WWE wanted the Joe Hendry and Danhausen concert to be one of the funniest segments of the summer. Instead, it became one of the worst.
When it was announced that Hendry and Danhausen would join forces to host a live concert on the July 27 broadcast, few could have predicted how things played out. Portraying an awkward dance routine while repeatedly singing “I believe… You are cursed”, the intention clearly was to get the fans to sing along and have thousands of people yell both catchphrases. However, despite the fact that both Hendry and Hausen are firm fan favourites, the crowd was silent and rarely joined in with the interactions.
Given way more time than anyone wanted, with cheerleaders and Minihausens also getting involved, things finally came to an end when boxer Ryan Garcia blasted Hendry with a guitar. Unfortunately for WWE, this latest celebrity involvement also backfired as many brought up past controversial comments made by Garcia.
Social media quickly filled with criticism, with many fans labelling it one of WWE’s weakest segments of the year. While partly this could be knee-jerk reactions for social media clout, much in the same way that many argued Jey Uso was the worst Royal Rumble winner of all time, there have been arguably worse segments.
The Seth Rollins masked man shuffle springs to mind, as does the Pat McAfee inclusion in the Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton storyline. McAfee was revealed to be the mystery ally for Orton, calling out the business for being “soft.” With Orton and Rhodes having decades of history to fall back on, this was not the direction many had expected or hoped for.
This was also an angle as part of one of the biggest Mania matches, not the comedy battle set for SummerSlam between Danhausen and Dominik Mysterio. However, while the McAfee segment was designed to enrage the fans, the Hendryhausen concert saw the company drop the ball in a big way.
Danhausen has seen a rise that no one could have predicted in 2026. Bouncing back from a divisive debut at Elimination Chamber, Danhausen became one of the biggest merch sellers and most popular acts in his first 100 days in the company. Multiple reports stated that Danhausen was the third biggest merch seller at Mania weekend, and he was also a highly requested act at Fanatics Fest in New York.
Between receiving his own blimp and sharing a WrestleMania moment with John Cena, it was obvious WWE viewed Danhausen as a rising attraction. Although Hendry has not risen to the same heights, he has been well-received by the fans and his “Fire Logan Paul” song was sung in arenas around the world on subsequent episodes of Raw after the song premiered. So what went wrong here? The answer wasn’t that Hendry or Danhausen had suddenly become unpopular. Instead, WWE fundamentally misunderstood why both acts had connected with audiences in the first place.
Joe Hendry And Danhausen – One Segment Too Far?
The main issues here are the amount of time given to the segment and how the two Raw stars are perceived by the fans. The routine continued for several minutes before Garcia and The Judgment Day finally brought things to a close. If this were a heel act that got interrupted by two babyfaces and the good guys stood tall, the segment would have accomplished what it intended. Unfortunately, this mishmash of catchphrases and an attempt at a big dance routine felt more like an AI prompt. It felt like someone had thrown “Joe Hendry”, “Danhausen”, “dance routine”, “cheerleaders” and “celebrity cameo” into the generator without considering whether those elements naturally fit together.
Both acts became popular because they were unpredictable. Hendry’s songs were short, sharp interruptions that mocked his opponents, while Danhausen thrived in brief, bizarre appearances that left audiences wanting more. By turning both acts into the focus of a lengthy musical segment, WWE removed the very qualities that had made them successful.
Although Danhausen has not been to everyone’s taste, the short segments have been entertaining. Danhausen can also wrestle, and his matches are designed for comedy and for younger viewers. Never forget that WWE is a family-friendly product! WWE has a habit of overexposing acts once they become popular. What begins as a fresh idea is often repeated until it loses the spontaneity that made it appealing in the first place. There was a point where Danhausen would show up for a few minutes a week, get some laughs, and that would be it. Similarly, Hendry would briefly have some fun at the heels’ expense, sing a song, and the angle would move on to what’s next. This time, the joke went on for too long.
Rather than adding mainstream appeal, Garcia quickly became the talking point, distracting from the feud WWE was actually trying to promote. There could have been jokes about members of The Judgment Day, how the curses have worked or even some intentionally bad special effects. Unfortunately, this was Hendry and Hausen bombing on live TV as fans failed to see the funny side. In the end, this was all to set up a “Human Monies on a Pole” match at SummerSlam. With the “on a pole” matches being regarded as terrible stipulations, this was WWE attempting meta humour, but caused more groans than laughs.
WWE didn’t expose Joe Hendry or Danhausen because fans suddenly stopped enjoying them. It exposed them because it forgot what made them entertaining in the first place. Both characters thrive in short bursts, where the joke lands before audiences have time to tire of it. Raw’s concert segment stretched that formula beyond its limits, turning two of WWE’s most naturally likeable acts into an uncomfortable watch. Whether their popularity ultimately recovers or not, this felt like the first warning sign that less can sometimes be more.
Featured image: WWE
