Danhausen took his Knicks curse storyline to the national stage, crashing ESPN’s First Take ahead of NBA Finals Game 1 to hand Stephen A. Smith an ultimatum: give him a TV show, courtside seats, or more money, or watch the New York Knicks get cursed again. Smith did not play along, firing back on air by accusing the wrestler of blackmail.
The segment, which aired before the Knicks’ Finals opener against the San Antonio Spurs, turned Danhausen’s supernatural gimmick into a genuine crossover moment on mainstream sports television, according to ESPN First Take.
Danhausen made clear that Smith’s previous payments had bought results, but said the protection comes with new terms.
“Stephen A. Smith, your checks have cleared so far. However, if you want to keep this un-cursing going, perhaps Danhausen is gonna need his own TV show or more monies or perhaps those courtside seats. No big deal. You have until tip-off time to decide what happens with the curse,” Danhausen said.
Smith was not amused. He shot back by accusing Danhausen of “damaging his reputation by engaging in blackmail.”
How The Knicks Curse Storyline Got Here
The angle traces back to April 28, when Danhausen first lifted the curse on the Knicks. New York has rolled since then, sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers on the way to the Finals, giving the wrestler all the ammunition he needs to claim his powers are real.
For now, the question is whether Smith meets the latest demands before tip-off or risks the curse returning at the worst possible time. Either way, Danhausen has turned the Knicks’ Finals run into one of the strangest side stories in sports and wrestling.
WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff recently doubled down on his Danhausen merchandise prediction.
He told listeners of his 83 Weeks podcast that the wrestler’s merch numbers are going to be “stupid,” eclipsing Cody Rhodes’ No. 1 spot by a significant margin in the fourth quarter.
The discussion comes after Cody Rhodes cited Danhausen as one of wrestling’s top merchandise sellers, remarks that have since been widely referenced across the industry. Here is what Bischoff said:
“Whatever threshold that Danhausen reached to become number one, according to Cody, he will eclipse that by a multiple of, I said 1.5 last time, I’m going to say 1.8 over the fourth quarter between Halloween and Christmas,” Bischoff said. “I think Danhausen merch is just going to be stupid.”
Bischoff’s comments build on that context, framing Danhausen’s commercial appeal as proof of a broader philosophy about what makes a great performer.
“Maybe the best wrestlers, sports entertainers, professional or otherwise, are the ones that make the most money,” Bischoff said.
“And right now, Danhausen, although he is not what you would call a ratings getter, he’s probably making top money, and he’s good for business. That’s the best part. He’s really good for business. That crossover, yes, it’s revenue, but it’s also good branding. It’s good for the business.”
Bischoff also praised Danhausen’s professionalism and presentation, calling the overall package a refreshing change of pace.
“I’m just so impressed with Danhausen, and the thinking and the effort on his part, the professionalism is so entertaining, it’s so fun, it’s harmless, it’s harmless fun, it’s nice to see some of that for a change,” he said.
When Danhausen made his WWE debut at Elimination Chamber, it was difficult for fans to know what they were looking at. For more casual fans, the character was an oddball who didn’t necessarily look like a wrestler and WWE didn’t offer much explanation for his emergence from a crate and his accompanying dancers. For fans who have followed other promotions, they may have recognized Danhausen as a successful act who largely stalled out in his AEW tenure (blame injury, blame booking, blame the gimmick, blame the man himself—there are no shortage of fingers to point).
The initial reaction to the character was lukewarm at best as fans were confused and underwhelmed with him being the surprise debut act and with his first appearance. The least likely development of all followed, though. Danhausen got over.
Indeed, Danhausen has become one of WWE’s top merchandise movers and arguably even had one of the more eagerly anticipated matches of Backlash. The questions emerges: how has this character turned into such a success?
Danhausen Is Legitimately Different Than Anyone Else On The WWE Roster
During the Black and Gold Era of Triple H’s NXT, WWE raided the indies and New Japan, introducing a range of talents with different skill sets and looks like Asuka, Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Finn Balor, not to mention acts that didn’t thrive on the main roster but had memorable runs in developmental like Keith Lee, Adam Cole, and Karrion Kross.
Since the NXT 2.0 rebrand, and in the years to follow, one critique of WWE is that it slid back toward its habit of cookie-cutter developmental talents who looked and worked the same, aside from a handful of notable exceptions.
Danhausen completely flies in the face of that movement. With his face paint, unique promo style, and unimposing look, he completely stands out from anyone else on the current WWE roster which has gone a long way toward helping him stick with fans.
Danhausen Embodies A Certain Brand Of WWE Nostalgia
Danhausen. Photo: WWE.com
The modern wrestling discourse, particularly on the Internet, revolves around work rate and questions of whom is getting pushed too hard or not enough. Indeed, when an act strikes a chord, he or she inevitably develops a chorus of backers demanding elevation to the main event picture.
There’s something refreshing about Danhausen as an act who is perfectly at home doing screwball comedy in mid-card spots. Maybe he’ll get a run with a secondary or tag team title at some point. Regardless, the gimmick just isn’t made for the WWE main event and in the tradition of acts ranging from Uncle Elmer to Repo Man to Doink the Clown to The Boogeyman there’s something refreshing about a modern act that people can enjoy without demanding more from him.
Dimensions like downplaying work rate in favor of theatrics and comedic promos, not to mention the integration of little people into his gimmick has all flown in the face of the modern WWE product and largely delighted fans for how bizarre and engaging everything he does turns out to be.
