Vince Russo isn’t questioning Danhausen’s talent — but he definitely has questions about how WWE chose to introduce the character to a wider audience.
During a discussion on The Coach and Bro Show, Russo reacted to the recent reveal of Danhausen as the mystery figure inside the crate after weeks of teases. While some longtime wrestling fans were excited to see the unique character appear, Russo argued the moment may not have translated well to viewers who weren’t already familiar with him. Russo first made it clear he respects Danhausen and the work he’s done building his character. In fact, he praised the wrestler’s ability to fully commit to the gimmick.
“I want to make one thing perfectly clear. This is a very, very, very talented guy. There’s no question about that. You guys know I love characters. He’s got this character down to a tee.”
However, Russo said the real problem is the way WWE presented the reveal. According to him, the company seemed to assume viewers already knew who Danhausen was, instead of taking time to explain the character to those seeing him for the first time.
“But again, coach, this is clearly we don’t care about the casual fans. We know that the casual fans don’t know who this guy is. There’s going to be no backstory. There’s going to be no vignettes because the people that watch our show know Dan.”
Russo then broadened the criticism to WWE’s overall approach to audience growth. In his view, ignoring viewers who might be tuning in casually makes it much harder for the company to expand its reach.
“So here’s the bottom line. The only way you’re going to get growth is to the casuals. When now the casuals aren’t even part of the conversation, there’s only one way to go, and that’s down.”
The Danhausen reveal quickly became one of the most talked-about moments from the show, but Russo’s comments show how divisive the segment has been depending on how familiar viewers were with the character going in. Whether WWE eventually provides more background on Danhausen remains to be seen, but the debut certainly sparked debate about how new personalities should be introduced to a broader audience.
What do you think about Vince Russo’s take on the Danhausen reveal? Did WWE assume viewers already knew the character, or was the surprise introduction the right call? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know.
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