The WWE Rewind: Danhausen’s Very Nice, Very Evil Halloween Special

Every five or so years, WWE celebrates the spookiest holiday of the year, Halloween, and usually with the help of their spookiest superstar. The Boogeyman hosted WWE Scariest Moments back in 2020 (which I retroactively reviewed). After arriving in a giant crate in February 2026, Danhausen has taken WWE’s spot as its funny yet creepy star. Some would even say he is very nice, very evil.

Now that Halloween is here, it is the perfect time for a Danhausen takeover. In addition to having a special edition of SmackDown on Friday and hosting Saturday’s Halloween Havoc, he has his own holiday special. Let’s take a look at Danhausen’s first holiday special, streaming now on YouTube.

THIS is Danhausen’s Laboratory, located in a mysterious location. With his cloning machine behind him and with his trusty computer, special Halloween Human Monies merchandise, and his Employee of the Month photo on his desk, Danhausen welcomes us to his Very Nice, Very Evil Halloween Spooktacular. He promises tricks, treats, guest stars, ghouls, goblins, perhaps even curses. He also encourages us to dress up as him for Halloween so he can get more human monies. He plugs Halloween Havoc and sends us to one of his favorite spooky matches, Cold Steve Austin vs The Undertaker.

Buried Alive Match: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer)

WWF Rock Bottom: In Your House (December 13, 1998)

I’m not sure if I’ve actually seen this match before, but a lot of this era is a blur for me as far as rewatching. Howard Finkel introduces the match while Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler are on commentary. This is the second Buried Alive match, the first being a few years earlier at the “Buried Alive” In Your House between Taker and Mankind, and Taker would go on to be in all five that have happened. The object is to throw your opponent into the gravesite on top of the large mound of dirt near the entrance area and then bury them with an adequate amount of dirt.

As is the Attitude Era, we start off with the two men brawling in the entrance. The fans are firmly behind Austin, chanting for him as he chokes Taker with a cable. They brawl to the side of the mound of dirt as we see the tombstone featuring both men near the open grave before Taker slugs Austin down the ramp and into the ring. Austin nails the Thesz Press and hammers Taker and drops his elbow. Austin smashes Taker into the steel steps and Taker tosses Austin over the Spanish announce table, sending Carlos Cabrera and Hugo Savinovich running. Taker tips over the table and backdrops Austin onto the floor and then into the steps.

We work our way back down the ramp and to the grave where Taker tosses Austin near the grave. Austin blocks Taker’s punches and Taker rolls down the hill of dirt as Stone Cold grabs a metal barricade and runs it into Taker’s face. Austin crawls Taker up the ramp and we get the in-grave camera shot of Taker tumbling into the grave. Taker tosses a wreath at Austin who falls in with him. Taker clutches Austin with a choke and Austin fades. Taker grabs a shovel and Austin punches, dirt flying as Austin escapes the hole. Taker slugs Austin’s knee and crawls out, the fans chanting “Austin” as Taker stomps Austin and Austin rolls down to the ramp. They brawl across the arena and Austin punches Taker into a railing before they work up the ramp to the ring again. Taker grabs a chair and nails Austin over the head with it. Stone Cold tries to rally back but leaps right into Taker’s arms who slams him into the ring post.

Taker chokeslams Austin mid-ring and rolls him outside, meandering back to the grave again. Taker punches Austin into the grave and Taker starts using his hands to move dirt to the grave which isn’t very effective. He grabs a shovel and starts shoveling it in. Taker climbs out and grabs a metal gas can, slugging Taker in the head. Taker stumbles and Austin Stunners him, Taker falling into the grave. Stone Cold grabs a conveniently placed wheelbarrow of dirt and dumps it in, chasing after Bearer with a gas can. Taker climbs out in Stone Cold’s absence and chills out on the mound. A large explosion bursts out of the grave and Kane climbs out. The brothers brawl around the dirt until Taker low blows Kane and tries for a Tombstone. Kane reverses it as Stone Cold rolls out in a back hoe. Kane Tombstones Taker into the grave and directs the person driving the back hoe to the grave, very impatiently trying to get them to get around to dumping the load of dirt in the hole. I’m not sure this man has a back hoe license. The dirt is dumped in and directs the dumping of more dirt in the grave before grabbing a shovel and loading some in. Austin grabs a cooler from the back hoe and hands a Steveweiser to referee Earl Hebner, who immediately raises his hand and declares Austin the winner. Fishy officiating! Austin celebrates with a few more cold ones as the dirt continues to be poured in.

