Tag: Danhausen

Conan O’Brien congratulates Danhausen on his WWE debut

Posted on by Ian Carey

Conan O’Brien put out a special edition of his Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast recently revisiting a conversation he had with Danhausen.

O’Brien explained that Danhausen had appeared on the podcast five years earlier and recalled being struck by his work ethic, noting that he had spent years “grinding away,” driving long distances to perform on independent shows.

O’Brien congratulated Danhausen on his WWE debut, saying:

“Danhausen is a wrestler, and he explained to me when we did this very first fan episode that he had loosely based his character, his wrestling character, on me if I was an interdimensional demon, which seems redundant to me.

And Danhausen and I had a great conversation. We talked about comedy, performance, the love of entertaining people. And what struck me, and still I remember this to this day, Danhausen told me that he had been grinding away for the past eight years, driving 12 hours every weekend just to be able to get up in front of people and wrestle. And this is a guy who just applied incredible work ethic to his passion. And I was so impressed with this fellow.

Well, now it’s five years later, and I am thrilled to report that Danhausen has recently made his WWE debut to rave reviews. And this is proof again that if you can marry hard work to your passion, you can go places.

So on behalf of myself and all of us here at Team Coco, massive congratulations and mad respect to Danhausen. And I am so proud of you, happy for you.“

The remainder of the episode features O’Brien and Danhausen’s conversation from five years ago and is available below.

Danhausen announces next date for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Fans in Madison Square Garden tonight were treated to a special segment during a commercial break in Monday Night Raw.

Danhausen came out during the break and announced that WWE would be returning to MSG for Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 18.

He then plugged his merchandise, revealed a t-shirt cannon, and launched some shirts into the crowd.

The most recent Saturday Night’s Main Event was held on January 24 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In the main event of that show, Sami Zayn won a four-way over Damian Priest, Randy Orton, and Trick Williams. That victory earned him a WWE Championship Match against Drew McIntyre at the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia.

There is another Saturday Night’s Main Event scheduled for May 23 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Danhausen files to trademark ‘You Are Cursed!’ amid recent WWE filings

Posted on by Ian Carey

Danhausen has filed to trademark one of his catchphrases.

According to documents publicly available on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website, Danhausen applied to trademark “You Are Cursed!” for merchandise purposes on March 26, 2026.

The application was filed under his real name, Donovan Danhausen, as an individual, with Michael E. Dockins listed as his attorney.

This filing is separate from several recent trademark applications by WWE related to Danhausen. On March 13, 2026, WWE filed applications to trademark the terms Girlhausen, Ghoulhausen, Kidhausen, and Kid-Hausen. Those trademarks are listed to WWE, with Lauren A. Dienes-Middlen serving as the company’s attorney on record.

Other trademarks registered to Danhausen include his ring name, which he filed to trademark on November 5, 2020. He also trademarked his face paint at the same time. The following year, he filed to trademark the term “Love That Danhausen” and the phrase “Very Nice, Very Evil.”

Danhausen listed among WWE free agents on roster page

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Danhausen is listed on the free agents section of the roster on WWE’s official site.

He joins Brock Lesnar, Oba Femi and Omos as those with free agency status with the company.

Danhausen made his WWE debut at Elimination Chamber 2026. In the weeks leading up to the Premium Live Event, Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis received a mystery crate with the advisory to open on February 28. 

Since then, Danhausen has made backstage appearances on Raw and SmackDown, ‘cursing’ those who oppose him and refuse to align with him. He is yet to wrestle his first match in WWE. 

On March 13, WWE filed for multiple Danhausen trademarks.  Danhausen made his wrestling debut in 2013. Six years later, he joined and competed for ROH until 2021. Following this, he signed with AEW. His last match was at AlW Alive out of Habit against Eric Taylor on January 23, 2026. 

Meanwhile, two of WWE’s other free agents, Lesnar and Femi, will collide at WrestleMania 42, which was made official after the altercation on Raw this week. Omos has not competed on Raw or SmackDown since the 2024 Andre The Giant Battle Memorial. Most recently he competed in the Rey de Reyes 2026 Qualifying Four Way match against El Grande Americano,  El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and NXT’s Ethan Page. 

WOL: Why was Cody Rhodes so annoying on WWE SmackDown?

Posted on by Jim Valley

It’s the Saturday Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley.

OVW referee Dallas Edwards released a positive message from the hospital regarding his unfortunate, dangerous and scary incident at OVW in Kentucky on Thursday.

On Friday’s WWE SmackDown, was Cody Rhodes being annoying on purpose during the contract signing with Randy Orton? He was so syrupy sweet and nice to Orton, so it was no wonder part of the crowd booed him. Is this the direction to WrestleMania or just for the angle?

