Karl Fredericks, who wrestled under the name Eddy Thorpe in WWE NXT, recently discussed his WWE NXT greedy white man segment during an appearance on the B4 The Bell podcast. In the interview, Fredericks addressed the controversial “greedy white man” line delivered to Lexis King, his frustration over WWE not fully exploring the core of his character, and a remembered backstage moment involving Shawn Michaels and NXT General Manager Ava. His insights revealed his disappointment with the direction his character took and the creative limitations he faced in WWE NXT.
Limitations in Developing a Fully Realized Character
Fredericks expressed his dissatisfaction with how WWE handled his character, lamenting the lack of depth and humanity in his portrayal. He described how, for nearly two years, his character was confined to vague, mystical traits without meaningful dialogue or development. Fredericks said,
“Nearly two years, hey guys, I’m not a real human being. I smudge and dance in the forest and I come in and wrestle. Give me the mic in the ring. Let me talk like a human being.”
He emphasized his desire to deliver promos that felt genuine, noting how early on he tried to speak from a personal and communal perspective, saying,
“The first words out of my mouth, ‘Me and my people been through enough,’”
but he quickly recognized the challenges this approach faced in a wrestling environment that expects snappy, widely accessible promos.
He continued reflecting on audience reactions and creative decisions, which often reduced his character’s dialogue to repetitive complaints.
“So, for a lot of that run, ‘Me and my people,’ and then, I tended to agree. You have to see the feedback online so it’s like, ‘He’s just b*tching about the same –’ it felt b*tchy, to me, so it’s just like, there was no meat and potatoes to it.”
Fredericks acknowledged pitching deeper creative ideas but ultimately feeling constrained, saying,
“It was that only and then capped it off with the ‘greedy white man’ line. So then part of it for me was just like… that point of view or playing that character, doing that stuff… wasn’t for me.”
Thoughts on the ‘Greedy White Man’ Line and Its Controversy
Regarding the “greedy white man” phrase aimed at Lexis King, Fredericks revealed he was initially unsure about including such a line in his WWE NXT greedy white man segment. He confessed that the decision came amid personal stress and sensitivity about racial issues, particularly on social media where negative comments about his heritage were frequent.
“It’s when I called Lexis (King) a greedy white man. I was kind of stressed during the day. Is that the line? Because my Twitter’s racist — it’s enough already — like just seeing comments on my culture, and this Indian stuff, just stuff like that,”
he explained.
Fredericks also shared that he consulted with fellow wrestlers about possibly softening the wording to something like “colonizer” but was advised to deliver the line as scripted.
“One of the boys was just like, ‘Nah. If that’s what they want, give it to ‘em, man,’ and so we did it.”
He noted the strong reaction the segment elicited, both in the arena and backstage.
“Wes’ reaction was amazing, the reaction in the building was cool, then everyone backstage was, ‘Did you just say –’ and then, my favorite part was the wrestling community, the online wrestling community just… went rogue.”
After Fredericks’ release from WWE, some fans speculated the segment contributed to his departure, which he denied with humor.
“You think I’m just going out on my own? No (he laughed) … Okay, so also, context. A guy that’s already got one trophy but needs a second trophy… greedy white guy.”
Behind the Scenes of the Shawn Michaels Garage Door Exchange
Fredericks recounted an NXT segment where Shawn Michaels confronted him after Fredericks accidentally collided with NXT General Manager Ava, pressing him against a garage door. This moment was part of a larger envisioned story arc that was never fully realized. He described conversations with Michaels about intensifying his heel character as a Native American obsessed with the North American Title.
“As far as I’m concerned, that strap’s only been held by immigrants, you know what I mean? And that doesn’t sit right with me.”
Fredericks shared how he wanted his promos to focus on reclaiming resources for his people, emphasizing the symbolism of championship gold.
“My first four months in the P.C., I’m doing heel promos and I’m talking about resources and helping my people, and I need resources to help them. Stuff like gold. You wanna know the awful things you can get away with in pursuit of a resource like gold? What kind of gold do we have in our business? Championship gold.”
He described the narrative progress before his release, which included Ava dismissing him and the potential friction his character would have with Shawn Michaels as a boss figure.
“We started with, you know, Ava’s blowing me off and then we have the moment, the really cool moment that I got with Shawn, him pressing me against the wall and that and we had somewhere in there where I was gonna talk my sh*t and then reference him, ‘If it was up to that cowboy in the back,’ blah, blah, blah.”
He acknowledged the challenges of educating the audience on his character’s historical motivations without overwhelming them.
“It’s somewhat in pro wrestling but it can’t just be like a history, with no one knowing it, and then with no one knowing, it’s hard if you only give ‘em those little things, it ends up being what it was. You get the gist of the character and things like that.”
Despite his hopes, the creative direction never fully materialized, and Fredericks admitted the character ultimately wasn’t the right fit for him.
Impact on Wrestling Fans and Industry Perspectives
Fredericks’ revelations highlight ongoing tensions surrounding character portrayals in wrestling, particularly those involving cultural identities and sensitive topics. The WWE NXT greedy white man segment sparked significant conversation online, demonstrating the impact of provocative language within scripted wrestling narratives. Fredericks’ candid discussion reflects a broader wrestling world grappling with representation, creative freedom, and audience expectations.
His experience also reveals the complexities wrestlers face in balancing personal identity with character performance, especially in an industry with passionate and sometimes polarized fan reactions. The backlash and support Fredericks received illuminate the realities behind controversial moments in wrestling and the challenges performers endure when navigating these situations.
Looking ahead, Fredericks’ interview may encourage deeper discussions within wrestling creative teams about character development and the importance of nuanced storytelling. His account suggests a need for more collaborative and thoughtful approaches to portraying cultural themes in wrestling, potentially influencing how future NXT storylines are crafted.
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