Tanea Brooks, known to wrestling fans as Rebel, has been diagnosed with terminal ALS. She publicly shared her diagnosis and asked people to pray for a peaceful journey and a peaceful passing.
Brooks took time to thank AEW and company president Tony Khan for the support she has received throughout her medical journey. That kind of acknowledgment means something, especially when someone is going through the hardest thing imaginable.
AEW made sure to show up for her publicly too. During the May 2nd episode of Collision, the company sent a message of support to Rebel on air.
Rebel worked in AEW for years, most recognizable for her time alongside Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. She was a fixture on Dynamite during one of the most over heel runs in the company’s early history. Fans who watched that era know exactly how much she brought to that role.
ALS is a devastating diagnosis under any circumstances. Terminal ALS means there is no road back, and Brooks is facing that reality with what sounds like incredible grace. Asking for prayers for a peaceful passing takes a kind of courage most of us will never have to find.
The wrestling community has already started rallying around her. That’s one of the things this world actually gets right sometimes — when one of their own is hurting, people show up.
Tanea Brooks gave a lot to this business. She showed up, did the work, made Britt Baker’s run even bigger than it already was, and never got nearly enough credit for it. The behind-the-scenes contributions and the ringside presence she brought were real parts of what made that era click.
Right now none of that is the point. The point is that she’s dealing with something no one should have to face, and both AEW and the broader wrestling community are standing behind her.
If you want to keep Tanea Brooks in your thoughts, now is the time. She asked for prayers for peace, and that’s the least anyone can give her.