Also, Jim talks about Rey de Reyes night one on Saturday and who is leaving AAA: Dom or Vikingo?

Plus, CMLL, New Japan Cup, AEW Collision, Jelly Roll, Danhausen, Kit Wilson and lots more. Another packed Saturday so here we go.

Right Click Save As (sub needed)

WWE files several trademarks related to Danhausen

Posted on by Ian Carey

WWE has filed trademarks for multiple “Hausen” terms.

The company filed eight applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office on March 13, 2026, all of which end with the word “Hausen.”

Two trademark applications were submitted for each of the terms Girlhausen, Ghoulhausen, Kidhausen, and Kid-Hausen, one covering wrestling-related purposes and another covering merchandise.

Lauren A. Dienes-Middlen is listed as WWE’s attorney of record for the filings.

Prior to filing these trademarks, WWE’s most recent applications with the USPTO included the name Myka Lockwood, which was filed on March 10, and WWE Hometown Hero, which was filed on February 28.

The purposes listed for the wrestling related trademarks are as follows:

“IC 041: Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered live and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; providing information in the fields of sports and entertainment via an online community portal; providing a website in the field of sports entertainment information; fan club services, namely, organizing sporting events in the field of wrestling for wrestling fan club members; organizing social entertainment events for entertainment purposes for wrestling fan club members; providing online newsletters in the fields of sports entertainment; online journals, namely blogs, in the field of sports entertainment.”

The merchandise trademarks list the following purposes:

“IC 025: Clothing, namely, tops, shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, hoodies; outerwear, namely, coats; bottoms, pants, shorts, underwear, dresses, pajamas, lingerie, clothing ties, scarves, gloves, swimwear; Halloween and masquerade costumes; footwear, namely, shoes, sneakers, slippers, flip flops, boots; headwear, namely, hats, caps; wrist bands; bandanas; championship trophy belts.”

Report: WWE’s reaction to Danhausen’s debut

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Danhausen’s debut in WWE could not have gone much worse. But his success and attitude since then have reportedly impressed his new peers and colleagues. 

A report by Fightful Select says the reaction to Danhausen backstage has been positive. “Those who Fightful Select spoke to in WWE were happy with the quick turnaround of Danhausen,” the report reads. “Most in the company knew that the debut was a flop, but said that the situation didn’t rattle him, and he responded well.”

Danhausen made his first appearance for WWE at Elimination Chamber on February 28, popping out of a mystery crate that had been allegedly shipped back and forth between Raw and SmackDown for weeks. Accompanied by a squad of dancers wearing his facepaint, Danhausen paraded down to and into the ring, where the performance was capped with one small poof of pyro. 

It appeared few in the United Center crowd knew he was, and he was mostly met with confused boos. 

Danhausen later discussed his debut in an appearance on Raw Recap. 

“Oh, it was thunderous applause,” he said. “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.”

Since then, Danhausen has appeared in backstage segments on both Raw and SmackDown. He put curses on both Dominick Mysterio (who went on to lose the Intercontinental Championship) and El Grande Americano (who was not able to compete in his scheduled match later that night). 

WOL: New champion on WWE SmackDown changes WrestleMania

Posted on by Andrew Zarian

It’s Sunday and a new episode of Wrestling Observer Live with Andrew Zarian.

The big story this past week was Cody Rhodes winning back the WWE Championship on Friday’s SmackDown from Drew McIntyre, which changes the direction for WWE WrestleMania.

On today’s show, Andrew discusses that, everything else that happened on SmackDown, and what it all means for the night one main event.

He also discusses NXT Vengeance Day and the lack of star power on the men’s side of things, which makes these shows largely skippable.

Saturday’s AEW Collision saw more build to Revolution. Andrew talks about that and discusses who is supposed to be the babyface between the Don Callis family and the Death Riders.

Plus, a Konnan health update, thoughts on the WBD Paramount merger, and Danhausen’s role in WWE.

Click here to listen (sub needed) or watch on YouTube

Danhausen announced for WWE 2K26 DLC

Posted on by Ian Carey

WWE has announced all of the DLC packs that will be released for WWE 2K26.

The game was released on March 6 for those who pre-ordered a premium edition. The general on-sale date is March 13.

Six DLC packs featuring four wrestlers each have been confirmed, including Danhausen, whose inclusion in the game was made official on Saturday.

Already released is the season one DLC pack with El Hijo del Vikingo, Flammer, Psycho Clown, and Mr. Iguana from AAA.

As announced on WWE Raw, Demolition will be in this year’s game. Ax, Smash, and Crush will be joined by Kelly Kelly in season two of the DLC, set for release before WrestleMania.

In June, season three will be released with Brian Pillman, La Parka, Matt Cardona, and Torrie Wilson.

Season four will be released in July and will feature Jelly Roll, Lady Shani, and The Hardy Boys.