Danhausen Hits Just The Right Comedic Notes
Comedy in wrestling is incredibly tricky. Quite a few attempts fall flat or age poorly. Comedy also entails a high degree of subjectivity often based on age demographics in the sense that what amuses children has adults rolling their eyes or what adults find funny in WWE often either goes over kids’ heads or is too mature to be family friendly.
Danhausen has somehow threaded the most improbable of needles in arriving as an act the majority of WWE fans seem to find funny. His antics are typically suitable for fans of all ages and combine a sense of absurdity and whimsy to tickle everyone.
It’s telling that, beyond his work during conventional matches and promos, Danhausen has struck a chord by thinking outside the box and tapping into old school fans’ sense of humor. A prime example came over social media, as Danhausen inserted himself in old Backlash hype videos. He’s also somehow made it work appearing on ESPN and cursing teams.
Perhaps most telling of all was Danhausen’s performance at Backlash itself, when he used his “cloning machine” only to produce a little person version of himself. Careful observers could see him visibly say, “oh [expletive]” in response to not generating a full-sized version of himself. The humor skewed adult for the language used, but it was him looking visibly deflated that really sold the comedy of the moment, not so different from his clumsy, smoke-filled exit from the ring at WrestleMania 42.
Time will tell if Danhausen represents a fad or a long-term success story in WWE. Regardless, the act has worked better than most could have predicted. That’s in no small part to the talents and likability of the man beneath the gimmick, whom fans and colleagues alike seem very excited to cheer on.
WWE Shop has turned Danhausen’s run as the New York Knicks’ good-luck charm into merch. The new “Uncursed” collection pairs the wrestler’s branding with the Knicks, built around the storyline that has tied one of WWE’s hottest acts to the team’s playoff run.
The line features two t-shirt designs. A navy shirt stacks an “Uncursed!” banner over the Knicks logo and works in Danhausen’s “very nice, very evil” catchphrase. A black shirt reads “You Are Uncursed” around the team’s wordmark, with a cartoon Danhausen pointing out from the center.
Both carry WWE and Knicks branding and are available now on WWE Shop.
Danhausen has been in WWE since his February debut at Elimination Chamber, and he’s already the company’s number two merchandise seller. According to PWInsider, Nick Khan and Paul Levesque highlighted his Knicks crossover at a recent WWE town hall, noting that three of his shirt designs rank among the company’s top five sellers.
How Danhausen Got Tied To The Knicks
The storyline started on the April 17 episode of ESPN’s First Take, where Danhausen “cursed” host Stephen A. Smith, a longtime Knicks fan. New York then fell behind 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, and the curse became a running joke online. Smith publicly refused Danhausen’s demand for an apology to lift it.
A fan eventually paid Danhausen for a Cameo to uncurse the team. The Knicks haven’t lost since. They closed out the Hawks, swept the Philadelphia 76ers, and now lead the Cleveland Cavaliers 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, riding a nine-game playoff winning streak.
Danhausen has kept the bit running. He “cursed” the Cavaliers on ESPN’s NBA Today before Game 1, then appeared courtside at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks handed him a custom No. 0 jersey.
The shirts aren’t the only Knicks-themed Danhausen item in circulation. A Danhausen-signed Knicks WWE legacy title belt, inscribed “Not Cursed,” recently went up for auction through Fanatics.
WWE breakout star Danhausen has signed with Adventure Media for management in all areas of his career, according to Deadline.
Danhausen — real name Donovan Andrew Danhausen — made his WWE debut in February at the Elimination Chamber PLE and has since established himself as one of the company’s most compelling breakout acts. He made his WrestleMania debut on April 19 in a segment alongside legends John Cena and The Miz, drawing widespread praise from fans and media alike.
Since arriving in WWE, Danhausen has become a top merchandise seller for the company. His unconventional character — blending horror aesthetics, absurdist humor, heavy social media engagement, and a signature habit of “cursing” his opponents — has carved out a unique niche that few wrestlers have managed to replicate.
His crossover appeal has been on full display in recent weeks. Danhausen made a viral appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter, storming the set and hijacking the “Top Plays” segment. This week, he appeared on NBA Today to curse the Cleveland Cavaliers — and it seemingly worked, as Cleveland blew a 22-point fourth-quarter lead and fell to the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. He has also made the rounds on comedy and pop culture podcasts.
Adventure Media will work to expand Danhausen’s IP across film, television, digital, publishing, and other business ventures. The agency is well known for its literary roster of award-winning filmmakers, showrunners, and creators, and has been growing its sports media footprint by signing athletes, wrestling personalities, and broadcast talent.
Danhausen has heard the burnout predictions, and he is not buying them. The undefeated WWE star addressed the wave of skepticism around his act in a Backlash recap, taking direct aim at the chorus of voices forecasting an early expiration date.
“‘This guy is going to be burnt up in four months, easily.’ Oh yeah? I’ve been doing this for like eight years. Eighty years, if you really count,” Danhausen said. “It hasn’t burned up yet, it just keeps rising.”
He then walked through the trajectory of his career with hand gestures, miming a steady climb with the occasional dip. “I started here, then here, then here, then here again, and now I’m here.”
The remarks land less than 24 hours after Danhausen and surprise partner Minihausen defeated The Miz and Kit Wilson at Backlash 2026 inside the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa. The finish, a Danhausen pump kick on Miz, kept his WWE record perfect since his Elimination Chamber debut on February 28 in Chicago.