Steve Austin defeats Undertaker in a Buried Alive match. Like a lot of Attitude Era main events, this went on forever and could’ve probably lost a good 7-8 minutes without losing anything good.

We return to the laboratory. Danhausen reminds us that Taker isn’t the only terrifying person tonight as Matt Cardona comes in, marveling at Danhausen’s teeth merch. Danhausen measures up Cardona’s injured arm, offering to fix it. Danhausen thinks we should watch Papa Shango now, who might be even more evil than he is.

We go to Superstars in April 18, 1992, for a Papa Shango green-screen promo. Shango says he IS voodoo and WWF Superstars won’t dream of nice things, they’ll dream of Papa Shango.

Papa Shango vs Brian Brieger

WWF Superstars (May 30, 1992)

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect are on commentary. McMahon questions the curses as Shango convulses in the corner, then turns to Brieger and motions, the lights going out. Flames erupt and we zoom in to see them on boots, the boots of a knocked out Brieger as the lights come back on. Brieger has the black ooze running down his face as Shango menacingly laughs over his opponent and officials run in with a fire extinguisher to put it out. This was really cool at the time and is still pretty cool now. No match due to the opponent being knocked out.

Cardona says Shango is a scary dude and there’s a knock at the door as Papa Shango comes in. Shango offers to take a look at Cardona’s arm and I know Cardona was having the time of his life. Danhausen sends us to another match and tells us to enjoy it or we are double cursed.

Firefly Fun House Match: “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt vs John Cena

WWE WrestleMania 36 Night Two (April 5, 2020)

I have been putting off Rewinding the second night of Mania 36 mainly due to the Edge/Orton match, so here’s a chance to finally get around to this polarizing match. We’re in the empty Performance Center as Covid had just shut down the world. Cena enters to his usual entrance, a little thrown off by the lack of crowd and welcoming us to WrestleMania, which is cut out by the video transforming into the Firefly Funhouse intro. Bray Wyatt greets us from the Funhouse, telling us about a world where gods, monsters, angels and demons are neighbors. “Hey John, let’s take a real deep look at who you really are. You’re about to face your most dangerous opponent yet – yourself. Welcome to the Firefly Funhouse!” Bray heads through the door and we cut to John standing on the Funhouse set. Ramblin’ Rabbit tells Cena that Bray went through the door. John heads through the door and enters into darkness before a Mr. McMahon Puppet (with devil horns) asks him if he has ruthless aggression.

We cut to Bray in the ring and splice in and out footage of Kurt Angle on SmackDown. John Cena in his original gear walks out by the SmackDown fist and enters the ring, Bray (and Kurt via video) asking what he has to hang with him. Cena yells “RUTHLESS AGGRESSION” and keeps swinging, Bray easily ducking and laughing at him. Bray mocks the Bella theme and asks if this is really what Cena wants to do with his life. Macho Mercy and Mr. McBossman greet us from their announce table as the classic Saturday Night’s Main Event entrance plays with Funhouse friends interspersed into it. We go to the big blue cage and “Muscle Man” Bray Wyatt cutting a promo about his partner Johnny Large Meat’s body. Cena comes in bumping hand weights uncontrollably and unable to stop as he cuts an 80s promo. Bray cuts a “whatcha gonna do” promo on Cena as Cena is unable to lift his worn out arms, then tosses Cena right back towards the SmackDown fist where he is now Doctor of Thuganomics Cena.

