 30 of a heart attack at age 81.

Throughout the organization's first year, Mr. Frederick attended all of its shows, and by the end of the year he started training.

Then, while he was taping video footage of a show in February, wrestler Max Bauer made an open challenge and pulled Mr. Frederick into the ring.

"I went into the ring and he beat me up a little bit," he said.

Since then, Mr. Frederick has been enjoying his time on the other side of the camera lens.

"It's just an amazing experience," he said.

To prepare for the matches, Mr. Frederick attends training sessions twice a week and exercises daily.

Although he played baseball, football and track in high school, and participated in wrestling in junior high school, nothing could prepare him for the intensity of professional wrestling.

"I've played like every sport, but pro wrestling has had the most demand physically and mentally on me," he said. "Some people think it's fake, but it's definitely 110 percent real."

Mr. Frederick has made it his goal to become a World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler. Some fellow 2CW wrestlers like Spike Dudley and Colin Delaney are former WWE stars. Both wrestlers will appear at the match in Watertown.

Also performing are Total Nonstop Action knockout wrestler Nikki Roxx, 2CW champion Slyck Wagner Brown and Isys Ephex.