The pushback comes amid steady veteran skepticism. Former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman called the Backlash segment “an absolute waste of time” on X, arguing the gimmick “is gonna get old real quick” while conceding Danhausen’s appeal “with the kids and the T-shirts and stuff.” On the broadcast itself, Wade Barrett openly questioned whether the bit was a mockery of The Miz’s career. Weeks earlier, Dave Meltzer compared the Chamber debut to the Gobbledygooker on Wrestling Observer Radio, and Fightful’s reporting noted the WWE signing was not a unanimous decision internally.
The receipts tell a different story. Danhausen ranked No. 3 on the WrestleMania 42 weekend merchandise leaderboard, behind only CM Punk and Cody Rhodes, per WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select. He has crossed over to ESPN talking heads, including a viral curse on First Take’s Stephen A. Smith, who refused to apologize for the Knicks’ resulting losing skid. WWE has since filed trademarks on Girlhausen, Kid-hausen, and Ghoulhausen.
Danhausen first stepped into a wrestling ring in 2013 in Detroit. The Backlash victory was his second WWE premium live event match counting his WrestleMania 42 segment with John Cena, where he largely silenced the Chamber doubters. The hand keeps rising.
Danhausen’s mystery tag team partner at WWE Backlash turned out to be a tiny clone of himself called Minihausen, and the luchador under the mask was Mascarita Dorada from Lucha Libre AAA, the former El Torito.
The reveal came after weeks of speculation that floated CM Punk, Jelly Roll, Joe Hendry, and Mr. Iguana as possibilities. Instead, Danhausen walked to a “cloning machine” at his entrance, pulled out a miniature version of himself, and the two climbed into the Danhausenmobile for the trip to the ring.
Minihausen started the match against Kit Wilson and quickly won the Tampa crowd over with athletic offense and the trademark Danhausen mannerisms. When Wilson stuffed Minihausen back into the cloning machine, multiple Minihausens spilled out and chased him to the ring. The Miz then blasted himself in the face with a fire extinguisher he had aimed at Danhausen, Minihausen wiped Wilson out with a splash on the floor, and Danhausen pinned Miz to win it.
— “Lucha Lit” Lince Dorado (@LuchadorLD) May 9, 2026
Mascarita Dorada is the same performer who worked WWE as El Torito alongside Los Matadores from 2014 to 2016, best remembered for the WeeLC match against Hornswoggle at Extreme Rules 2014. He returned to the Mexican independent and AAA scene after his WWE run, and has been a regular on AAA programming since WWE acquired the promotion.
Backlash 2026 took place at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, airing on ESPN’s direct-to-consumer service in the United States and on Netflix internationally.
The identity of Danhausen’s mystery partner for his tag team match against The Miz and Kit Wilson at WWE Backlash on Saturday remains officially unknown, but Bryan Alvarez has shared speculation pointing to a familiar celebrity name.
Alvarez wrote to his subscribers on X that while he cannot confirm the information, he is hearing speculation that Jelly Roll will be the mystery partner.
“I can’t confirm this but I am hearing speculation that the mystery partner for Danhausen is, in fact, Jelly Roll, which would make a LOT more sense than an unadvertised PLE appearance by CM Punk.”
The Jelly Roll connection to Backlash runs deeper than a random celebrity booking. Prior to the creative decision being made for Cody Rhodes to defeat Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42, the plan had been for Jelly Roll to team with Rhodes at Backlash in a tag match against Orton and Pat McAfee.
That concept was shelved when the WrestleMania direction changed and Orton subsequently disappeared from WWE programming following the event, having reportedly been dealing with a physical issue heading into the show. Jelly Roll being redirected to a different partner for a different Backlash tag match would repurpose a plan that was already in motion rather than starting from scratch with a new celebrity appearance.
Current betting odds list CM Punk as the favorite at -200 to be Danhausen’s partner, with Joe Hendry at +200, Mr. Iguana at +300, and Jelly Roll at +400.
Actress Danielle Fishel recently entered the conversation as a potential tag team partner for Danhausen at WWE Backlash on May 9.
The former Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World actress teased the possibility on social media this week.
Danhausen is currently searching for a partner for his match against The Miz and Kit Wilson at the upcoming Premium Live Event. In recent weeks, he has publicly attempted to recruit several WWE legends for the bout, though none have officially accepted.
Fishel shared a customized WWE Backlash graphic on Instagram featuring herself alongside Danhausen while sporting face paint inspired by his signature look.
“Just saying, we have history,” Fishel wrote in the caption.
The post immediately caught attention from wrestling fans online, especially given Danhausen’s long-running pop culture references and crossover appeal outside the wrestling world. The actress’s reference to having “history” with Danhausen sparked speculation among fans.
No official announcement has been made regarding Danhausen’s partner as of this writing. The match is scheduled to take place at WWE Backlash this Friday.
Danhausen is on the hunt for a tag team partner, and he’s aiming for the biggest names in WWE history. During this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the fan-favorite superstar earned himself a match at Backlash 2026 against The Miz and Kit Wilson.
However, there’s one condition: SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis informed Danhausen that the match will only become official if he can get a tag team partner for the match. That’s where things get interesting.
In classic Danhausen fashion, the superstar took to social media to recruit help from a list of WWE legends, many of whom have long since retired. That list includes “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, AJ Styles, John Cena, Stardust, Kurgan, Mideon, and Papa Shango. He wrote:
“Hello Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Undertaker, AJ Styles, John Cena, Steve Austin, Stardust, Kurgan, Mideon Papa Shango,” Danhausen wrote on X, tagging each of their accounts. “How does 400 human dollars sound to come out of retirements and team with Danhausen?!”
Stephen A. Smith has rejected demands from WWE superstar Danhausen to remove a curse placed on the ESPN personality.