Season five will be released in September and will feature Bam Bam Bigelow, Brie Bella, Pagano, and Danhausen.

The final DLC pack will be released in October and will feature The Natural Disasters, Earthquake and Typhoon, as well as Octagon Jr. and Royce Isaacs.

WWE 2K26 DLC Packs:

Season 1 (March 6, 2026)

  • El Hijo del Vikingo
  • Flammer
  • Psycho Clown
  • Mr. Iguana

Season 2 (April 2026):

  • Ax
  • Crush
  • Smash
  • Kelly Kelly

Season 3 (June 2026):

  • Brian Pillman
  • La Parka
  • Matt Cardona
  • Torrie Wilson

Season 4 (July 2026):

  • Jelly Roll
  • Lady Shani
  • Matt Hardy
  • Jeff Hardy

Season 5 (September 2026):

  • Bam Bam Bigelow
  • Brie Bella
  • Pagano
  • Danhausen

Season 6 (October 2026):

  • Earthquake
  • Typhoon
  • Octagon Jr.
  • Royce Keys

Report: WWE ‘pleasantly surprised’ by Danhausen’s early merchandise sales

Posted on by Ian Carey

Danhausen’s merchandise is reportedly selling well.

PWInsider reported Wednesday that WWE has been “pleasantly surprised” with the early numbers his merchandise has generated. The outlet also noted that Danhausen is expected to be at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando this week and is later expected to be at Friday’s WWE SmackDown in Phoenix, Arizona.

Danhausen also posted on social media Wednesday that his debut shirt is a top seller at WWEShop.com, writing:

“Danhausens debut shirt is the top seller on @WWEShop go give Danhausen all of your human monies or face the same fate of Mysterious Dominik.”

After making his debut at WWE Elimination Chamber in Chicago on Saturday, Danhausen appeared in a backstage segment on Monday’s episode of Raw from Indianapolis. After a short interaction with The Judgment Day, Danhausen put one of his curses on Dominik Mysterio, who later dropped the Intercontinental Championship to Penta on the show.

Danhausen also posted a photo with CM Punk and AJ Lee after Elimination Chamber:

Daily Update: Danhausen, NASCAR & WWE, Trish Stratus

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site today.

  • A detailed look at the WBD/Paramount/Netflix situation, what the latest decision of WBD to Paramount entails, the keys to why this is happening, business notes, how this affects AEW and can it get approved.
  • A look at the UFC and WWE business in 2025 and in the final quarter of this past year.  We look at the numbers, what they mean, why WWE was more profitable in 2025 than UFC and the key thing that can change that in 2026, Mark Shapiro talks ESPN value to WWE, lots of news about the business of the White House show, UFC fighters upset over pay, why WWE wrestlers are so underpaid but not publicly upset over, and business initiatives going forward
  • The violence in Mexico and tons of wrestling shows canceled this past week
  • We look in depth at the Janel Grant speech from last week, what we learned, what she said, and where everything stands.
  • Update on the build for  WrestleMania, Elimination Chamber, business notes, ticket sales and favorites for the weekend.
  • An updated look at AEW Revolution and business notes
  • The retirement of AJ Styles looked at
  • The most detailed look at  the television ratings from the past week, including comparisons with a year  ago, competition, demos and much more.
  • Notes from Arena Mexico
  • CMLL attempts to break a North  American record next week
  • Cinderalla tournament in Stardom
  • Fantastica Mania notes
  • The life and times of former Olympic wrestler Bobby Douglas, his coaching career, his beating Dan Gable, and two notable pro wrestlers he coached
  • College wrestling sets an attendance mark already this season
  • Who had the most top ten matches of the year  over a career according to Cage match.
  • City builds a bust memorializing top 80s star
  • WrestleMania week schedule
  • Former MMA fighter and pro wrestler running for Governor
  • Robbery of the ring truck for an indie group
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows over the next two months.
  • How many subscribers does Paramount need to make up for UFC expenses
  • More talk on Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
  • Stand & Deliver moves and why
  • When Roman Reigns and Brock Ldesnar are booked for TV in the Mania build
  • Pro wrestler who is active in Japan competes this weekend for the U.S.national team in anther sport
  • Notes on a  new comer to WWE who started this week
  • More notes on value of Dwayne Johnson’s TKO stock

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Tuesday Update

 WWE

AEW & Other Wrestling

WOL: Why WWE deserves credit for taking a chance on Danhausen

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: WWE

On a new Sunday Wrestling Observer Live, Josh Nason fills in for Andrew Zarian and recaps the big news from WWE Elimination Chamber which included the debut of Danhausen.

Josh makes the case why WWE should be applauded for the signing, plus gives his thoughts on the Chamber winners, Seth Rollins’ return and the news of the night.

