Fried began wrestling in the 5th grade at the Longwood YMCA in Macedonia, Ohio, where a trio of coaches had a major impact on him: head coach Dave Mariola and assistants Bernie Weiskopf and Tim Rutherford.

[1] Despite being Jewish and living on Cleveland's east side, Fried attended St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, an all-boys catholic high school on the city's west side.

Fried finished his high school career as a 1988 and 1989 Asics Tiger 1st Team All-American, 1988 Asics Tiger National High School Wrestler of the Year, and 1989 Lee Kemp Award Winner.

Five of his six collegiate losses came at the hands of 1996 Olympic gold medalist and three-time NCAA champion Tom Brands from the University of Iowa.

In the 18 years old and under category, Fried placed 4th at World Championships in 1988, held in Wolfurt, Austria.

In 1993 Fried represented Team USA at the Senior level, winning the Gold Medal at the 1993 Pan American Championships.

After the passing of both his parents from inoperable and aggressive glioblastoma brain cancer, Fried moved back to Cleveland.

Alan passed the Ohio Bar Examination in 2005 and practiced law in Cleveland until mid-2007, when he relocated back in Chicago, Illinois to become a Futures Trader.

In 2005, he wrote a book with contributor Nicholas Rizzo M.D., The Arsenal: The Wrestler's Training Log ISBN 0-9748220-2-7.