The exchange unfolded on social media after Danhausen used his signature “You…Are…Cursed!” catchphrase on Smith.
Danhausen has been liberally using his curse gimmick on WWE television, potentially running out of roster members to target. The wrestler apparently decided to expand his cursing beyond the wrestling world by directing it at the prominent sports commentator.
Danhausen had “cursed” the ESPN analyst during the April 17 episode of ESPN First Take. Following the curse, Smith’s beloved New York Knicks have dropped two out of three games to the Atlanta Hawks.
Now, the former AEW star wrote on X:
“Stephen A. Smith APOLOGIZE and Danhausen will think about maybe possibly pondering lifting your curse,” he wrote. “Also send human money. ESPN First Take.”
Smith’s Response to the Curse
Smith has now responded to Danhausen’s curse removal demands. He responded:
“I’m not apologizing for a damn thing Danhausen,” he fired back. “Not a damn thing. Curse or no curse, the Knicks have NO BUSINESS losing this series to the Hawks — no matter how good that young team is. No business.”
“If the Knicks lose this series, heads need to roll. Period. President! GM! Coach! Players! Even the damn Dance Team! To hell with all that superstitious stuff. The Knicks need to handle their damn business. They had better not lose this series, damnit. I swear they better not!”
I’m not apologizing for a damn thing @DanhausenAD. Not a damn thing. Curse or no curse, the @nyknicks have NO BUSINESS losing this series to the @ATLHawks — no matter how good that young team is. No business. If the @Knicks lose this series, heads need to roll. Period. President!… https://t.co/RX6frRTRAI
Danhausen turned WrestleMania 42 weekend into one of the more surprising merchandise success stories the event has seen in recent memory, with sales so strong that Fanatics had to restock his products multiple times throughout the weekend to keep up with demand.
According to WrestleVotes, Fanatics staff were caught off guard by the volume of Danhausen merchandise moving through WWE World during WrestleMania 42 weekend in Las Vegas. The level of fan interest is unusual for a performer who has yet to secure a consistent top-of-card position on weekly television.
The strong numbers are expected to have real consequences for Danhausen’s visibility going forward. Based on the sales performance, Fanatics is expected to add him to the lineup for an upcoming Fanatics Fest, giving him a platform at one of the more prominent fan-facing events on the calendar.
Merchandise performance has historically been one of the more reliable internal indicators of a performer’s organic connection with fans.
Whether WWE moves to capitalize on that interest with a more prominent role at future premium live events remains to be seen, but the data from Las Vegas makes the conversation harder to avoid.
Danhausen sees his merchandise on stands next to Roman Reigns and CM Punk at WrestleMania 42 weekend in Las Vegas. He knows exactly what that means.
The former AEW and ROH mainstay sat down with Peter Rosenberg on the Cheap Heat podcast over WrestleMania weekend. The 11-minute conversation doubled as a stock check on his first seven weeks in WWE. The verdict from Danhausen himself: the character is working, the merch is moving, and the AEW years were quieter than social media suggested.
On the commercial side, he let the math speak for itself.
“I’ve been told it is doing very well. I would also assume if they put out one t-shirt and it did bad, I would not have 35 things for sale on the website. I would not have my own merch section at the Superstore and at WrestleMania.”
He then walked Rosenberg through what he saw on the Allegiant Stadium concourse.
“I saw the merchandise stands tonight. Roman Reigns, Cody, Punk, Danhausen, Corey, WrestleMania. Can you believe that? Can you believe it?”
The quietest admission of the interview came when Rosenberg asked how many matches Danhausen had during his AEW run. The answer, delivered without any visible resentment, was three or four.
“So I didn’t miss that much,” Rosenberg said.
“No. I mean, I saw you lots, but I was…” Danhausen trailed off.
“No, you didn’t.”
“No, you definitely did not. Not as much as we would have liked.”
Danhausen expanded on the gap between online perception and television reality.
“Dan would do vlogs backstage on his own, and do videos with his enemies and his friend houses. Maybe it seemed like I was doing more than I was. But I was not there. I was doing the independent scene. That’s what I was doing.”
He added that he was running three indie dates a weekend during that stretch, plus convention appearances at shows like New York Comic-Con. The AEW deal covered him on paper. The work was happening everywhere else.
Debut Reception And The Chicago Boos
Danhausen’s WWE debut at Elimination Chamber on February 28 in Chicago drew a mixed reaction. He arrived from a coffin inside the long-teased mystery crate, handed Michael Cole a jar of glass teeth, and vanished when the lights cut. Some fans cheered, some booed, and he has a theory about why.
“There are only boos when the lights went out. They wanted more Danhausen. They wanted Dan Hen to eviscerate, decimate, annihilate an opponent, or perhaps say, ‘Hello, Chicago. Danhausen has arrived in the WWE.’ And then disappear. The reason there was a smattering of boos at the end was simply because the crowd wanted more.”
“Instant applause in Indianapolis,” Danhausen said. “Gave away some t-shirts. Had a good time. The most Danhausen grand entrance I could have given.”
Undefeated, With Help From Pyro
On the April 10 episode of SmackDown in San Jose, Danhausen picked up his first WWE win, beating Kit Wilson after a curse and a well-timed pyro blast knocked Wilson off the top rope. Danhausen claims the curse did the work. He disclaims everything after that.
“We’re already undefeated in WWE. I defeated Kit Wilson. Do your research. I defeated him on SmackDown. They cursed him. The curse was just so I would win. Anything that happened after that is not me.”
