Danhausen, the former AEW wrestler known for his “Exceptionally Nice, Very Evil” persona, made his WWE debut at Saturday’s Elimination Chamber event in Montreal, emerging from a large crate in his hometown of Chicago. However, the debut has reportedly been met with a mixed internal reaction within WWE, according to reports from Wrestling Observer Radio.
The segment featured Danhausen accompanied by a group of dancers before the lights cut out and the group disappeared, a presentation that Dave Meltzer likened to the infamous 1990 debut of the Gobbledygooker. “It was the Gobbledygooker. That’s what it was. They finally managed to do another Gobbledygooker,” Meltzer said, as reported by F4WOnline.com.
Meltzer further indicated that Danhausen’s arrival was not universally supported within the company, despite being championed by some. “People pushed for him. There were people who didn’t want him. It was not a unanimous decision or anything like that,” Meltzer explained. “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 share. He’ll gain another chance.”
While the live crowd in Chicago offered a “negative” reaction to the debut, Bryan Alvarez suggested that Danhausen’s value to WWE may lie outside of traditional wrestling metrics. Alvarez posited that the company may intend to leverage Danhausen’s existing fanbase and unique appeal in a non-wrestling capacity. “The fact is, he goes to all sorts of events and has gotten himself very over with almost zero national television exposure,” Alvarez stated. “So I presume that’s going to be his role. They’ll send him all over the place… like a WWE ambassador going different places.”
Danhausen himself addressed fans following the Elimination Chamber appearance, according to SEScoops.com, but details of that address have not been widely reported. The debut comes as WWE continues to build towards WrestleMania XL in April, and the company has not yet announced any specific plans for Danhausen’s future appearances.