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AT THE WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Kevin Fredericks is trying to focus on his lines. In early June the comedian and content creator known to millions as KevOnStage visited the wrestling giant’s sprawling training facility. He’s here preparing to film a guest spot for “Evolve,” one of WWE’s developmental shows. A few wrestlers drift past. The production staff moves around him. There is a chance someone in the room recognizes him, but that isn’t the point. For Fredericks, this moment is less about celebrity than something more personal: a childhood love of wrestling that has found its way back to him through his wife, Melissa, their kids and the shared joy of watching sports.
In the meantime, he needs to concentrate on getting these lines right.
But lunch beckons.
Spread across the table was a Haitian feast: black rice, legume, stew conch, fried snapper and other dishes delivered by Ticarme’s Kitchen, a local restaurant. The chef and owner, Marie Fleurima, learned through social media that Fredericks is coming to town and decides that he needs a proper introduction to Haitian cuisine. Before digging in, Fredericks ties a red and blue Haitian flag bandana around his neck and begins sampling the food, offering running commentary between bites.
“Hold on, you got oxtails? I thought y’all left that to the Jamaicans,” he says, playfully pointing at the chef.
He then considers his plan of attack. Fork or no fork? “Y’all don’t want to see me put a whole oxtail in my mouth like that. That’s for personal time, ” he says, opting to nibble on a little piece with his fork.
“You know when a kaleidoscope opens up? All the flavors are like an LSD trip. OK, I got to do what I got to do.”
He tosses the fork aside, picks up the oxtail with his fingers and pops it into his mouth.
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It was a fitting welcome for a man who has spent years turning the familiar into a booming business that produces podcasts, live tours, television series and soon, streaming movies. Fredericks built his brand not by courting controversy, but by finding humor in the routines of everyday life. Marriage. Church. Friendships. Food. The death of a loved one. The endless negotiations and compromises that come with being a father to teenage sons.
While swagger, anger and confrontation are often the most valuable currency on social media, he trades in vulnerability. Fredericks, 43, celebrates the fact that he and Melissa were high school sweethearts and have been married for nearly 22 years. Much of his comedy is rooted in his shortcomings, misunderstandings and parenting missteps. More often than not, the joke is on him.
That sensibility extends to his role as a father. Some of Fredericks’ most meaningful moments with his teenage sons come through sports, particularly professional wrestling and soccer. He and Melissa, 42, rekindled their interest in wrestling and learned the intricacies of soccer largely because their sons, Isaiah, 19, and Josiah, 17, love those sports. Matches and games became fodder for conversations, reasons for family outings and opportunities for togetherness.
Their shared fandom became a bridge across the widening distance that often separates parents from adolescents. It is something that the Fredericks understood intuitively, and it helped them stay connected to their sons.
“I think sometimes we as fathers overestimate the monetary part of what we bring and underestimate the value of just our presence,” says Fredericks, who credits his stepfather for changing the trajectory of his life by marrying his mother.
Melissa reported that when Josiah decided to play volleyball during his senior year of high school, she made it her business to learn the sport. She followed volleyball players on social media, read about the game and attended his matches. It was part of the Fredericks’ parenting style, a way to prevent their children from disconnecting.
“When I tell you we had a blast, it was so much fun,” she says. “I feel like as a parent, it’s actually our job to be part of their world and not always bring them into ours.”
Growing up as Army kids in Tacoma, Wash., Kevin and Melissa were passionate wrestling fans. Ultimate Warrior, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock were among their favorites. But over time, life and adult responsibilities intervened.
