Reggie (wrestler) explained

Reggie
Birth Name:Sidney Iking Bateman
Birth Date:March 13, 1993
Birth Place:Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Children:2
Ring Names:Akeem Young[1]
Reggie
Reginald
Reginald Thomas
Sidney Akeem
Scrypts
Billed:France
St. Louis, Missouri
Trainer:WWE Performance Center
Debut:2020

Sidney Iking Bateman (born March 13, 1993) is an American professional wrestler and former acrobat. He is currently performing on the independent circuit under the ring name Sidney Akeem. He is known for his time in WWE, where he worked with the ring name Reginald Thomas (which later shortened to Reginald and Reggie) and Scrypts (stylized as SCRYPTS).

Bateman signed with WWE in 2020 and began appearing on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Reginald Thomas, which was soon shortened to Reginald, a French sommelier. He later dropped the sommelier gimmick and his name was changed to Reggie. While on WWE's main roster, he became a four-time WWE 24/7 Champion—his 112-day first reign was the longest reign for the now-defunct title. After taking a hiatus in mid-2022, he returned in November under a mysterious gimmick of Scrypts in WWE's developmental brand NXT.

Early life

Sidney Iking Bateman[2] was born one of eight siblings in Memphis, Tennessee on March 13, 1993 - but was raised in St. Louis, Missouri.[3] He played football and basketball with circus as a side hobby, but gave those up when, at the age of 16, he joined a gang called the Crips from the 50 Hundred GST (Geraldine Street Thugs). During his junior year in high school, one of his friends was shot to death by a member of a rival gang, leading to Bateman to quit living a gang life and go back to focusing on his circus aspirations.

Professional wrestling career

WWE (2020–2024)

Initial run and 24/7 Champion (2020–2022)

On January 14, 2020, Bateman signed a contract with WWE.[4] On the December 11 episode of SmackDown, Bateman, under the ring name Reginald Thomas, soon after shortened to Reginald, debuted as the French sommelier of Carmella, where he would assist her throughout her feud with Sasha Banks.[5] [6] On the January 22, 2021, episode, Reginald made his in-ring debut in an intergender match, facing Banks in a losing effort.[7] His relationship with Carmella ended on the March 5 episode when she fired him.[8] After a short alliance with Banks,[9] Reginald then managed the team of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler from March to July,[10] but the team turned on him on the July 19 episode of Raw.[11] Later that night, he won the WWE 24/7 Championship when he pinned Akira Tozawa, marking his first title win in WWE.[12]

On the July 30 episode of SmackDown, his ring name was shortened to Reggie.[13] Along with shortening his name, he also dropped his French accent, stating he was not actually French and had only acted like he was because Carmella needed a sommelier and it got his foot in the door to becoming a wrestler for the company.[13] On September 25, 2021, he became the longest reigning 24/7 Champion.[14] On the November 8 episode of Raw, Reggie lost the 24/7 Championship to Drake Maverick, ending his reign at 112 days; however, he regained the title back from Maverick a minute later following a series of title changes.[15] On the November 22 episode, Reggie lost the title to Cedric Alexander, ending his second reign at 12 days.[16]

After losing the title, Reggie then helped Dana Brooke retain the title for a few months, then asked her out on Valentine's Day 2022, though she turned him down. He pinned Brooke in revenge to win the title for the third time. A week later, Reggie lost the title back to Brooke after he laid down in the ring despite kicking out of a two-count twice, as well as playing mind games. They later began dating, with Reggie once again helping her retain the title. On March 28, they got (kayfabe) engaged. On the April 18 episode of Raw, during their wedding, Reggie pinned his partner to win his fourth 24/7 title, losing to Tamina shortly after.[17] On May 2, Brooke lost the 24/7 title to Nikki A.S.H. during a backstage attack. Brooke soon regained the title via pinfall in a 24/7 Championship match. Brooke also requested a divorce from Reggie, after he attempted to pin her.[18] This was his last appearance before taking a hiatus.

Move to NXT (2022–2024)

In late October, mysterious vignettes began airing on NXT that were done by a person under the alias Scrypts, a seemingly rebellious character who claimed to have unparalleled skills and would bring down NXT.[19] More vignettes aired over the next few weeks and on the November 22 episode of NXT, Reggie debuted for the brand as the mysterious Scrypts, defeating Guru Raaj, changing his ring name and gimmick in the process.[20] During his time in NXT, he had feuds with Ikemen Jiro[21] [22] and Axiom.[23] After being unmasked by Axiom on the May 2 episode of NXT,[24] he turned face and began to work with Axiom as a tag team. On the July 18 episode of NXT, Scrypts turned on Axiom and aligned himself with Bronco Nima and Lucien Price, turning heel and creating the stable Out The Mud (O.T.M.).[25] On May 1, 2024, it was announced that Bateman's WWE contract would expire on June 1.[26]

Independent circuit (2024–present)

On May 21, 2024, it was announced that Bateman, now going by Sidney Akeem, would make his debut for Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) on June 15.[27]

