Kit Wilson has exposed that not everyone in the back 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 collection of stars.
Danhausen debuted at Elimination Chamber on February 28 in Chicago after weeks of mysterious teases on WWE television. During the moment, Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis opened a large crate before Danhausen emerged from a coffin as dancers in beloved star paint filled the stage. What's more, he then handed Michael Cole a jar of teeth before the venue lights went out.
The debut divided opinion among fans, and Wilson says it additionally created mixed feelings in the gorilla position area.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Wilson admitted he never anticipated Danhausen to become as much-loved 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.
“The situation was a wealth of people that enjoyed it, while 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 let slip that some wrestlers were frustrated by Danhausen receiving such a prominent introduction.
“Danhausen came in and there was plenty 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 inaugural televised opponent, facing him on the April 10 edition of SmackDown alongside The Miz. Danhausen picked up after one of his trademark “curses” triggered pyro behind the ring post.
Looking back on the encounter, Wilson laughed: “So of course, I wanted to be the guy to take on Danhausen. Who had his debut contest? Meanwhile, me, and who put him on the map? What's more, so, I guess you’re welcome?” Me, and now Danhausen is popular than ever.
While Wilson described skepticism within the locker room, WWE management was spotted far more optimistic.
Following Elimination Chamber, Triple H was asked about Danhausen’s debut during the post-show press conference and mentioned he believed wrestling community were in for a fun ride.
Since arriving in WWE, Danhausen has remained undefeated. Along those lines, his latest victory came at SummerSlam, where he beat 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 agreement despite his desire to leave, the deal eventually expired shortly before his WWE debut at Elimination Chamber.