With upcoming projects involving WWE and streaming platform Tubi on deck, KevOnStage is set to expand his reach. Chris McEniry for ESPN”We just fell off after the Attitude Era,” Kevin says, referring to an especially competitive period in the late ’90s for wrestling.Their interest was rekindled seven years ago, when Isaiah asked to attend WWE’s Survivor Series when it came to Los Angeles.”As a family, it’s very important to me and my wife that we do family experiences together. So we bought tickets,” he says. “We went, and me and my wife were amazed at how quickly we snapped back into being 8 years old. After that, we were immediately hooked.”The experiences that shape Fredericks’ family life also fuel much of his comedy.His work often feels less like performance than recognition, a nod to audiences who see their own lives reflected in his stories. It is a far cry from the hard-edged comedy often associated with standup legends such as Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Katt Williams. Fredericks, whose fans first found him through sketches and standup clips he relentlessly posted on social media, comes across as an everyday husband and father navigating the same joys and frustrations as his audience.That relatability has become increasingly resonant as fatherhood has evolved. Compared with previous generations, fathers are generally more involved in day-to-day parenting, more likely to share domestic responsibilities and more inclined to build emotionally open relationships with their children. Yet, they face a challenge familiar to parents of every era — finding ways to stay connected as their children grow more independent.Today, that task is complicated by smartphones, social media and other digital distractions that can pull children deeper into their screens.Consequently, many parents, educators and mental health experts are worried about young people, particularly young men. Researchers have documented rising levels of loneliness and social isolation, along with the erosion of many of the institutions and relationships that once connected young men to their community.Fredericks does not pretend to be a social scientist or to have a sweeping solution to offer. But through sports, comedy and a willingness to meet his sons where they are, he has found a common language that keeps the conversation going and forges connection.”We want to give our kids the world, but sometimes, we got to realize we are their world. So just the time spent with them is immensely valuable,” he says. “I never really want to lose sight of that.”IN 2023, THEN Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a stark warning about what he called an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Young men increasingly stated having no romantic relationships or even close friendships.Top: Fredericks and wife, Melissa, pose in a ring at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, in June. Bottom: Family trip with their sons Josiah, far left, and Isaiah at WWE “Raw” on Jan. 6, 2025. Chris McEniry for ESPN, Courtesy Fredericks FamilyA 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that men are less likely to turn to their networks for social connection and emotional support. Another report in the landmark 2021 American Community Life Survey found that 15% of men report having no close friends, a five-fold increase over the previous three decades.Researchers have also found that women experience increased levels of isolation, too, but not as intensely as men. Some scholars say that it is because women are more comfortable being vulnerable and seeking emotional support from their friends.Murthy argues that social connection is just as essential as exercise, nutrition and sleep, and warns that chronic loneliness carries health risks comparable to smoking.Dr. Niobe Way, a developmental psychologist at New York University who has spent nearly 40 years studying how boys form and maintain friendships, reported the issue is not that young men lack the capacity for deep connection. Rather, she has found that many boys are raised in environments where emotional openness is discouraged and vulnerability is viewed as weakness.”That hurts men and it makes them lonely,” Way says. “[In extreme cases] it makes them suicidal. And it makes them, in some cases, violent. And it makes them make bad choices in terms of who they hang out with, right?As traditional sources of connection have weakened, Way reported, relatively few institutions remain that consistently foster close bonds among young men outside of settings such as sports or the military. The consequences can extend far beyond loneliness. Research has linked social isolation among men to lower rates of community engagement, greater difficulty forming lasting relationships and increased risks of depression.For the Fredericks family, sports are among their most important connective tissues. Living in Los Angeles, they attend Lakers and Sparks games and already have tickets for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Josiah’s interest in soccer led them to Spain to watch Real Madrid play. They also regularly attend WWE events, including WrestleMania, “Raw” and “SmackDown.””Anything that all four of us can enjoy together is something we’re going to invest time in,” Fredericks says. “We all know when Roman Reigns comes out, or Bianca Belair or Naomi, we like to cheer and boo. We know it’s scripted, but you suspend belief the way you do for a movie or television show. You still enjoy it.”
That is one reason Fredericks jumped at the chance when his streaming partner, Tubi, invited him to make cameo appearances in three episodes of “WWE Evolve.” Though only a small part of WWE’s entertainment empire, “Evolve” serves as a developmental brand where wrestlers hone their characters and skills in hopes of advancing to the company’s better-known properties, including “Raw,” “SmackDown” and “NXT.” The show streams on Tubi and is also available through WWE’s YouTube channel, which has 113 million subscribers, making it one of the biggest in the world.
