The WWE superstar was shown on the big screen at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Danhausen cursed the Hurricanes, who then lost the game in overtime 5-4 and now trail in the series 2-1.
The video of Danhausen cursing the Hurricanes also circulated online before the start of Game 3. It appears a Vegas Golden Knights fan purchased a Cameo from Danhausen that was later shown inside the arena.
In the video, Danhausen appears to believe the Stanley Cup Final is some type of beverage.
“Danhausen here, very nice, very evil, very famous. WWE legend, superstar, ah champion…. yes, I don’t know, none the wiser. Alright, please do the Vegas Golden Knights, Fanhausens. Oh, what is the occasion? Stanley Cup Finals, possibly some sort of beverage. Alright, please curse the Carolina Hurricanes for the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals. We want Vegas Golden Knights to win Lord Stanley Cup. They’re gonna win a king or something. Alright, please make sure to say, ‘Go Knights Go.’ Knights, Go Knights Go. Alright, anyways, Carolina Hurricanes, you are cursed. Go Knights Go.”
On Sunday morning, Danhausen responded to a Carolina Hurricanes post on X, asking the team to pay him “human money” to uncurse them and provided a link to his page on Cameo.
If Danhausen isn’t considered a mainstream star already, he will be very soon if the New York Knicks win the NBA championship for the first time since 1973.
Right now, at this very second, there are basketball fans who have become fans of Danhausen and are only lightly aware that he comes from the world of professional wrestling. He’s just seen as the funny face-painted guy who uncursed the Knicks, and also seems to like teeth.
A whole generation of sports fans are going to associate Danhausen with this Knicks team, and if they win just two more games, his star power will transcend the professional wrestling industry.
Could Danhausen become bigger than wrestling?
If the Knicks win the NBA Championship, the team and its fans will make an idol out of him. The possibilities of where his career goes from there are limitless.
Danhausen getting his own TV show on Netflix? Why not? Why not give it a try? Maybe he could do something similar to Pee-wee’s Playhouse.
Danhausen in movies and TV shows? I don’t see why not.
Danhausen making odd cameos at award shows and big pop culture events? I expect it to happen.
Danhausen’s character could fit into that rare group of celebrities who exist slightly outside the normal rules of fame. Someone like Elvira, Pee-wee Herman, or Weird Al Yankovic. The kind of person who can just pop up in places where other celebrities are and just them being there is funny.
Did AEW fumble Danhausen?
Danhausen’s success with the Knicks is going to lead many to say that AEW didn’t know what they had with him and fumbled it as a result.
I don’t think anyone can deny that’s true. Though performers having little success in one company only to find far more in another is not exactly a new phenomenon. Plenty of “fumbled” WWE stars have made themselves “undeniable” in different companies as well.
For whatever reason, the merchandise records that Danhausen broke on ProWrestlingTees.com didn’t translate into him getting television time while in AEW. Unless there was something else factoring into things backstage, AEW must have felt that his merch sales would not translate to television ratings, ticket sales, PPV buys or other forms of revenue for the company.
The point of this article is not to say that AEW fumbled the ball with Danhausen, but I don’t think mentioning that they perhaps could have made better use of a guy possibly on his way to mainstream superstardom is avoidable.
Why Danhausen’s Knicks connection could last forever
Maybe none of this happens. Maybe the Spurs win four out of the next five games and the Knicks don’t win the championship, and Danhausen’s role in all of this becomes a strange footnote in a heartbreaking playoff run for Knicks fans.
But if the Knicks do win, it’s hard to imagine this just going away.
Danhausen won’t just be the wrestler who became popular with Knicks fans. He’ll be the weird face-painted guy who uncursed the Knicks and became a strange part of their first NBA championship in more than half a century.
That is not just wrestling famous. That is something else entirely.
Danhausen continues to take credit for the New York Knicks’ 2026 NBA Playoffs run.
The Knicks have not lost a game in 43 days, and many people believe this is due to Danhausen uncursing the team.