Asked how often he wants to wrestle going forward, Danhausen pitched a rhythm that sounds a lot like his indie schedule compressed for television.
“Maybe not every week. Maybe every three weeks. I used to wrestle three times a weekend. So I’ll wrestle as much as they want me to. Maybe curse, curse, wrestle. Curse, curse, wrestle. That would be good.”
Family At WrestleMania
Danhausen brought his family to Las Vegas for the weekend. His wife, Canadian burlesque performer Lou Lou La Duchesse de Rière, led the Ghoulhausens dance troupe at Elimination Chamber and choreographed the routine. His nine-month-old son was backstage at WrestleMania.
“He got in last night. It was every couple hours we were awake,” Danhausen said, confirming that baby duty does not pause for pay-per-views.
He is also already planning the action figure shelf. He said he has been stockpiling He-Man toys in what he calls the “car hole” and is actively lobbying Mattel for a crossover figure.
“I have to curse the Mattel people to make a Dan and He-Man crossover so I can add it to his collection and give it to him in three years for Christmas.”
Rosenberg asked if the curse had been delivered. “Oh yeah. I did it yesterday,” Danhausen said. Mattel, he reports, asked for a few months.
When Rosenberg moved to wrap, Danhausen delivered the exit line that fit the whole afternoon.
Danhausen is scheduled to appear in a segment at WrestleMania 42 this weekend in Las Vegas. According to PWInsider, WWE has already mapped out plans for how the superstar will be featured on the company’s biggest stage.
The segment will reportedly involve mini-wrestlers and is being structured as a character-driven moment rather than a traditional match. This approach appears designed to showcase the “Very Nice, Very Evil” presentation that has been generating strong crowd reactions on recent SmackDown episodes.
Growing Momentum on SmackDown
Danhausen’s WrestleMania 42 inclusion comes after a noticeable shift in fan response since his WWE debut earlier this year. Despite initial backlash, recent SmackDown appearances have shown growing support from live crowds.
Last week’s SmackDown featured a pyro-assisted win that generated strong reactions. Merchandise presence has also increased, with autograph sessions selling out ahead of established stars.
WrestleMania 42 Platform
WWE is positioning Danhausen for a WrestleMania moment that could stand out as one of the more unique segments on the card. The decision to feature him in a character-driven segment rather than a standard match reflects the company’s approach to capitalizing on his recent momentum.
WrestleMania 42 takes place this weekend in Las Vegas. The segment plans indicate WWE’s commitment to showcasing Danhausen’s character work on the Premium Live Event stage.
Kit Wilson wants to settle things with Danhausen on the grandest stage of them all.
In an interview on Complex Graps Wrestling, Wilson called out Danhausen for a 2-on-1 handicap match at WrestleMania 42, proposing that he and The Miz team up against the Very Nice, Very Evil one on Night 2 in Las Vegas.
The challenge stems from weeks of tension between the three. Danhausen cursed Wilson on SmackDown, and the feud escalated when Danhausen interfered in Wilson and The Miz’s tag title shot against Damian Priest and R-Truth, ultimately costing the challengers the match. The following week, Danhausen offered to lift the curse, but only if The Miz agreed to take him on as a mentee.
Wilson made clear on the podcast that he believes he and The Miz were robbed. Per Wilson, the match remains unfinished business, and he wants the handicap stipulation to even the odds against someone whose curse apparently bends the laws of physics.
No match has been officially announced as of this writing. WrestleMania 42 takes place April 18-19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The 35-year-old has become one of the most popular stars on the WWE roster in only a few weeks since his debut for the promotion at the Elimination Chamber PPV in February. His popularity seems to be reaching new heights every day, with even people outside the wrestling world taking notice.
One such instance of Danhausen’s crossover appeal was on display when NBA veteran Mychal Thompson joked on X that the recent misfortunes of the Los Angeles Lakers might be a result of the wrestling star’s curse:
“Ya no…the way things hav gone for the Lakers the last week…I’m begining to think Dan Hausen put a CURSE on the Lakers…Dan Hausen…Google him…But be careful…Dont let him put a curse on YOU…”
Ya no…the way things hav gone for the Lakers the last week…I’m begining to think Dan Hausen put a CURSE on the Lakers…Dan Hausen…Google him…But be careful…Dont let him put a curse on YOU…
The Lakers were 15-2 at one point in the latest NBA season, but they recently suffered a devastating loss in the match against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Not only that, but the team’s two best scorers, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, have since been put on the shelf for the rest of the regular season due to injuries.
So it’s no surprise that Thompson, who won two NBA titles with the Lakers during his active years is wondering if a curse is at work. Maybe he should talk to Pepsi Phil, and get a recommendation for the right comic offering for Danhausen to get the curse lifted.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 9: <> during Monday Night RAW at Climate Pledge Arena on March 9, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by WWE/WWE)
The dynamics that have all but defined Judgment Day across its four-year run include in-fighting and transformation. Indeed, it’s telling that the group launched with Edge teaming up with Damian Priest, before Rhea Ripley and Finn Balor joined their ranks. Fast forward to the present and none of those four members remain in the faction. Rather, Dominik Mysterio, the youngster the faction seemed to manipulate into betraying his father now comes across as the mastermind who ousted Balor from the clubhouse.
Other talents have come and gone from Judgment Day, with R-Truth and Carlito each playing offbeat, often as not comedic supporting roles. The group still has Mysterio and Liv Morgan in the de facto leadership roles, with JD McDonough and Raquel Rodriguez backing them up plus, when she returns to action, Roxanne Perez as an up and comer. Balor’s departure from the group leaves a void, though, as, for the first time in group history, they lack a male performer who’s both in the upper echelon of in-ring workers and credible to insert into the main event picture.