Beyond earning points with his sons, appearing on “Evolve” put Fredericks alongside aspiring wrestlers whose professional journeys remind him of his own early years trying to gain traction in the entertainment industry.
“When ‘WWE Evolve’ asked me if I wanted to be a part of it, I was like, ‘Yeah,'” he says. “At that point, anything my kids think is cool is cool. As a person who kind of built himself up from nothing, I love the idea that somebody I work with at ‘Evolve’ will eventually be on the main roster at WrestleMania.”
Built organically and true to his values as a family man, Fredericks’ star has gotten brighter every year and shows no signs of cooling off. Erika Goldring/Getty ImagesWWE officials reported Fredericks’ large social media following and longtime love of wrestling made him a natural fit for the show. For Tubi, the appearance also served as cross-promotion. The company streams “Evolve” and earlier this month, expanded its relationship with Fredericks through a multiyear, multi-project deal.He and Melissa spent parts of two days at the WWE Performance Center, and got an up-close look at the operation, from its training rings and weight room to the studio where “Evolve” is taped.The segments involving Fredericks were brief. In one, Fredericks sits ringside on a white couch and springs to his feet when the announcer asks how it feels to be a guest general manager. “I am so ready. This is like a dream come true,” Fredericks says. “I’m a huge WWE fan.”The wrestler, Gal Barkay, better known as It’s GAL, soon interrupts him and brags about his toned biceps. But he bites off more than he expected. Almost immediately, he is in over his head as Fredericks sets him up to fight the imposing Cutler James.”Next week. Let’s do it!” Fredericks declares.While he was there, at least one performer recognized him. The wrestler whose ring name is Masyn Holiday was excited to see him after following him on TikTok. “This guy is hilarious,” says Holiday, a former track athlete at Howard University who recently left WWE. “He feels familiar, he feels authentic. It is not just something where he’s trying to be funny. It is just him being himself, and he just happens to be funny. I just love stuff like that.”Fredericks’ sons did not make the trip, but they were thrilled that their father was taping the show.”It was awesome. It should have been me,” Isaiah says. “I should have gone. It looked so dope. Oh, I was so jealous.”Isaiah’s favorite WWE stars are CM Punk, Seth Rollins and Bianca Belair. Josiah counts Rollins among his favorites as well.
Though both sons enjoy wrestling, they are also into other sports. Isaiah is a huge Lakers fan, and his knowledge of NBA history astounds his mother. “So my oldest son knows the — I don’t know the right phrasing — the championship winners of the NBA from like 1983 to today,” Melissa says. “That’s crazy to me. Why does he know that?”
Josiah’s love of soccer, meanwhile, prompted his parents to learn about the sport. “I didn’t know anything about soccer,” Melissa says. “We do now. I’m aware of soccer players, their names, their positions. I don’t know all the details. However, Kev literally became a soccer fan. Manchester United.”
The Fredericks also have a shared interest in show business. Isaiah landed the role of Buckwheat Thomas in the 2014 film “The Little Rascals Save the Day” when he was 6 years old. Josiah also picked up acting credits as a child, appearing in family productions and online series.
Both sons say they want to go into the business. Josiah, who recently graduated from high school, says he can imagine himself acting. Isaiah, who is studying production management, is drawn to working behind the camera. He already has a company called After Party TV that shoots social media sketches. “I feel like I’ve naturally come to producing, and I feel like that is a skill I can implement in the family business,” he says.
FREDERICKS’ RISE TO stardom came at a time when the rules for becoming a successful comic were changing. For decades, the traditional route ran through comedy clubs, television showcases and the hope that the right executive might offer a sitcom or development deal. The internet changed that equation, allowing comics to build audiences long before Hollywood comes calling.
Fredericks figured out early on how to take advantage of that shift. Long before he was selling out theaters, he was a newly minted college graduate working office jobs, first at a bank, then at Boeing. It was steady, good-paying work, but it bored him. Now, he admits, he used to spend much of his workday studying social media best practices.
“When I was working at the Boeing Company. Shout out to them. I should have been working, but I was researching all the content creators, what made them great,” Fredericks says.