The Knicks are now up 2-0 on the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals following their win on Friday night.
Danhausen responded to an ESPN article about the Knicks on Saturday, writing:
“Has anyone thought about how powerful Danhausen is yet today? KNICKSHAUSEN”
NBA writers such as Zach Lowe have also commented on Danhausen’s apparent impact on the series. Lowe wrote:
“At this point, I might actually start sending money/human monies if I were a Knicks fan”
Danhausen also responded to noted Knicks fan Ariel Helwani, who publicly thanked Danhausen after the Knicks’ win on Friday.
Danhausen wrote:
“You…. Are….. Welcomehausen.”
Danhausen has been involved in a back-and-forth with Stephen A. Smith over the cursing of the Knicks, with Danhausen asking Smith to pay him more human monies, give him a TV show, and provide him with courtside tickets to the game.
After the Knicks’ victory in Game 1, Danhausen claimed that Smith’s check cleared and the Knicks being uncursed continues.
“.@stephenasmith check cleared. KNICKSHAUSEN and the UNCURSE continue! (Danhausen is on a European travel time delay)”
After Game 1 of the series, many fans suggested that Jalen Brunson gave the Danhausen “you are cursed” motion to the Spurs. A clip of him doing so is available below:
Aye! You see Brunson subtly hit the Danhausen “you are cursed” emote after the game? lol pic.twitter.com/m0QcE8ya4Y
— Geezy🐺 AnybodyCanGetit 𝕏 (@Official_ACG) June 4, 2026
Has anyone thought about how powerful Danhausen is yet today?
Danhausen has some more demands if the New York Knicks are going to remain uncursed.
The NBA Finals featuring the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs is set to begin tonight. Danhausen appeared on ESPN’s First Take this morning and told Stephen A. Smith that if the Knicks are going to remain uncursed, he would like his own TV show.
That is in addition to the courtside seats he has already requested.
Danhausen said:
“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.“
Smith responded by saying that Danhausen was “damaging his reputation by engaging in blackmail.“
Danhausen originally lifted the curse on the New York Knicks on April 28, and the team went on to sweep the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers en route to the finals.
A clip of Danhausen on ESPN First Take is available below:
I think it’s safe to say Danhausen is one of the most popular people in all of WWE at the moment, and I don’t see it really stopping. He overtook the merch game. There’s all kinds of market confusion because the WWE Shop website has a thing that people actually believe, but I’ll tell you who’s the king right now of the merch game – it’s Danhausen. He’s beating us all.
Though it’s not confirmed that he’ll be attending, Dana White told Time that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been invited to the UFC’s show at the White House next month:
At least 1,200 of the approximately 4,300 seats will go to active military members. The White House, TKO, and the UFC will divvy up the rest: White has invited Adam Sandler, Guy Ritchie, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Jason Statham, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, and Mario Lopez.
Today marks 30 years since Scott Hall arrived in WCW by invading Nitro. To celebrate the anniversary, WCW’s YouTube channel posted that full Nitro episode.
Other Wrestling
Shingo Takagi commented on the news that NJPW’s ownership is transferring from Bushiroad to TV Asahi & CyberAgent:
I know the [Bushiroad] owner personally, and I want to say once again, thank you for the past 14 years. It was the same when LIJ (Los Ingobernables de Japon) disbanded, but I’m in a situation where I’m wondering ‘what’s going to happen,’ and I can’t help but be excited. I just have to work hard and stay positive, showing a bright future.
AEW wrestler Max Caster filed a trademark for the term “Volume 2” on May 26. Along with that, Caster posted a tweet calling indie promotion Beyond Wrestling/Wrestling Open his new home and the only place where people will be able to see him every week:
My new home. Proud to be a part.
The only place you’ll see the Best Wrestler Alive every week.
Thank you to all of the promotions who brought me in, all of my opponents, and all of the fans who supported this run.
Pro wrestling owes me nothing. I just hope that I’m leaving it better than I found it.
