WWE's Danhausen being interviewed by ESPN reporter Christine Williamson at Madison Square Garden during the NBA Finals.
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBA via Getty Images
It’s 2026, and Danhausen is the King of New York. These are his words, and as superlative as they sound, WWE’s breakout star makes a compelling case.
Danhausen has only been with WWE for three months. Just one financial quarter, and what a boon he’s been to their business. In short order, Danhausen has become a Top-2 merchandise mover, and after his pivotal role in the New York Knicks’ first NBA Championship in 53 years, he is now the centerpiece of a WWE/New York Knicks licensing deal celebrating the world champions. As we speak, commemorative Danhausen t-shirts are available for sale on the NBA Store.
Some are already close to selling out.
NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson—who many consider to be the current King of New York—recently acknowledged WWE’s rising star after Danhausen’s “uncursing” of the Knicks vaulted the long-suffering franchise to glory.
“At first I was a little skeptical, but you have to believe it now,” said Brunson following New York’s feel-good win.
Given his mainstream ubiquity over the span of just a few months, Danhausen seems like an overnight success. The truth is, he’s been a merchandise sensation for years—even dating back to his days on the independent scene and later in AEW. But after AEW’s mismanagement of what is now arguably pro wrestling’s biggest sensation of 2026, WWE simply picked up the pieces and amplified an already proven formula.
Danhausen debuted with AEW in January 2022, and given the built-in indie mindset that runs through the company’s DNA, he was an instant hit in Jacksonville. Danhausen was booked using a “more with less” formula, playing a bit role where he wrestled a handful of matches while putting his supernatural fingerprints on the product through his now-iconic curses.
AEW victims of Danhausen’s curses included Adam Cole, Jon Moxley, William Regal and The Young Bucks, who were cursed in February of 2022 ahead of AEW and the Young Bucks’ darkest day: A violent backstage fight with CM Punk following AEW All Out 2022 in September. This literal Black eye for AEW sparked a chain reaction that led to Danhausen’s eventual release in 2026. Danhausen is a noted friend of CM Punk. His signings with both AEW and WWE came after Punk’s arrival. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t The Sportster.com) even reported that Punk was a driving force behind Danhausen’s WWE arrival at Elimination Chamber, which took place in Punk’s hometown of Chicago.
Danhausen fell out of favor with AEW shortly after CM Punk’s firing in 2023. Despite recovering from an injury that year, Danhausen was not used on AEW TV in 2024 and 2025. This was hardly a coincidence given his proximity to Punk. But despite being banished to the AEW bench for two years, Danhausen defied the odds through his one-man merchandising empire.
Despite staying in AEW against his will, Danhausen somehow managed to remain atop the merchandising charts, outselling some of the biggest stars in AEW and pro wrestling at large.
Danhausen’s only AEW-related appearance from 2024 to 2025 was a cameo at ROH Final Battle in December of 2024. Danhausen’s lack of usage led to frustration. In 2025, Danhausen requested AEW to not pick up the option on his contract. AEW President and CEO Tony Khan did the opposite, opting to add injury time to an already dormant Danhausen. Amazingly, Danhausen remained a Top-13 t-shirt seller even after vanishing from AEW TV for multiple years.
Per Pro Wrestling Tees year-end data, here are Danhausen’s merch sales during his entire tenure with AEW:
Danhausen was a ready-made star before he even bursted out of a box in WWE, which is a ready-made promotional machine. This was an obvious match made in Heaven, and the results have fed generations.
WWE is currently producing a Danhausen documentary based on his role in the Knicks’ historic championship, where he cursed the franchise, which promptly dropped back-to-back games against the Atlanta Hawks. Danhausen’s “uncursing” at the behest (and payment) of a New York Knicks fan immediately led to the Knicks’ 13-game playoff win streak. This was the second-longest NBA playoff win-streak of all time, and the dream run ended with banners (and fists) flying in New York.
AEW’s trash proved to be WWE’s treasure. This has been a theme with AEW, which has seen the likes of Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Penta, Ricky Saints, Jade Cargill and now Danhausen achieve career-defining success in AEW’s wake. But the truth is, none of these stars were ever trash. And when it came to Danhausen, he just needed the proper platform to showcase his treasures, and it has already paid of in spades.
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