He also looks at AEW Collision, next month’s Revolution, his experience trying to find wrestling on TV while on vacation, and more.

Click here to listen to the ad-free version or stream free on either Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Danhausen thanks ‘Fanhausens old and new’ following WWE debut

Posted on by Ian Carey

Danhausen released a statement one day after making his WWE debut.

The former ROH and AEW talent posted photos from backstage at the United Center in Chicago following Elimination Chamber. He is shown posing with the dancers who accompanied him to the ring for his segment at the PLE.

Danhausen specifically thanked his wife, Canadian burlesque dancer Lauren Jiles, who performs professionally as Lou Lou la Duchesse de Rière. She was one of the “Ghoulhausens” who appeared alongside him during the segment.

Danhausen wrote:

“Thank you @loulouladuchesse for everything and leading the ghoulhausens. I love you.
My friends and family who supported Danhausen to get here since the beginning.
All the Fanhausens old and new who’ve stuck by Danhausen from abandoned Target buildings on 8 mile in Detroit with 12 people in attendance to almost 20K at the United Center last night. Now the real work begins. We takeover television and the audience. 
Love That Danhausen.”

Danhausen’s full post is available below:

Danhausen, the Gobbledy Gooker, and the risk of a mystery reveal | Column

Posted on by Ian Carey

Danhausen’s WWE debut at Elimination Chamber on Saturday has drawn comparisons to a time when a giant egg hatched at Survivor Series.

The 35-year-old former AEW and ROH wrestler was revealed to be inside the mystery crate opened on the PLE. The crowd reacted negatively to the segment.

“It was the Gobbledy Gooker. That’s what it was. They finally managed to do another Gobbledy Gooker,” Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio about Danhausen’s debut.

As a hyped debut built around a reveal from inside a box or egg that the crowd rejected, yes, it was exactly that. But Danhausen’s chances of success in WWE feel much higher than Gooker’s did.

For those fortunate enough to be unaware or to have forgotten, the Gobbledy Gooker debuted at Survivor Series 1990. WWE had spent weeks promoting that a giant egg would hatch at the pay-per-view. When it finally did, an anthropomorphized turkey portrayed by Hector Guerrero emerged. Fans weren’t impressed.

After hatching, the Gooker danced with Gene Okerlund, worked a handful of house show matches, won the 1990 Worst Gimmick award and quietly disappeared.

At the time, theories about who might be inside the egg included Ric Flair, who would debut the following year. The expectations of fans that night may have played a role in the negative reaction Gooker received. Although another credible-sounding theory suggests the crowd reacted negatively because he was, in fact, a man dressed as a turkey.

Perhaps Chicago fans expecting a bigger surprise played a role in how they responded to Danhausen.

Hot take on Danhausen’s debut

I thought it was great. I’ve always had a higher tolerance for wrestling’s more ridiculous acts, however. I understand why others feel differently.

Danhausen’s act requires a significant suspension of disbelief, something Observer subscribers often have less patience for than other wrestling fans. He is going to be polarizing for that reason alone. But there is a campy, Rocky Horror Picture Show-style energy to him that connects with a segment of the audience.

Danhausen has a lot of fans and they will purchase his merchandise. The Gooker was not breaking records on Pro Wrestling Tees before his debut, at least not to my knowledge, anyway. Whether Danhausen can translate his appeal into WWE success remains to be seen, but I like his chances better than The Gooker’s.

WWE signing Danhausen was ‘not a unanimous decision’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Not everyone in WWE was supportive of the company signing Danhausen.

At Saturday’s WWE Elimination Chamber in Chicago, Danhausen was revealed to have been inside the mystery crate opened on the show. The 35-year-old former ROH and AEW wrestler was accompanied by several dancers, who were also wearing Danhausen-style facepaint. The live crowd reacted negatively to the segment.

Danhausen’s WWE debut was discussed on the post-Elimination Chamber edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, where Dave Meltzer said not everyone in the company was on board with bringing him in.

“It was the Gobbledygooker. That’s what it was. They finally managed to do another Gobbledygooker,” Meltzer said.

Bryan Alvarez noted that Danhausen’s act has gotten over even without much television exposure.

Alvarez said:

“The fact is, he goes to all sorts of events and has gotten himself very over with almost zero national television exposure. So I presume that’s going to be his role. They’ll send him all over the place. They’ll market him on television so he’s bigger at those events, and that will be his role, like a WWE ambassador going different places.”

Meltzer continued:

“People pushed for him. There were people who didn’t want him. It was not a unanimous decision or anything like that. I would guess that the people who didn’t want him are thinking like, ‘Hmm, sure didn’t work out so well this time.’ But time will tell. He’ll get another chance.“

The full episode of Wrestling Observer Radio is available for subscribers here.