I’ve learned to never say ‘goodbye’ in this business. Did that a couple times and looked like a dummy when I came back. Even though this feels like my last run, you really just never know. With that being said, I’ll leave you with this:
Lee SouthOkada RPG Vice vs Bucks Jack PerryFresno, CAAEW DynamiteMarch 18, 2026 (Image credit: AEW)
WWE
The New York Knicks advanced to the NBA Finals on Monday, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0. WWE has been pushing that Danhausen has “uncursed” the Knicks while placing a curse on The Miz’s Cavaliers. With their win, the Knicks advance to their first NBA Finals since 1999.
The Gothamist reported on new renderings of plans to overhaul Penn Station in New York. While these plans would preserve Madison Square Garden, it would alter the exterior of the building and would lead to the removal of the Madison Square Garden Theatre, where NXT events have been held in the past.
Adam Copeland reflected on his Tag Team title win at Double or Nothing on his Instagram: “Last night at Double or Nothing @christian4peeps and I did something we haven’t done in 25 years. And that’s win tag team gold. He was retired for 7 years and I was retired for 9. But we fought to get our careers back and last night made it all worth it. NY you came out in full voice and supplied one of the favorite nights of my career. Even though I blew my pants out. The fact that I’m still having nights like this so deep into my career, with my best friend, my wife and wrestling one of the best teams ever in FTR, is not lost on me. Also, in case ya missed our ppv, @aew rules.”
Daniel Garcia vs. LaBrone Kozone has been announced for West Coast Pro on June 20.
Danhausen has signed on with a management company.
According to an article published by Deadline on Thursday, Danhausen is now represented by Adventure Media, a company launched in 2022 that is described as an “artist-driven management and production company” and is based in Los Angeles.
Deadline reports that Adventure Media will focus on growing Danhausen’s intellectual property “in film, TV, digital, publishing and other business ventures.”
Danhausen segment on WWE SmackDown possibly teasing Baron Corbin return?
On last week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, Danhausen was shown in his “lab” teasing something “even bigger, better, and larger” on the horizon.
Dave Meltzer also speculated on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that this segment could be teasing Baron Corbin’s possible WWE return, though Meltzer stated this was only his speculation.
Meltzer said:
“On the SmackDown show, when Danhausen was talking about something bigger, my gut was that that’s who it is. That’s just my speculation, but I just know that he’s been talked with about being brought in.”
New WWE star Danhausen reportedly received a massive amount of praise from Triple H and Nick Khan during the latest WWE Town Hall. According to a new report from PWInsider, the company are extremely happy with how his merchandise sales have been going since he started appearing on television back in March:
Danhausen’s popularity and success was praised today by Nick Khan and Paul Levesque at today’s WWE employee Town Hall, PWInsiderElite.com can confirm. After showing clips of Danhausen, they pointed out that he’s become the #2 merchandise seller for the company in the two and a half months since he’s arrived and become a WWE star. They noted three of his current shirt designs are in the top 5 best-selling shirts currently and praised his ESPN appearances as well as the crossover appeal of Danhausen “uncursing” The New York Knicks basketball team.
Speaking of his merchandise, Danhausen recently caught some strays from fans online when his recent design appeared to be made using AI. Whilst we are still unable to confirm whether it actually has been created using artificial intelligence, there are some potential tell-tale signs that fans have been noticing.
While Danhausen isn’t likely the person who designed the image (AI or not), he was being dragged for it because of his previous views on AI usage in art. Back in March 2025 he posted: “Hello, AI still f*cking sucks and you shouldn’t use it for art! Thank you goodbye.”
Danhausen and the New York Knicks
After cursing the New York Knicks a few weeks ago (and then later uncursing them), Danhausen cursed the Cleveland Cavs yesterday before they went on to lose to the Knicks in extremely dramatic fashion last night in Game 1 of the Conference Finals.
The Knicks were able to come back last night from 22 down in the fourth quarter to win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, with Jalen Brunson leading the MSG team to one of the biggest NBA comebacks of the season.
