Kit Wilson has revealed that not everyone backstage was happy when Danhausen made his WWE debut at Elimination Chamber, saying several wrestlers felt the opportunity came at the expense of talent already on the roster.
Danhausen debuted at Elimination Chamber on February 28 in Chicago after weeks of mysterious teases on WWE television. During the segment, Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis opened a large crate before Danhausen emerged from a coffin as dancers in face paint filled the stage. He then handed Michael Cole a jar of teeth before the arena lights went out.
The debut divided opinion among fans, and Wilson says it also created mixed feelings backstage.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Wilson admitted he never expected Danhausen to become as popular as he has.
“Absolutely not. I was there in Chicago for his debut, and I think that gave us a lot of question marks.”
He acknowledged that reactions were split both inside the arena and among WWE talent.
“It was a lot of people that enjoyed it. There was a lot of people that didn’t. Again, that’s the beautiful thing about this company, about this program is that we all get to have our own opinion.”
Wilson then revealed that some wrestlers were frustrated by Danhausen receiving such a prominent introduction.
“Danhausen came in and there was a lot of us backstage that didn’t feel too fond about him coming in on a pay-per-view, on a P.L.E… maybe taking our spots.”
Wilson did not identify anyone specifically before joking about his own role in Danhausen’s early WWE success.
He was Danhausen’s first televised opponent, facing him on the April 10 edition of SmackDown alongside The Miz. Danhausen won after one of his trademark “curses” triggered pyro behind the ring post.
Looking back on the match, Wilson laughed:
“So of course, I wanted to be the guy to take on Danhausen. Who had his debut match? Me. Who put him on the map? Me, and now Danhausen is popular than ever. So, I guess you’re welcome?”
While Wilson described skepticism within the locker room, WWE management appeared far more optimistic.
Following Elimination Chamber, Triple H was asked about Danhausen’s debut during the post-show press conference and said he believed fans were in for a fun ride.
Since arriving in WWE, Danhausen has remained undefeated. His latest victory came at SummerSlam, where he defeated Dominik Mysterio in the Human Monies on a Pole Match.
The 35-year-old previously wrestled for AEW and Ring of Honor before becoming available earlier this year. After AEW exercised an option to extend his contract despite his desire to leave, the deal eventually expired shortly before his WWE debut at Elimination Chamber.