Judgment Day has, to its credit, reinvented itself time and again. Assuming the faction isn’t winding down its run—and with Morgan likely walking out of WrestleMania as Women’s World Champion and Mysterio continuing to come into his own, they probably shouldn’t– it does feel as though the group would benefit from a new addition.
Perhaps a new talent could lend a hand in the group prevailing at WrestleMania, or else come in as reinforcements after some major setbacks in Vegas. Regardless, there’s a lot of potential on the WWE roster to write this stable’s next chapter.
Omos
Photo Credit: WWE
Omos has had a strange run with WWE. His story seems to come down to him being too awesome a physical spectacle for WWE to give up on him, while also struggling to come along as a performer, such that the company’s not fully behind him.
By virtue of the giant’s look and size, he could add immediate gravitas to Judgment Day. He can play the old school heater the way Diesel was for Shawn Michaels—someone Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonough can carry the work load for in the ring and on the mic while also hiding behind Omos as cowardly heels.
Ethan Page
Photo Credit: OfficialEGO on X
Ethan Page has had a fantastic run in NXT. There’s a case that he still has more to accomplish there or that when he gets the call up, he should renew his partnership with Chelsea Green on a bigger stage. Judgment Day is another option, though.
When Roxanne Perez joined the faction, it highlighted the ability of Judgment Day, with its notoriety and capacity for in-fighting, to immediately give a fresh main roster talent a clear role and interesting storylines. Page’s natural heel inclinations could fit the group, while also planting seeds for the next power struggle as his All Ego persona invites eventual conflict with Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan about who is actually in charge.
Importantly, while Page isn’t a giant, he’s also a big-bodied enough to add a different dimension and greater physical credibility to the stable moving forward.
Damian Priest
Photo Credit: WWE
For all the talents who’ve made their way in and out of Judgment Day, one angle WWE hasn’t explored yet is someone coming back home to the faction after having splintered off. Some of that’s with good reason. Edge felt more natural as a babyface legend before leaving for AEW. Rhea Ripley has thrived out on her own.
It has been a different story for Damian Priest. He arguably did some of his very best main roster work in the immediate aftermath of his old running buddies turning on him. Playing a destructive force of a babyface and working together with Rhea Ripley, Priest came across as a legitimate force and, in some ways, more credible at the top of the card than he had during his World Heavyweight Championship reign.
The years to follow have been rougher, though. Priest feels as though he’s largely returned to the early days of his main roster run, credible in the upper card, but a step behind talents like Drew McIntyre, matched up well against Aleister Black, but without a clear path forward. Spending his WrestleMania season in the SmackDown tag title picture makes reasonable sense, as his credibility and R-Truth’s comedy complement one another, but that doesn’t feel like a sustainable future, especially with so many legitimate full-time tag teams working today.
The Archer of Infamy and Judgment Day could help one another out. On one hand it would be throwback. On the other hand, the collab could revitalize Priest’s sense of direction while beefing up Judgment Day with a big man who carries former world champ credentials.
Danhausen
Judgment Day could use a big body and a ring general. An integral part of the faction’s history also comes down to odd couples, though, and humor offsetting their more serious pursuits. Indeed, the Prison Dom gimmick both put Dominik Mysterio on the map as a heel and added layers to Judgment Day. From there, R-Truth’s wacky antics kept the group vital, then Carlito’s background role and feeling smitten with the women in the group all added tremendous entertainment value.
Despite a rocky introduction, Danhausen has beaten the odds in getting some traction with the WWE audience over the weeks to follow. One of the keys to such an off-kilter character maintaining his momentum will be having straight men to play off and ideally build ongoing stories with. The Very Nice, Very Evil Superstar already interacted with Judgment Day, cursing Mysterio en route to him dropping the Intercontinental Championship to Penta. Could there be more in store?
Maybe Mysterio could try to harness Danhausen’s powers to curse opponents. Maybe WWE could play up odd couple dynamics between the new star and the women of Judgment Day. Regardless, there’s a great deal of potential for something genuinely new for the group and something to give Danhausen direction in them striking up a partnership.
Rusev
Photo credit: WWE
Rusev is a talented big man, but his decisive loss to Oba Femi on Raw seems to confirm what many fans have suspected for months. WWE sees Rusev, at this stage of his career, less as a featured player in his own right than an imposing jobber to the stars.
Positioning The Bulgarian Brute as a heater for Judgment Day could serve multiple purposes. Like Damian Priest, he’d offer a big body with some credibility, plus he’s a good worker. The old Rusev Day gimmick demonstrated his ability to play into comedy as well. Meanwhile, for Rusev’s benefit, enrollment in the faction would give him a regular purpose on TV. The alliance would also open up tag team options with Dominik Mysterio or especially JD McDonough to both drive the big man’s character forward and offer an organic route for Judgment Day to collect more gold.
Danhausen is making waves in WWE, as the company has filed trademarks for several Danhausen-related terms, including ‘Girlhausen’, ‘Kid-hausen’, ‘Kidhausen’, and ‘Ghoulhausen’. The filings suggest WWE is investing in the superstar’s brand and future.
The trademarks cover entertainment services such as wrestling exhibitions and performances. They also include a wide range of merchandise, including tops, shirts, jackets, and costumes.
Danhausen is currently listed as a free agent within WWE, without being assigned to a specific brand. Despite this, Danhausen’s WWE t-shirts are top sellers at WWE Shop.