After cursing the New York Knicks a few weeks ago (and then later uncursing them), Danhausen cursed the Cleveland Cavs yesterday before they went on to lose to the Knicks in extremely dramatic fashion last night in Game 1 of the Conference Finals.
The Knicks were able to come back last night from 22 down in the fourth quarter to win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, with Jalen Brunson leading the MSG team to one of the biggest NBA comebacks of the season.
Danhausen on NBA Today and cursing the Cavs
The bigger story here is just how much Danhausen is starting to get attention in terms of his mainstream appearances. The former AEW star appeared on NBA Today yesterday and revealed that the Cavs were now cursed, before then reacting to the massive win for the Knicks following the game.
Following the win, Danhausen took to X (formerly Twitter) to say that he has now “earned” courtside seats next to “Timothee Chamalays” and Kylie Jenner. There’s currently no word on whether he will actually be given these seats at Madison Square Garden. Game 2 in the Conference Finals takes place on Thursday from MSG, so we’ll see if Danhausen actually gets those seats.
This is obviously in jest, but seeing just how over Danhausen has gotten already with fans online, fans in the live arenas and the attention he’s getting online is quite impressive. WWE behind the scenes must be extremely happy with the return they’re seeing from a monetary and branding point already and he’s only been on television for WWE since March.
WWE star Danhausen has a new tee out on WWE Shop, and while the Very Nice, Very Evil character is getting over pretty big on television, it looks as though he’s feeling the wrath of some fans online.
The design for the new tee is getting allegations of being created using AI. Whilst we are unable to confirm whether it actually has been created using artificial intelligence, there are some potential tell-tale signs that fans have been noticing.
Again, we cannot confirm at this point if this is indeed “AI slop,” but the suggestions from reactions on X like “the p*ss filter” (added to a lot of generative art due to the old Studio Ghibli AI trend that was doing the rounds a year or so ago) and “just look the left hand of Danhausen, no thumb extends like that.”
Why Danhausen is getting dragged on X
While Danhausen isn’t likely the person who designed the image (AI or not), he is being dragged for it because of his previous views on AI usage in art. Back in March 2025 he posted: “Hello, AI still f*cking sucks and you shouldn’t use it for art! Thank you goodbye.”
Again, we cannot confirm either way whether this new merchandise has/is AI art, this is purely speculative on the part of fans who have been putting the image through AI detectors themselves. Take a look at the image below and judge for yourselves:
AJ Styles praised Danhausen’s WWE contributions within a few months of his debut.
Speaking on The Phenomenally Retro Podcast, Styles commended Danhausen’s comedic role in WWE citing the need for entertainment in wrestling, an aspect he truly understands.
“He’s doing a great job, and this is what we need. A lot of people don’t understand it. We need a little bit of everything. We want to make sure you get the entertainment from wrestling, but also we want to make you laugh, too, and we got the storylines. We want to give you a little bit of everything. Danhausen is definitely filling the need.”
Styles also talked about his backstage roles in WWE following retirement, and revealed assisting with production for Evolve.
“I was able to see that and work with them. I wasn’t an agent or a producer, as we call it now. But there was, one of our producers needed a little help because he was doing a lot. So I was like, ‘Dude, if you want me to, I’ll do it. I have no problem doing it, and that includes putting the headset on, and calling the match to the TV which I had no idea how to do. But they came to me and was like, ‘Actually dude, you did a really good job because you didn’t say too much. You said enough, you told us where to be, what’s about to happen, where you need cameras.’”
The Bryan & Vinny Show is back with tons to talk about including a full recap of the WWE Backlash show, which wrestling-wise was WAY better than WrestleMania, with much less downtime and more time for all the matches. A fun recap of a fun show, so check it out~!
When it was time to reveal Danhausen’s mystery opponent on Saturday during Backlash, Danhausen’s cloning machine from SmackDown emerged. When the chamber door opened, a mini version of Danhausen came out, which caused Danhausen’s opponents The Miz and Kit Wilson to become elated. Although the two men were stronger than their smaller opponent, the mini Danhausen showcased some excellent lucha-style offense, surprising both.
