AEW’s Rebel Heart Dynamite was built around showing love to Tanae “Rebel” Brooks, and that support extended well beyond what fans saw on television. A huge group of familiar wrestling names were backstage in Athens, Georgia, with several making the trip specifically to be there for Rebel.
According to PWInsider, Killer Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, Gail Kim, Christy Hemme and Dasha Gonzalez were among those backstage for the September 9 episode of Dynamite. The Hex members Allysin Kay and Marti Belle were also at the Akins Ford Arena. The report noted that there was a “huge group” of wrestlers at the show, with a number of them attending specifically to show their love and support for Rebel.
“There was a huge group of visitors at last night’s AEW Dynamite in Rome, GA, including MLW Champion Killer Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, TNA Hall of Famer Gail Kim. Christy Hemme and former AEW announcer Dasha Gonzalez, as well as a large group of family and friends of Tanea “Rebel” Brooks. We are told quite a number of people came to the show specifically to show their love and support for Brooks and be there for the Dynamite event that honored her.”
Rebel herself was part of the night rather than simply watching from backstage. She reunited with Britt Baker during a Waiting Room segment before later getting involved in the six-woman tag team match featuring Baker, Persephone and Hikaru Shida against Thunder Rosa, Maya World and Hyan.
During the closing moments, Rebel passed Baker her glove before Baker locked Hyan in the Lockjaw to secure the victory. It gave Rebel another moment alongside Baker, someone she spent considerable time with during her AEW run.
The entire episode carried much greater meaning following Rebel’s terminal ALS diagnosis earlier this year. She has since been helping raise money for ALS research, including through an ice bucket challenge over the past several months.
The television audience saw AEW give Rebel her flowers throughout Dynamite, but the scene backstage showed how far that support stretched across wrestling. With names from different companies and different stages of Rebel’s career making their way to Athens specifically for her, Rebel Heart became much bigger than another special episode of Dynamite.
What was your favorite moment from AEW’s Rebel Heart Dynamite tribute to Tanae Brooks? Let us know in the comments.