Personal life

Bateman is a father of two. He used to perform in the circus, notably for Cirque du Soleil, training at Circus Harmony for 7 years and in Montreal for another 3.[2]

Championships and accomplishments

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Reginald . Cagematch. July 31, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210720090715/https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=23093 . July 20, 2021. Alter egos: Akeem Young..
  2. News: Russell . Aprylete . Former Circus Harmony performer makes debut on WWE . July 31, 2021 . . February 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210206025238/https://fox2now.com/news/former-circus-harmony-performer-makes-debut-on-wwe/ . February 6, 2021 . . en-US . Sidney Iking Bateman, who is from St. Louis, wrestled alongside Sasha Banks on WWE Smackdown on January 22..
  3. Web site: August 22, 2017. Sidney Iking Bateman profile. November 16, 2021. Midnight Circus.
  4. Web site: Melok. Bobby. Mercedes Martinez, Jake Atlas and more report to WWE Performance Center. July 31, 2021. WWE. January 14, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200115050642/https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/article/mercedes-martinez-jake-atlas-wwe-performance-center. January 15, 2020. live. Sidney Bateman is a 27-year-old acrobat from St. Louis, Mo. Bateman was a cast member for Cirque du Soleil's "LUZIA" show, where he specialized in hoop diving..
  5. Web site: Burdick. Michael. SmackDown results, Dec. 11, 2020: Carmella bottles up her aggression on Sasha Banks in brutal title showdown. 31 July 2021. WWE. December 10, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20210303121801/https://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2020-12-11. March 3, 2021. Carmella "borrowed" the document and had the signed version delivered to the ring via a sommelier..
  6. Web site: Jordan. Paul. Identity of Carmella's Associate and More WWE News & Notes. July 31, 2021. PWInsider. December 12, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731163623/https://www.pwinsider.com/article/142145/identity-of-carmellas-associate-and-more-wwe-news-notes.html. July 31, 2021. live.
  7. Web site: Nemer. Roy. WWE SmackDown Results – 1/22/21 (Intercontinental Championship match, Roman Reigns, more). July 31, 2021. Wrestleview. January 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210128211237/https://www.wrestleview.com/featured/183445-wwe-smackdown-results-1-22-21-intercontinental-championship-match-roman-reigns-more/. January 28, 2021. live. Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida. Reginald gets back in the ring and Sasha goes for the Backstabber but Reginald lands on his feet. Sasha with the double knees. Sasha with the Banks Statement as Reginald taps out..
  8. WWE . 1368014461777371141 . UH OH! @CarmellaWWE just fired @ReginaldWWE on #SmackDown!. March 6, 2021 . July 31, 2021 . en .
  9. Web site: Reginald profile. November 16, 2021. Online World of Wrestling.
  10. Web site: Reggie bio. dead. November 16, 2021. WWE. July 31, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731051527/https://www.wwe.com/superstars/reggie.
  11. Web site: Powell. Jason. July 19, 2021. 7/19 WWE Raw Results: Powell's live review of John Cena's show opening segment, fans return, Charlotte Flair coronation, Symphony of Destruction match, six-man tag match, the Money in the Bank fallout edition. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. July 31, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210722020125/https://prowrestling.net/site/2021/07/19/7-19-wwe-raw-results-powells-live-review-of-john-cenas-show-opening-segment-fans-return-charlotte-flair-coronation-symphony-of-destruction-match-six-man-tag-match-the-money-in-the-bank-fallo/. July 22, 2021. live.
  12. Web site: WWE.com Staff. Raw results, July 19, 2021: Nikki A.S.H. becomes new Raw Women's Champion to cap off wild night of surprises. July 31, 2021. WWE. July 19, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731173636/https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2021-07-19/article. July 31, 2021. live. Following the bout, Jax & Baszler both seemed to dump Reginald, but a sudden appearance by Akira Tozawa on the run from potential 24/7 Title challengers led to a staredown with Reggie. The end result? Reginald is your new 24/7 Champion!.
  13. Web site: Wilen. Jerome. July 31, 2021. WWE Superstar Reginald gets a new name and drops his French accent. Wrestleview. July 31, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20220524050432/https://www.wrestleview.com/wwe-news/195910-wwe-superstar-reginald-gets-a-new-name-and-drops-his-french-accent/. May 24, 2022. live.
  14. Web site: Defelice. Robert. September 27, 2021. Reggie Is Now The Longest Reigning WWE 24/7 Champion In History. November 16, 2021. Fightful. https://web.archive.org/web/20211116211155/https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/reggie-now-longest-reigning-wwe-247-champion-history. November 16, 2021. live.
  15. Web site: Lafferriere. Nicolas. Reggie pierde y recupera el Campeonato 24/7 de WWE en Monday Night RAW . Solowrestling.com. November 9, 2021. Solowrestling. November 9, 2021.
