All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is set to host a special "Dynamite" episode titled "Rebel Heart" on Wednesday to benefit professional wrestler Tanea Brooks, known as Rebel, who is currently battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
The "Rebel Heart" event will emanate from the Akins Ford Arena in Athens, Georgia. Support for Brooks has been widespread across the wrestling community since she announced her diagnosis in May.
AEW and Ring of Honor (ROH) owner Tony Khan stated that the "Rebel Heart" show aims to raise money to combat ALS. "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. AEW ‘Rebel Heart’ next month is going to be raising money to fight ALS and it’s in honor of Rebel."
Khan emphasized Brooks' importance to the AEW family, adding, "We all care for her very much and she’s very much a part of the AEW family. 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."
Brooks publicly shared her ALS diagnosis on May 1, explaining in a video that doctors had informed her it was terminal. She noted that limited research exists for ALS and that she was experiencing difficulties with walking and talking, with all functions expected to decline over time. "But now we can prepare for the future and what is to come. And I want to say thank you," she stated.
Brooks originally joined AEW in 2019, initially working in backstage and styling capacities before transitioning to on-screen appearances in 2020. She initially served as Britt Baker's personal makeup artist and had a few matches before an injury sidelined her.
Brooks' career in professional wrestling began with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2013. She also made appearances for Ohio Valley Wrestling, Stardom, and briefly in WWE.
The "Rebel Heart" card features several high-profile matches, including an AEW World Championship elimination match between Will Ospreay and David Finlay. Darby Allin and Steven Borden are scheduled to face Mark Davis and Josh Alexander in a tag team bout. The AEW World Trios Championship will be contested by Swerve Strickland, Kofi, and Austin Creed against Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reily, and Roderick Strong. A women's trios match is set between Maya World, Hyan, and Thunder Rosa, and Persephone, Baker, and Hikaru Shida. The Young Bucks will compete against Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight in a tables match.
Brooks is also expected to make an appearance on the show for a segment titled "The Waiting Room" with Britt Baker. Persephone and Shida are also slated to be featured.