Add as a preferred source on Google Kevin Owens made his long-awaited return at WWE SummerSlam on Sunday, and when he got to the post-show, he used part of his time to put the spotlight on someone outside the company.
Speaking on the SummerSlam Post Show, Owens brought up Tanea Brooks, known to wrestling fans as Rebel, who has been open about her battle with ALS.
Owens had just capped roughly 17 months on the shelf following neck surgery in 2025 by winning a Fatal 4-Way over Sami Zayn, Finn Bálor, and Gunther to become the new No. 1 contender to CM Punk’s Undisputed WWE Championship.
Here is what Owens said about Brooks.
“There’s somebody called Tanea Brooks, who’s known to wrestling fans as Rebel. She has not wrestled here, but some things are bigger than wrestling. She’s currently battling ALS, and the way she’s doing it is so incredible. I looked at her and what she was going through, and the way she powered through it, and it was truly inspirational.”
Brooks was never signed to WWE, though she did work an NXT match on 1/23/2019, teaming with Amber Nova in a loss to Kairi Sane and IYO SKY, who was still going by Io Shirai at the time. She is best known for her run in AEW.
Brooks went public with her diagnosis in May after a two-year medical journey to find the cause of her symptoms. She has documented her condition on social media since then and signed on as an ambassador for I AM ALS.
AEW recently announced Rebel Heart Dynamite for 9/9/2026 in Athens, Georgia. Rebel is advertised for a special appearance, and the company will make a donation to I AM ALS and Team Gleason. Rebel Heart T-shirts and wristbands are also available, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to both organizations.