Sidney Akeem, formerly known as Reggie and Scrypts during his WWE tenure, is set to compete in a tag team match at Awesome Championship Wrestling's (ACW) Indypendence Day event this Saturday. Akeem will be wrestling under his new persona, Soleil, teaming with Dante Casanova to face the tag team known as The Righteous.
This marks Akeem's first appearance at ACW since 2025, where he previously competed against Casanova and AJZ. He expressed excitement about the opportunity to face The Righteous, a duo he noted has gained prominence, particularly in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
"I'm not going to say there's any nerves. I've been in the ring with a lot of great talent in my career," Akeem told Fox News Digital. "This is the first time I get to tangle with The Righteous and I'm excited... getting to share the stage in the ring with them is going to be fun."
Akeem stated that his partnership with Casanova came together unexpectedly, but he believes both wrestlers have proven their place in the wrestling world. "I think right now it's about making a statement. Making a statement and making an impact and hope this tag team division."
The character of Soleil is significant for Akeem, who has been developing it for approximately six years. He explained that he attempted to introduce the character during his time in WWE, but it did not materialize. He described Soleil as his "true self," a persona he feels he never fully embodied during his WWE career, where he also wrestled as Reggie and The Scrypts.
"Everyone knows Sidney Akeem, former WWE superstar Reggie, NXT star Scrypts, and you know I never quite found my footing of who I really am when I was in WWE and then when I got to the indies I had a great run as Sidney Akeem, but something was missing," he said. "And so, I've had this character Soleil. … I've been creating it for almost say six years and it never came together because it was just it wasn't the right time."
Akeem views the Soleil character as a representation of courage and breaking down barriers. "This mask is put on to show you who I really am. And it's Soleil, the dark sun who comes from the circus but now making his statemen, his footing in the wrestling world."
He aims for Soleil to be a symbol for children who may feel marginalized or different, encouraging them to embrace their individuality and "inner superhero."
"The wrestling world is big and you can try to target a certain group of people or you can try to target everyone. I found who I want to be a symbol for and it's so many kids around the world that not only look like me, but that go through or went through things that I went through in my life and let them know that it's OK to unlock your inner superhero," Akeem explained.
Regarding his tag team alliance, Akeem acknowledged that while he and Casanova are teaming up, he is focused on his own journey and cannot guarantee unwavering support for his partner in all circumstances, especially given the history of The Righteous with other wrestlers.
"I'm also on my own journey and I understand that Dante has now entered into my world, into my journey. We just have to see how the cards are dealt because I can't tell you right now that, yes, I will have this person's back or that person's back," Akeem stated. "We, regardless, of how confident we are, we have a tall task in front of us. The Righteous, they aren't walkovers."
The Indypendence Day event is scheduled to take place at the MJN Center in Poughkeepsie, New York.