Danhausen’s Expanding Universe
The trademark filings indicate WWE’s plans to expand Danhausen’s brand. The trademarks cover entertainment services, specifically wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler. The filings also cover clothing, including tops, shirts, jackets, and costumes.
Danhausen debuted at Elimination Chamber as he emerged from a mystery box. He has been heavily featured on WWE Raw and SmackDown, where he has continued to curse certain talents backstage.
WWE\’s newest signing Danhausen recently reflected on his WWE debut at Elimination Chamber 2026, claiming he received a warm welcome. The debut featured Danhausen emerging from a mystery crate that contained a coffin, accompanied by women with Danhausen facepaint.
Danhausen appeared on Raw Recap to discuss the event. He sarcastically described the reaction he received at WWE Elimination Chamber, exaggerating the positive response. Danhausen said:
\”Oh, it was thunderous applause. It was great. I came out and they yelled, ‘Yes! Finally, Danhausen has arrived,’ and I could hear each and every one of them hop off their seats and get up and applaud, and say, ‘Up yours, Dracula. Danhausen did it first,’ because Danhausen shipped himself in a crate across the seas first but it was to WWE. It was not the Last Voyage of the Demeter or whatever it’s called.\”
Danhausen Cursing Talents
Danhausen has been featured on WWE Raw where he is cursing certain talents backstage. He recently cursed Dominik Mysterio, who lost the Intercontinental Championship that same night. On last week\’s SmackDown, he also cursed The Miz.
On the latest edition of Raw, the cursing spree continued as he cursed the Original El Grande Americano, who couldn\’t compete in his match against WWE Intercontinental Champion Penta.
John Cena has acknowledged Danhausen. Following the \”Very Nice, Very Evil\” one\’s debut at Elimination Chamber and subsequent appearance on last night\’s Raw, the 17-time World Champion reacted on social media.
In classic Cena style, his Instagram post was an image of Danhausen with no caption attached.
Danhausen Responds
Danhausen responded to Cena’s post by writing, \”Danhausen sees you John. Hustle. Loyalty. Respecthausen. \”
On Raw, Danhausen appeared in a backstage segment with Raw General Manager Adam Pearce and The Judgment Day, putting a curse on Dominik Mysterio. Mysterio then lost his Intercontinental Championship to Penta in the main event.
WWE Elimination Chamber centered on setting the stage for WrestleMania 42 with two Chamber matches to determine world title challengers and two title fights that will presumably set the stage for the \’Mania card. A subplot to all this was a mysterious crate, passed back and forth between Raw General Manager Adam Pearce and SmackDown GM Nick Aldis.
Some fans anticipated a huge disruption stemming from the crate, up to and including speculation Chris Jericho might return and even find a way into the men\’s Elimination Chamber at the last minute. Others had much more modest expectations along the lines of a WWE 2K26 or merchandise announcement.
For better or worse, WWE did truly surprise fans with something very different, very nice, and very evil. While low-key rumors that Danhausen was headed to WWE had circulated, the story didn\’t have a ton of momentum or buzz, making the AEW alum\’s debut genuinely catch most onlookers off guard. A question remains, though: what a WWE run will look like for this unconventional talent.
Danhausen\’s Winding Road To WWE
Danhausen looks like anything but a prototypical WWE Superstar, with not only his horror-themed aesthetic presentation, but his unimposing stature (by pro wrestling standards) at under six feet tall, less than two hundred pounds, and not exactly a superhuman physique.
Danhausen\’s a veteran, though, first working the indies in 2013 en route to his breakout run with ROH where his oddball promos, propensity for casting curses, and social media game got him a lot of attention.
It appeared Danhausen had peaked when he signed with AEW, where an audience tapped into the indies and more willing to think outside the box than the stereotypical WWE enthusiast embraced him. The character had his moments, highlighted by a run partnering with Hook, but never seemed to quite find his place. It seemed like AEW missed out in leaving him off TV while he was injured, given the character\’s appeal was always based less on what he did in the ring than his character work.
Indeed, Danhausen\’s limited success in AEW seemed to signal that whatever combination of the gimmick and the worker had an indie ceiling and just couldn\’t slot into a more mainstream product.
Danhausen\’s WWE Debut
Despite rumors that Danhausen might be WWE bound, few expected it, much less predicted it for Elimination Chamber. Indeed, if he were to surface on the WWE landscape, it seemed more likely he\’d show up in NXT, perhaps getting something like the Joe Hendry treatment that could lean into his cult following, gradually familiarize WWE fans with the persona, and see if he might ultimately slot into a main roster brand.
Danhausen exploded onto the scene, though, complete with backup dancers. WWE did set him up for success in some ways, with the mystery box gimmick, not to mention the reveal happening in Chicago, about as sure a market as the company has to find hardcore fans who\’d be most likely to recognize him.
Unfortunately, Danhausen\’s reception was, at best, lukewarm, as fans seemed unsure of what to do with him. It\’s always difficult to know what fans in an arena are thinking, but those who\’ve since suggested they didn\’t know who the AEW and ROH alum was were probably at least partially right. This wasn\’t a returning face to WWE, someone from a famous wrestling family, or a guy who had main evented in enough other venues that casual fans would likely be quite familiar with him.
On top of that, there was a randomness to Danhausen working the ramp and the fanfare of the backup dancers. He didn\’t draw a huge pop. Worse, some fans have claimed that he was actively booed once the music stopped.
