Rebel Heart Tribute show: Waiting Room Match
In this special September 9th episode of AEW dynamite, we see everyone on the roster and the AEW fan base come together to celebrate and honor Rebel, who is in the fight of her life.
This episode AEW is bringing to light that fight that many have around the world against ALS. Including their very own Rebel. Rebel was in attendance to see this show dedicated to her that is also donating funds to research this disease.
Despite the seriousness of what Rebel is facing, she came and made an awesome appearance in the opening of this show to display her solidarity to her former faction leader Britt Baker who is competing in a trios match later on in the night.
Rebel still showed off that wonderful, cheeky personality that we all know and love.
Playing a bit with Britt and interacting with Baker’s team mates for the night, Hikaru Shida and Persephone.
It just goes to show that ALS is a bitch of an illness, but Rebel is going to fight all the way and still make sure to entertain us as fans. What a woman!!
So let’s get into this trios match:
We have on the babyface side, the team of Maya’s World, Hyan and Thunder Rosa. They all bring the excitement, enthusiasm and literal flames to this match.
The heel team in this matchup are Persephone, Hikaru Shida, and the returning Britt Baker.
Britt has been away from in ring action for nearly two years, so the eagerness to see how quickly Britt would adapt back to the squared circle was there. Baker is the first in the ring from her side.
However, when she sees Thunder Rosa come into the ring, she quickly makes that tag. Remembering the knock out drag out matches that they’ve had in the past, I think that she wants to get out of the lions den as soon as possible.
Persephone has no problem stepping in to take it to her current rival Thunder Rosa. They have been at one another’s neck. Whether they’re in AEW or a CMLL ring.
Persephone takes it to Thunder Rosa early on. Delivering some vicious elbows to Rosa in the corner.
Hyan and Maya get a few licks in on Persephone, but the CMLL and TBS champ quickly recovers and successfully tags in Shida.
Maya and Hyan work well to do some good tag work and really stay on Shida and keep her in the corner. Baker sees this and hits Maya from behind to even things out for her team.
Shida takes the attention from the ref to let Persephone and Baker take it to Maya world in the corner.
Luckily, an energized Thunder Rosa gets the tag and takes it to both Shida and Persephone.
Britt Baker won’t have any of this and gets the tag temporarily to give the match back to her teams favor.
Britt Baker gets a great neck breaker in to have her team gain confidence that they will win. However, Thunder Rosa comes into the ring, chases Britt around the ring, but gets knocked out cold. Maya steps in and knocks out some of the women after jumping off of the top rope. Shida also jumps off the ramp and knocks out Maya.
While all the women are down, we see Rebel make her way down the ramp to a joyous crowd chanting her name as she comes to the rescue of Britt Baker. Giving her her signature glove.
The D.M.D. is ready to do some damage. Britt gets Hyan in the middle of the ring, shrugs off the pin attempt from Hyan, to get her into a a scissored armbar and delivers her signature lock jaw, mandible claw to get the win.
We see Rebel at ringside looking so happy to have helped her friend get the win for the night.
This was a fun match that was meant to bring in some fast paced action, and further some feuds along that we’re all looking forward to.
Rebel carries Britt Baker off on her lap in the blinged out wheelchair, as they embrace. You can see the genuine tears of joy from both Rebel and Britt as the crowd chants her name.
This really got me in my feelings.
Then I had a full blown cry when they showed the video package of Rebel talking about her journey in AEW and her battle with terminal ALS that she was diagnosed with in early 2026.
To see all the wrestlers do the bucket challenge and really be there for Rebel was so beautiful and shows that there are more important things than wrestling, but how wrestling can also heal you through the hard times when you need a village to get you through horrifying obstacles.
We all as fans, and just decent human beings need to help with the continued research and resources that can help fight this disease that is affecting so many people.
This was a beautiful tribute and honor to Rebel and I’m sure a fun, jovial night to allow her to feel like one of the girls in the locker room again that’s just wants have a good time in front of a wrestling crowd.
If you haven’t yet, donate to Rebel Heart. Follow the link to find out more:
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