Maybe you don’t “get” why a less serious gimmick like Danhausen uses is popular. But does that mean it’s bad for AEW or pro wrestling in general?
The man himself doesn’t think so, taking some time to be very nice and not so evil in talking to HardLore in his “human form” (a.k.a. out of character). In fact, Danhausen said that he and Orange Cassidy, another AEW star whose persona rubs some wrestling fans the wrong way, are providing a way for wrestling to reach people who might not otherwise give it a second thought (h/t to Fightful for the transcription).
“I feel me and Orange Cassidy are the ‘go to’ people for people to complain about when people don’t like, ‘Oh, this is too goofy for wrestling.'” Danhausen said. “Also, we’re the two people I always hear, ‘Oh, my friends don’t like wrestling, but they love you two,’ and now they watch, or ‘Oh, I wasn’t really watching, but I saw you two, so I started.’
“It’s a testament to, we’re creating new fans, which is what you should be doing as a wrestler. That’s exactly what all of our jobs should be and I feel only a handful of people are actually doing that. Whenever anyone comes up to me, it’s multiple people every single line I do a meet & greet, ‘I never watched wrestling, but I found you on YouTube.’ Great, that means I’m creating new fans who haven’t watched people like Dante Martin, who is a tremendous athlete. Now they’re watching him like, ‘Oh, this weird guy got me into this and now I can see Bryan Danielson, Dante Martin, Jade Cargill.'”
Danhausen’s point is well made. One of the key ingredients that any wrestling company needs for continued growth is a way to get more people to try it in the first place. After that, the quality of the product and its ability to keep viewers hooked are separate factors, but with his look and gimmick, there’s no question that Danhausen is a performer who stands out and demands attention.
His mention of YouTube is also wise, understanding that it’s a valuable tool to help reach a potential audience that doesn’t regularly tune in to weekly wrestling programming. On top of that, a comedic gimmick doesn’t mean the wrestler can’t be positioned for more straightforward pushes when needed, as Cassidy has shown with a variety of compelling matches during his time in AEW — including his thriller with NJPW star Will Ospreay at Forbidden Door.
So the next time you see Danhausen doling out his latest curse, even if it makes you cringe, remember that someone else might be seeing it and think, “I need to see what that guy’s all about.” And on that point, it’s hard to argue his assertion that he’s doing his job very well indeed.