Danhausen Might Fill A Specific Niche Role
The failings of Danhausen\’s debut can be attributed to not enough fan familiarity, which WWE can quickly correct course on. They can also be associated with the randomness of the moment, as the crate gimmick itself hearkened back to the Gobbledy Gooker\’s egg, and it\’s not as though he emerged to confront another performer or get involved in a match, but rather just walk to the ring in theatrical fashion.
What\’s next for Danhausen? The performer\’s activities on X may tell part of the tale, as the day after his debut, his first posts were \”When does Danhausen get his all access pass to rock \’the Dwayne\’ Johnson\’s gym?\” and \”Is Cold Steve Austin still the Monday Night Raw general manager?\”
Indeed, Danhausen has maintained the voice longer-term fans associate with him, with an extra touch of confused humor that feels an awful lot like a nod to R-Truth. While some confusion still lingers about the nature of Truth\’s contract situation from 2025, he\’s nonetheless in his mid-fifties and all indicators are he doesn\’t have much time left with the company. Few, if any performers have compared with his comedic upside in recent years. Carlito probably came closest, but WWE let him go last year for an inflated contract relative to his supporting and comedic role.
An old bit of wrestling wisdom is that talents who can get over, even on small stages, have the capacity to thrive on much bigger ones because it\’s the sheer process of connecting with fans and developing a groundswell of organic support that\’s hardest to teach or contrive. Bryan Danielson spoke of this dynamic regarding his own unexpectedly explosive success in WWE. While no one should hold their breath on Danhausen main eventing WrestleMania, there may well be a spot for him to thrive as an offbeat comedic character at wrestling\’s highest levels.
Can Danhausen ultimately succeed in WWE, which has a pretty poor record of late with supernatural characters (see the handling of The Wyatt Sicks), and a checkered past with comedy acts and indie-bred talents? Given a long leash and some faith from management, Danhausen may well surprise everyone, arriving as an attraction uniquely his own and perhaps one of the business\’s comedic greats.
WWE\’s newest signing Danhausen addressed fans on social media following his WWE debut at Elimination Chamber in Chicago on February 28th, 2026. He appeared during the mystery crate reveal, emerging from a coffin with dancers wearing his face paint. The former AEW star also handed commentator Michael Cole a jar of glass teeth.
Danhausen\’s contract with AEW had expired on February 28th, 2026 and he became a free agent. Taking to X, he commented on his WWE debut. He had not appeared on AEW TV since Worlds End 2023.
Danhausen\’s Social Media Reaction
Danhausen\’s first public comment since signing with WWE and debuting at Elimination Chamber, confirming his return to television, was:
\”Danhausen is ALIVE and back inside your television.\”
WWE is likely to present Danhausen on RAW, suggesting his television presence will continue immediately rather than being treated as a one-off appearance.
The WWE Chief Content Officer did not appear in front of the crowd at the Elimination Chamber post-show, but he did have a backstage interview. The Game first talked about things such as the announced championship match between Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes and more.
After covering the bigger headlines, Jackie Redmond asked the WWE executive if there was anything else he wanted to say. Triple H then brought up Danhausen\’s debut, saying that fans are going to have a blast with him:
“Me not commenting on the crate, and Danhausen — ah, Michael Cole got a nice bucket of teeth. I think we’re in for a fun time. Whatever it is, it’s gonna be a blast.”
The former AEW star made his WWE debut tonight, after becoming a free agent on Saturday morning. He popped up from the mystery crate that had been shown on WWE programming over the last few weeks.
The mystery crate travelled through both SmackDown and Raw before the reveal. So it\’s possible that the comedy star will remain a free agent, appearing on both brands instead of joining one show permanently.
The company had been running a mystery crate storyline for the past few weeks on both Raw and SmackDown, with the reveal set for the Elimination Chamber PPV. The show tonight saw the two general managers, Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce, coming together on the stage to finally open the crate, and inside it was a wooden coffin.
A number of dancers dressed in black and red capes popped out of the coffin when it opened, followed by none other than Danhausen himself. The former AEW Star walked to the ringside with all the dancers, but he first went around it and stopped at the announcer\’s table.
The newest WWE star handed Michael Cole a jar of teeth before finally entering the ring for a dance routine. The lights went out when the performance was complete, and Danhausen and his partners were all gone when it came back on.
The 35-year-old only became a free agent on Saturday morning after being kept off AEW TV for over a year. It\’s unknown what the company is planning for him but it\’s very much possible that he will be kept a free agent instead of being assigned a brand for the foreseeable future.
Danhausen officially made his WWE debut at the Elimination Chamber 2026 premium live event in Chicago on Saturday night, emerging from the long-teased mystery crate as the big surprise reveal of the evening.?
The Mystery Box Reveal
WWE General Managers Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis opened the crate on stage, which contained a coffin inside. Several women wearing Danhausen face paint emerged first, followed by Danhausen himself making his grand entrance.
After coming to the ringside area, Danhausen gave commentator Michael Cole a jar of glass teeth — a signature bit from his character.
The debut came fresh off CM Punk\’s successful World Heavyweight Championship defense against Finn Bálor, with the show taking place in Punk\’s hometown of Chicago. Danhausen and Punk are well-known close friends, making the setting especially fitting.
Danhausen\’s WWE arrival came just one day after his AEW departure was confirmed, as he was removed from the company\’s roster page on the morning of February 28. He had not appeared on AEW television since AEW Worlds End 2023, and he had reportedly requested his release the previous summer — but AEW reportedly extended his deal with injury time before it finally lapsed in February 2026.
His debut now sets up what comes next heading toward WrestleMania 42 season, with a match against Premier Athlete Tony Nese already reportedly in the pipeline.?
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