Danhausen made his AEW debut in 2022, in the form of a surprise cameo during a match between Adam Cole and Orange Cassidy. Although his arrival caused quite a stir among fans, owing to his popularity on the independent circuit, it unfortunately did not translate into a sustained push as a major player. The face-painted star shared the ring with names like Tony Nese, Hook, FTR, The Gunns, Ricky Starks, Ethan Page, and more, eventually forming a tag team with Orange Cassidy.
Unfortunately, at Revolution 2023, where he and OC unsuccessfully competed in a four-way bout for the AEW World Tag Team Titles, Danhausen sustained an injury that sidelined him for months. He was unable to regain his momentum after he finally returned in November, and wrestled what turned out to be his last All Elite Wrestling match to date at Worlds End 2023 Zero Hour, where he participated in a Battle Royal for a future shot at the TNT Championship. The beloved star went on a lengthy hiatus after this.
Last year, news broke that Danhausen had requested AEW grant him his release, but the company instead extended his deal and added injury time. This week, it was revealed that the “Very Nice, Very Evil” grappler had finally parted ways with All Elite Wrestling. This past Saturday at Elimination Chamber 2026, he made his long-anticipated WWE debut, confirming rumors that he would be unveiled as the content locked inside the mystery crate the Stamford-based company had featured on its programming recently.
While a character like Danhausen may be better suited to WWE’s style of “sports entertainment”, it can also be argued that Tony Khan may have missed out on a promising talent in the Michigan-native. Let us explore three reasons that may be the case.
#1. AEW will no longer benefit from Danhausen’s merch sales
Success in the pro-wrestling business is almost certainly determined by a talent’s in-ring prowess, presentation, and character, as well as the connection they build with viewers and audiences. However, as things stand in 2026, a wrestler’s potential to rise to the top is also decided by how marketable they are, particularly by their merchandise sales.
As a colorful and unique character with a very distinctive design and presentation, Danhausen has always been an impressive merch mover. He topped Pro-Wrestling Tees’ best-seller list in 2022, surpassing CM Punk and current AEW World Champion MJF. Despite being absent from the company’s programming since late 2023, the fan-favorite ranked third on the 2024 edition of the same list and 13th last year.
His status as a top merch mover was definitely a key motivation for WWE in signing Danhausen. The sports entertainment juggernaut will likely do profitable business by capitalizing on the former All Elite Wrestling star in the arena of merchandising and accessories, a business that AEW is now going to be deprived of.
#2. AEW could have used Danhausen as a unique mid-card act
Many in the wrestling space believe Danhausen to be an acquired taste. The erstwhile Kid Gorgeous plays a character who may not be the most unusual one fans have seen in the industry (which is known for its share of colorful, even supernatural characters like The Undertaker, Kane, The Boogeyman, etc), but one which nonetheless has many unique traits that make him stand out, such as his quirky speech patterns and sense of humor, his creepy props, and witty vignettes.
Many viewers agree that Danhausen is a better fit for WWE’s style of programming compared to AEW’s, considering how the latter promotion more often than not books a product more focused on in-ring action and intense storylines rather than character-driven, light-hearted or comedic segments and sketches. However, the 35-year-old is no slouch inside the squared circle either, and could very likely have wrestled exciting matches against AEW’s top stars and main event talent.
Now, it may be argued that the upper card scene in All Elite Wrestling was too stacked for Danhausen in 2026- populated by names like Jon Moxley, MJF, Hangman Page, Swerve Strickland, Andrade El Idolo, Ricochet, Kazuchika Okada, Kyle Fletcher, etc. However, the company does also have a thriving mid-card where the former OTT No Limits Champion could easily have flourished.
#3. Danhausen’s exit may encourage more WWE jumps
Danhausen’s AEW run concluded on an arguably quite underwhelming note. However, he is only one among a number of former All Elite names who have jumped ship from the Tony Khan-led promotion to WWE, just like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Jade Cargill, Blake Monroe, Lexis King, Ethan Page, Penta, Rey Fenix, Miro, and Ricky Saints, to cite a few other examples.
Danhausen’s WWE jump makes a lot of sense from a professional perspective, as he was not being used by All Elite Wrestling, even though the promotion refused to release him last year. Unfortunately, not being utilized or featured on television was not an issue he faced alone, as many others are still being kept off of AEW’s recent programming, including Deonna Purrazzo, Britt Baker and Keith Lee, for example. Even Private Party was believed to be WWE-bound owing to their lengthy hiatus, until they returned some time earlier.
While it is understandable that Tony Khan wants to make sure his locker-room is always loaded with talent, he also needs to ensure that they are booked and presented on TV at least semi-periodically, even if not on a weekly basis. Otherwise, more of his wrestlers might follow in Danhausen’s footsteps and head over to WWE for better exposure and opportunities.
Edited by Neda Ali