Top: Fredericks during The Bald Brothers Tour in Washington, D.C. at the Warner Theatre on Aug. 11, 2023.Bottom: (L-R) Fredericks, singer BJ the Chicago Kid and comedian Tony Baker during a recent Bald Brothers episode taping. Courtesy Joshua GonzalesHe was always drawn to the spotlight since he was a child performing in church skits, and he enjoyed being on stage. He became a Thursday night regular at Nate Jackson’s Super Funny Comedy Club in Tacoma. It was the kind of spot where a performer knew immediately if a joke did not land. The experience sharpened Fredericks’s instincts and reinforced a lesson that would shape his career: Audiences respond to material that feels authentic.It was at Nate’s that he met fellow comedian Tony Baker. The two quickly formed a friendship and creative partnership built on a similar sensibility and work ethic. Years later, after Fredericks moved to Los Angeles, he brought Baker into projects he was developing through the digital media company All Def. They collaborated on sketches and helped each other navigate the uncertainty that comes with pursuing a career on stage.”He is really great at building a community and surrounding himself with other talented people,” Baker says of Fredericks. “He is very unselfish. He is like a point guard when it comes to comedy. He’ll distribute the jokes to other comedians.”The pair eventually became the Bald Brothers, a touring comedy act that sells out venues across the country. Today, the act has evolved into a streaming show that still feels less like a performance than a conversation between close friends.Fredericks’ approach to business looks very different from previous generations of comedy stars. He built an online audience first and then fans flocked to his content, and he now has a follower count of roughly 10 million people. More importantly, many stayed with him as his content expanded from social media platforms to streaming outlets, a feat that has eluded countless other digital creators with even larger audiences.That loyalty translated into real economic power, allowing Fredericks to expand beyond his live shows and build a growing entertainment company largely on his own terms.”He created this career by just starting out on his own, posting short clips on social media, and he’s turned it into a full-fledged KevOnStage studio,” says Richard Bloom, executive vice president for business development at Tubi. “He’s really taken control of his destiny. He didn’t wait for someone to discover him and give him an opportunity. He made his own opportunity.”His collaboration with Tubi is what the streaming giant describes as its most expansive creator partnership to date. The deal includes two additional seasons of “Safe Space,” a scripted comedy in which Fredericks plays an underqualified relationship therapist. It also includes “The Airport,” a workplace comedy centered on the ill-equipped staff at the country’s most dysfunctional airport, two feature films and Grief Sucks, a standup special inspired by the death of his older brother, Jason, in 2022.”It is a way to honor my brother,” Fredericks says of incorporating the loss into his comedy. “If I painted portraits, there’s no way I wouldn’t paint a portrait of my brother if he passed away. If I was a poet, I’d write a poem. But as a comedian, I honor him that way.”Fredericks views the Tubi deal as the next step in a career that is rapidly accelerating. His long-term ambition is to become a mogul capable of greenlighting projects and opening doors for other creators, particularly Black creators.Even with all his success, Fredericks insists that family remains the center of his world. His wife is also his business partner, and he works with both of his sons.It is a commitment that colleagues say distinguishes Fredericks from many others.”I’ve been so blessed to see the way Kev loves his wife Melissa, seeing the way that Kev loves Isaiah and JoJo [Josiah], seeing how he manages his upward trajectory and his success and always has balance and prioritizes his family,” says Richard Washington, head of TV and film for KevOnStage Studios.Washington reported Fredericks’ example indirectly helped him repair his relationship with his father. The two had not spoken for three years. But watching Fredericks’ devotion to family softened his perspective. Washington and his father now work out together three days a week and, he reported, the relationship is now on the mend.”I actually think that is in part because of Kev, indirectly but very directly,” Washington says.Isaiah and Josiah also praise their parents for remaining grounded even as success has come their way.”I’m most proud of the fact that they’ve made a successful family business from scratch,” Isaiah says. “It was completely them two. They made content, starting with my dad and then my mom, and people connected to it so much that they’ve made a living off of it.”Josiah reported he feels fortunate that his parents have remained unchanged by their growing fame.”They are just regular, good people that happen to be famous,” he says.
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