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'Tough Enough' Q&A: Alex Frekey loses job, WWE opportunity in same week

“Tough Enough” is a show that combs the multitude of inspiring wrestlers to find the select few who are talented enough to compete for the opportunity to sign a $250,000 WWE contract.

More than 11,000 contestants submitted video entries for the sixth season of the show. One of the 13 finalists was Alex Frekey — a 6-foot-4 former bodybuilder from Pennsylvania. Unfortunately for Frekey, he found out on Tuesday night that despite his chiseled physique, he wasn’t cut out for the WWE and was sent packing during the second week of the reality competition.

Q: You argued with Patrick about not needing to know about the history of the WWE saying, “knowledge means nothing.” Is that something you wish you could take back?

Frekey: Yes and no. In terms of taking that scene out of context, because not all of our conversation was aired. So, what I said to Patrick was that knowledge means nothing if, say for example, playing basketball. Michael Jordan doesn’t need to know about the history of the NBA to practice how to shoot a jump shot. So, I’m not saying that [knowledge] means nothing, I’m saying that it means nothing in terms of actually physically doing something. So, what was taken out of context was that I said that I didn’t know anything and whatever you know is worthless, which wasn’t true. I know a lot about the WWE. Actually, I know almost as much as Patrick does except for dates and stuff. I know all the superstars and in my opinion, I follow superstars because that’s what I wanted to be.

Q: Why did you take on the challenge of competing on "Tough Enough"?

Former bodybuilder Alex Frekey was sent home from Tough Enough on Tuesday. (Courtesy WWE)
Former bodybuilder Alex Frekey was sent home from Tough Enough on Tuesday. (Courtesy WWE)

Frekey: I wanted to do it because a few years ago I was asked to join a wrestling school, but it wasn’t the right time in my life. I just got out of college, I had to start paying back student loans, I really needed to hold a steady job so, of course, I didn’t want to ruin my credit, so I couldn’t do it. But now I’m in a different point in my life where this opportunity arose and I said, “Hey, let’s do it, let’s go after what I wanted to do years ago.”

Q: You nearly drowned in a swamp during one of the competitions. What was going through your head during that?

Frekey: I’m definitely a great meal for an alligator and I’m going to get eaten by a family of alligators [laughs]. I mean I can’t swim. I can hang out in a pool because my feet can touch the bottom, but in terms of swimming a distance, I can’t do it. But I wasn’t going to let everyone know that and back out of a challenge because I don’t make excuses when it comes to doing stuff like that.

Q: Going from a job in the nutriceutical business to a job that requires you to be on the road over 200 days per year is a pretty drastic change. Why did you want to make that change?

Frekey: Actually, what’s funny is that it’s not a change because I travel about four days a week and I’m in hotels all across the country. Yeah, I ran eight states for the company I worked for, so this really wasn’t a change in lifestyle.

Q: You said on the show that you had just lost your job. Was that because of your involvement with "Tough Enough"?

Frekey: Yeah. Basically, I was doing some stuff for a company at a certain time period where it wasn’t really working at this point, but I was still working and getting paid. So what had happened was that I told the company, “Hey, I’m going to go on this show for however long until I get back and resume,” and they said, “Alright sure Alex. That’s great,” or whatever. But, lo and behold, that Monday I get a call from my boss saying, “You know, we’re struggling here and since you’re away, we’re letting you go because we’re not going to keep paying you if you’re not going to be here.”

Q: What were your immediate thoughts after finding out you were eliminated from “Tough Enough”? Who do you think should have been sent home?

Frekey: You know, I was really bummed man, but I really thought that Dianna should’ve been sent home because, unlike the rest of us at the barracks, we wanted to be there. We wanted to be WWE superstars and she was worried about planning a wedding. I mean, where are your priorities? And then whether or not she makes a good storyline or not, this, at the end of the day, [this] is for a WWE contract. It’s not for Miss America or the Princess Dianna show. It’s to be in the WWE and fulfill people’s dreams and she didn’t want it the way we did.

Q: What’s next for you?

Frekey: Well, it could be a multitude of things. You know, I haven’t really gotten to that planning stage yet. I definitely want to continue and pursue the WWE and see where I can take that for sure. It’s definitely something that I’ve wanted for a long time. But if that doesn’t pan out, then I’m very good at what I do in the nutriceutical industry and I have opportunities that are popping up everywhere. So it’s really about my path and what I want to do, which I have to sit down and figure out.