Danhausen Wins Over WWE Locker Room Despite Rough Elimination Chamber Debut

Danhausen’s WWE debut did not go as planned. But the way he handled the fallout has apparently earned him significant respect backstage.

According to a report by Fightful Select, the reaction to Danhausen within WWE has been positive following his bumpy introduction. Those spoken to acknowledged the debut was a flop but praised the way he responded. “Most in the company knew that the debut was a flop, but said that the situation didn’t rattle him, and he responded well,” the report noted.

Danhausen Rebounds With Curses and Backstage Appearances After Rough Start

Danhausen made his first WWE appearance at Elimination Chamber on February 28, emerging from a mystery crate that had been teased across Raw and SmackDown for weeks. He arrived to the ring accompanied by dancers wearing his signature facepaint, only to be met with confused boos from a crowd largely unfamiliar with him. A small poof of pyro capped off the understated moment.

Danhausen addressed the reception with characteristic humor on Raw Recap. “Oh, it was thunderous applause,” he said with his trademark deadpan delivery. “I came out and they yelled, ‘Yes! Finally, Danhausen has arrived.'”

Since then, he has appeared in backstage segments on both Raw and SmackDown and put curses on Dominick Mysterio — who subsequently lost the Intercontinental Championship — and El Grande Americano, who was unable to compete in a scheduled match shortly after. The curse gimmick appears to be gaining traction, even if his debut didn’t.