WWE's Kevin Owens Pays Tribute To AEW's Rebel

By Eric Mutter
Kevin Owens cuts a promo Wwe/Getty Images

After over a year away dealing with a neck injury that left many wondering whether he'd wrestle again, Kevin Owens returned to WWE at SummerSlam and pulled out a huge win, defeating Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, and GUNTHER to become #1 contender for the Undisputed WWE Championship. At the SummerSlam post-show, Owens was full of energy over the win, and quick to thank everyone who helped him on his long road to recovery. It was then he surprised everyone by paying tribute to AEW's Rebel, whose current battle with ALS had served as motivation for Owens to keep going with his own health struggles.

"Things were tough, and when things weren't looking great, I would look around me at what could help me get through the tough times," Owens said. "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. And I looked at her and what she was going through, and the way she powered through it, and it was truly inspirational."

Owens' mentioning Rebel despite the fact that she worked for a rival company was seen as touching by many, including Rebel herself. On Monday morning, the AEW star took to X to thank Owens for his kind words, and offered some of her own, telling Owens she was "proud of your return and you fighting through it to get there." She told Owens to "never stop giving your everything," and echoed his thoughts on how things could be taken away in a split second.

Comments

Recommended