At one point, the Danhausen clone re-entered the machine. The cloning device made noises and when the chamber door re-opened more minis arrived, overwhelming Miz and Wilson. Miz tried to use a fire extinguisher at one point, but instead set it on himself due to being cursed. The mini-hausen wiped out Wilson with a dive, allowing Danhausen to connect with a kick to The Miz for the win.
Who was the mystery tag team partner?
Bryan Alvarez is reporting that Mascarita Dorada from AAA was Danhausen’s main tag team partner.
He additionally notes that Danhausen face painting booths will be set up at future WWE events.
A mystery tag team partner
Danhausen has been feuding with both The Miz and Wilson for weeks, with the turning point coming a few weeks ago in an in-ring segment. The Miz initially seemed interested in becoming Danhausen’s mentor, but it ended up being a trap as both Miz and Wilson laid out Danhausen. SmackDown GM Nick Aldis then told Danhausen he could face the two at Backlash, but would need a tag team partner. Danhausen came up with the idea for a clone after The Miz told him the only way he’d find a tag team partner is if he cloned himself.
After being gone for a week, Tama Tonga returned on Friday’s SmackDown to get involved during the Talla Tonga/Damian Priest match, allowing Solo Sikoa to freely interfere on behalf of Talla. R-Truth came out to even the odds, but it wasn’t enough as Talla attacked Priest at ringside then finished the match with a chokeslam. After the match, the MFTs surrounded Priest but was interrupted by Royce Keys, who came out for the save.
Later backstage, Tonga was upset about Sikoa’s attempts to recruit Keys, saying he would deal with Keys himself. But that ultimately proved to be a failing effort, with Keys later defeating Tonga after a spinebuster. As Tonga was recovering backstage he ran into Shinsuke Nakamura, who said he was disappointed that Tonga was still associated with the MFTs. Talla then arrived to confront Nakamura, who didn’t seem impressed by the big man.
Following the departures of Tonga Loa and JC Mateo last week, there had been speculation that Tama Tonga may have been among the long list of names recently released by the company as he wasn’t seen on last week’s show.
Danhausen attempts to clone himself, WWE pays tribute to Ted Turner
Danhausen continued to tease his mystery partner for Backlash on Friday, with The Miz declaring that the only way he would be able to get a tag team partner is if he ended up teaming with himself. This led to Danhausen creating a cloning machine, which started to run. Danhausen said he would have his clone ready in 24 hours, only for the machine to break.
In an exclusive that later aired on social media, Trick Williams and Lil Yachty were beaming about their plot against Sami Zayn as Williams threw the Gingerbread Man costume away. However, the Gingerbread Man’s story wasn’t done as Danhausen found the costume and took it, seemingly hinting what could happen tomorrow in Tampa.
Elsewhere, the opening of Friday’s SmackDown saw WWE pay tribute to former WCW head Ted Turner with an on-screen graphic following his passing earlier this week. Vince McMahon took direct shots at the media mogul in the mid 1990s, accusing him of “stealing” talent. McMahon went on to parody him, Hulk Hogan, and Macho Man Randy Savage in a series of skits that aired on WWE television in early 1996.
An update is available on who could potentially be Danhausen’s mystery partner at WWE Backlash.
Danhausen and his mystery partner will take on Kit Wilson and The Miz at Saturday’s PLE in Tampa.
Our own Bryan Alvarez wrote to his subscribers on X that, while he cannot confirm it to be the case, he is hearing speculation that Jelly Roll could be Danhausen’s partner.
Alvarez wrote:
“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.”
Prior to the 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.
However, Orton has not been part of WWE programming since WrestleMania. It had been reported leading into the event that Orton was “hurting.”
Betting odds for who will be Danhausen’s partner currently list CM Punk as the favorite at -200. Joe Hendry follows at +200, with Mr. Iguana at +300 and Jelly Roll at +400.