The Funhouse characters dance around Cena as he rejoins Bray in the ring. Cena cuts one of his freestyles, including lines like, “If all I got is rappin’ I use it to my advantage, because unlike Husky Harris its a weight that I can manage.” Cena calls Wyatt a disappointment and creepy piano music plays. Wyatt says he’s earned everything while Cena is the golden goose with unlimited changes. “You’re not a hero, John. You’re a bully. You’re a horrible person. You take the weaknesses of others and you turn them into jokes. You do anything for fame, John. Congratulations, you’re the man now, John. Poor, lonely John Cena. This is your last chance, man.” Wyatt backs across the ring and Cena scowls, tossing a bag of nuts at Wyatt and trying to attack in the corner, only for Wyatt to be behind him with a chain. Wyatt knocks Cena to the mat and we flash to Wyatt in the old Wyatt compound, rocking in his chair and talking about their WrestleMania match where John didn’t listen to the fans who wanted Wyatt. Wyatt tells us that it is time to rewrite his own story – run. And he grabs Cena in the ring, dancing with him before laughing and trying for Sister Abigail. Wyatt laughs that that wouldn’t be enough damage for Superman and hands Cena a chair. He flashes back to Mania where Cena wouldn’t hit him with a chair. Cena swings and Wyatt disappears and the nWo Monday Nitro intro plays.

Wyatt, in a nWo Wolfpac shirt, does an impression of Eric Bischoff and introduces the “coolest guy that ever walked the face of the wrestling earth.” Cena comes out in nWo shirt and with the Hogan-spraypainted belt at the Nitro entrance as Mr. McBossman declares, “This is such good shit.” nWo Cena attacks Bray and we flash through rough moments in Cena’s career before we see that Bray has been replaced by the Huskus the Pig Boy puppet. Cena realizes this and The Fiend rises behind him. Fiend hooks the mandible claw on and we get a voiceover from John Cena. “This WrestleMania match is going to accomplish what should have happened six years ago, ending the existence of the most over-hyped, over-valued, over-privileged WWE Superstar in existence.” The claw is locked on again and Cena’s shoulders fall to the mat, Bray in his sweater counting the pinfall as The Fiend stands above the body of John Cena before Cena disappears. “Let me in.”

The Fiend pins John Cena. I totally get why some people don’t like this. It isn’t a match by regular standards, but I think it is incredibly creative especially in the time period where they had extreme limitations. I always enjoy watching it back and it really is one of Bray’s brightest moments.

Danhausen calls it the strangest match he’s ever seen and Cardona says Cena would never join the nWo. Papa Shango has a lab coat on now and is mixing chemicals when The Boogeyman enters from the cloning machine, slurping up a worm. Shango and Boogeyman show excitement over meeting for the first time before they toast with warms and eat them. Cardona: “I’m not eating worms, bro.” Danhausen invited Cardona because he was good at finding body parts but all Boogey brought was worms. Danhausen tells Cardona to pay extra attention to the next match and Cardona is thrilled finding out it is a Chelsea Green match.

Trick or Street Fight: WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Chelsea Green (with Piper Niven) vs Natalya

WWE Monday Night Raw (October 30, 2023)

Our ring announcer for this one is the great Alicia Taylor while Michael Cole and Wade Barrett are on commentary. Natalya’s costume is a sexy bunny with a whip while the future Secret Hervice give us the fantastic combo of Bret Hart (Green) and Jim Neidhart (Niven). The ring is surrounded by spooky things like tables of candy and food and jack-o-lanterns are around the ring apron. Green and Niven are pretty great with the costumes and coming out to the Hart Foundation theme. Barrett tells us that his costume is one of his favorite wrestlers ever, Bad News Barrett, before mocking Cole for getting Candice LeRae’s name wrong. We start with Green smashing a pie right in Nattie’s face and slamming her to the mat. Chelsea tosses a bunch of candy and grabs the candy corn kendo stick which Nattie takes from her and smacks her with before sending Chelsea into the timekeeper’s area. Chelsea nails Nattie with a trash can lid and they pull over a table, tossing Nattie on it. Chelsea scales the barricade and leaps, Nattie moving and Green crashing through the table.

Nattie shoves Chelsea’s head into the apple-bobbing bucket and Anvil Niven tries to stop it. Nattie tries to hook both women into a Sharpshooter and they kick her into the ring post. They fight to a table near the commentators with pumpkins. Chelsea lifts the middle one and sees a head and it is the staring head of Nikki Cross. Chelsea gets a pumpkin stuck on her head. Back in the ring, Chelsea dumps a bag of candy corn and Barrett calls her a sicko. Nattie powerbombs Green on the corn – Cole: “That was almost a corny finish” – and Nattie hooks the Sharpshooter. Piper grabs Nattie and holds her, Chelsea runs with a pie and hits Piper with it before hitting her with a forearm. Chelsea lands the Unprettier on Nattie and gets the pin as Nikki Cross stares on.

