AEW hosts special Dynamite 'Rebel Heart' for ALS fighter

All Elite Wrestling is putting together a special edition of Dynamite this Wednesday night. The goal is simple but urgent: help Tanea Brooks, known to fans as Rebel, who is fighting ALS.

This event will be called "Rebel Heart." It takes place at the Akins Ford Arena in Athens, Georgia. Since Brooks first told the world about her diagnosis back in May, the entire pro wrestling community has rallied around her. Wrestlers from every major promotion have sold T-shirts promoting the cause and taken part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to bring money and awareness to this terrible disease.

Tony Khan owns both AEW and Ring of Honor. He spoke about the upcoming show in August following ROH's Death Before Dishonor event in Philadelphia.

"Rebel's been a great friend to all of us and a great part of AEW from the very beginning," Khan said. "We haven't seen Rebel on AEW TV in a long time but it's going to be great to have an episode of AEW TV dedicated to Rebel, fighting this terrible disease, ALS."

He continued with clear emotion about what is at stake. "AEW 'Rebel Heart' next month is going to be raising money to fight ALS and it's in honor of Rebel."

"We all care for her very much and she's very much a part of the AEW family," he added. "Even though she's not on TV every week, you can believe everyone's got Rebel in their hearts and we'll be thinking about Rebel every week."

The timeline of this fight is heartbreaking but clear. Brooks announced her diagnosis on May 1. In a video message that day, she laid out the hard facts for anyone willing to listen.

"The doctors have diagnosed me with terminal ALS," she said. "There is not a lot of research behind ALS, and we don't know how long I have."

She explained what the disease has done to her body. "But it explains why I have trouble walking and talking, and all my functions will soon decline."

Yet there remains a resolve to face the future head-on. "But now we can prepare for the future and what is to come. And I want to say thank you."

Brooks joined AEW in 2019. She started behind the scenes as part of the backstage crew before stepping into the ring on screen in 2020. Her first major role involved working with Britt Baker, where she served as a personal makeup artist. She wrestled in a few matches before an injury sidelined her.

Her roots go deeper than AEW. She got started in professional wrestling with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling back in 2013. Over the years, she made appearances for Ohio Valley Wrestling, Stardom, and briefly worked inside WWE.

The card for "Rebel Heart" features some of the biggest names in the business. Will Ospreay will face David Finlay in an AEW World Championship elimination match. Darby Allin and Steven Borden will team up against Mark Davis and Josh Alexander in a tag bout. The AEW World Trios Championship hangs in the balance as Swerve Strickland, Kofi, and Austin Creed take on Orange Cassidy, Kyle O'Reily, and Roderick Strong.

A women's trios match is also set for action between Maya World, Hyan, and Thunder Rosa against Persephone, Baker, and Hikaru Shida. The Young Bucks will go after Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight in a tables match.

Brooks is expected to appear on the show alongside Baker during a segment called "The Waiting Room." Fans can also expect to see Persephone and Shida featured prominently throughout the broadcast.