  16. Web site: Powell. Jason. November 22, 2021. 11/22 WWE Raw Results: Powell's live review of the Vince McMahon Cleopatra Egg whodunnit, Bobby Lahsley vs. Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio in a handicap match, Rhea Ripley and Nikki ASH vs. Queen Zelina and Carmella for the WWE Women's Tag Titles. November 23, 2021. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. https://web.archive.org/web/20221128191016/https://prowrestling.net/site/2021/11/22/11-22-wwe-raw-results-powells-live-review-of-the-vince-mcmahon-cleopatra-egg-whodunnit-bobby-lahsley-vs-rey-mysterio-and-dominik-mysterio-in-a-handicap-match-rhea-ripley-and-nikki-ash-vs-queen/. November 28, 2022. live.
  17. Web site: April 19, 2022. WWE 24/7 Title Changes Hands Several Times During Double Wedding . April 19, 2022. Wrestlezone.
  18. Web site: McGeorge. Alistair. WWE Raw: Dana Brooke demands divorce from Reggie just two weeks after wedding. Metro. DMG Media. May 3, 2022. May 3, 2022.
  19. Web site: Vignette airs for new 'Scrypts' character on WWE NXT. October 25, 2022. Rose. Bryan. Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. November 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221123040236/https://www.f4wonline.com/news/nxt/vignette-airs-for-new-scrypts-character-on-wwe-nxt. November 23, 2022. live.
  20. Web site: Reggie Makes WWE TV Return on NXT As SCRYPTS. November 22, 2022. Thomas. Jeremy. 411Mania. November 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221123060241/https://411mania.com/wrestling/reggie-makes-wwe-tv-return-on-nxt-as-scrypts/. November 23, 2022. live.
  21. Web site: 12/13 NXT TV results: Moore's review of the NXT Deadline fallout edition with new NXT Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne vs. Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley, Von Wagner vs. Odyssey Jones, Lyra Valkyria debuts. Moore. John. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. December 13, 2022. February 15, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20221222012026/https://prowrestling.net/site/2022/12/13/12-13-nxt-tv-results-moores-review-of-the-nxt-deadline-fallout-edition-with-new-nxt-tag-team-champions-kofi-kingston-and-xavier-woods-gigi-dolin-and-jacy-jayne-vs-ivy-nile-and-tatum-paxley-von-w/. December 22, 2022. live.
  22. Web site: 12/27 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Wes Lee vs. Tony D'Angelo for the NXT North American Championship, Julius Creed vs. JD McDonagh, Fallon Henley vs. Kiana James in the Battle for the Bar, Lyra Valkyria vs. Lash Legend, Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler, and Jagger Reid vs. Odyssey Jones, Edris Enofe, and Malik Blade, Wendy Choo vs. Cora Jade, Scrypts vs. Ikemen Jiro. Moore. John. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. December 27, 2022. February 15, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230116211632/https://prowrestling.net/site/2022/12/27/12-27-nxt-tv-results-moores-review-of-wes-lee-vs-tony-dangelo-for-the-nxt-north-american-championship-julius-creed-vs-jd-mcdonagh-fallon-henley-vs-kiana-james-in-the-battle-for-t/. January 16, 2023. live.
  23. Web site: 2/10 NXT Level Up results: O'Connor's review of Axiom vs. Scrypts, Lash Legend vs. Dani Palmer, and Kale Dixon vs. Tank Ledger. O'Connor. John. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. February 11, 2023. March 27, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320061521/https://prowrestling.net/site/2023/02/11/2-10-nxt-level-up-results-oconnors-review-of-axiom-vs-scrypts-lash-legend-vs-dani-palmer-and-kale-dixon-vs-tank-ledger/. March 20, 2023. live.
  24. Web site: 5/2 NXT TV results: Moore's review of Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn vs. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance for the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles, Wes Lee vs. Drew Gulak for the NXT North American Title, Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh, Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne, Joe Gacy vs. Joe Coffey, Axiom vs. Scrypts, Dani Palmer's debut. Moore. John. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. May 2, 2023. May 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230505025632/https://prowrestling.net/site/2023/05/02/5-2-nxt-tv-results-moores-review-of-alba-fyre-and-isla-dawn-vs-kayden-carter-and-katana-chance-for-the-nxt-womens-tag-team-titles-wes-lee-vs-drew-gulak-for-the-nxt-north-american-title-dragon/. May 5, 2023. live.
  25. Web site: Middleton . Marc . 2023-07-18 . WWE NXT Results 7/18/2023 . 2024-05-28 . Wrestling Headlines . en-US.
  26. Web site: WWE Wrestler Scrypts set to depart as contract nears expiry . The Times of India . May 10, 2024 . en-US . May 1, 2024.
  27. Web site: 411MANIA . 2024-05-21 . Sidney Akeem Set to Make His GCW Debut Next Month . en-US.
  28. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2022. September 15, 2022. The Internet Wrestling Database.
  29. Web site: Full 2022 PWI 500 list revealed. September 14, 2015. September 15, 2015. Patrick. Ross. AIPT Comics. https://web.archive.org/web/20220915032529/https://aiptcomics.com/2022/09/14/full-2022-pwi-500-list-revealed/. September 15, 2022. live.
  30. Web site: WWE 24/7 Championship. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). July 21, 2021.