Chelsea Green pins Natalya Neidhart. Stupid, goofy fun. Cole and Barrett kinda did this a disservice by joking about ALL of it, but I enjoyed it. Chelsea is a comedic goddess and the goofy spots were good.

Cardona is celebrating his hot wife as Boogey eats worms next to him. Shango is doing a spell over a Danhausen shirt as Danhausen sends us to a Boogeyman video package. We see Boogeyman scare Simon Dean, pose as the Gobbeldy Gooker, frighten Miz, eat Jillian Hall’s mole in front of Roddy Piper, drop worms from the ceiling onto JBL, and of course terrifiy King Booker and Queen Sharmell.

Back in the lab, Boogey drinks a beaker of poison while Shango is trying to check Cardona’s arm. Danhausen tells Cardona that the next match has one of Cardona’s best friends, Kane.

Monster Mash Battle Royal: Kane vs Great Khali (with Ranjin Singh) vs Mark Henry vs Big Daddy V (with Matt Striker)

WWE ECW (October 30, 2007)

Tony Chimel is our ring announcer while Joey Styles and Tazz are on commentary. At least we don’t have Striker on commentary because then it truly would be a scary affair. A lot of big meaty men here. If you’d every like to relive WWE ECW without having to watch it, Maffew’s reviews are some of the greatest material that have ever been on this site. Henry and V collide while Khali and Kane trade blows in the corner. Khali boots Kane down. Henry impressively lifts Khali onto his shoulders for a torture rack but Khali tumbles back down. V tries to catch Kane for a side slam but Kane slips out. V splashes Khali and Henry in the corner and chops away at Kane. V runs for a splash, Kane dodges and scoops V out, eliminating him. Khali hooks the Khali Vice on Kane and then on Henry. Kane slugs him and teams with Henry to clothesline Khali out. We’re down to two. Kane clothesline Henry in the corner and tries to scoop him up. He can’t and Henry runs in, right into Kane’s boot. Kane goes up top and gets caught, Henry dumping him right out. The World’s Strongest Man is the meatiest man of all.

Mark Henry last eliminates Kane to win the Monster Mash Battle Royal. This was horrible. I’d watch it again.

Back to the lab! Boogey offers Cardona a worm and Danhausen says his party stinks. Cardona says he’s good actually and his arm is starting to feel better. Danhausen calls for the Boneyard Match and high-fives Shango.

Boneyard Match: The Undertaker vs AJ Styles

WWE WrestleMania 36 Night One (April 4, 2020)

I have recently reviewed this one on Substack and again in my WrestleMania 36 Night One Rewind, so we’re going to do some cutting and pasting. If you don’t want to read ten paragraphs about a cinematic match, skip down past the result.

We start with shots of a graveyard and the famed Undertaker bell tolling. A hearse pulls up and into the cemetery. Druids exit and open the back of the hearse, pulling out a black casket. They open it and there sits AJ Styles, his music taking over as he declares, “What a ride!” He talks about how it isn’t scary and calls for the deadman.

AJ hears the sound of a motorcycle in the distance, and we see angles of that motorcycle pulling up with the familiar American Bad Ass look of the Undertaker riding it to the tune of Metallica’s “Now That We’re Dead.” AJ rubs his hands in excitement as Taker stares him down.

Styles tells Taker he didn’t think he would show up and shows off a freshly dug grave. Taker tells Styles that he dug his own grave. The brawl is on as Taker punches styles down. Styles runs to the hearse and Taker throws him on top of the casket. Taker finds a metal object and rams it at Styles, but smashes the hearse’s window and cuts his arm instead. “Son of a bitch!” Styles kicks Taker, who grabs him and throws him on top of the hearse, breaking its windshield. Styles crawls to the top of the hearse and Taker follows, punching him to the ground.

Taker says he has “a lot more” as Styles crawls away. Styles throws a handful of dirt in Taker’s eyes and lays in a bunch and a crotch kick, as one does in a graveyard. Styles says he is putting Taker’s ass in the grave. They trade blows and Styles tumbles into the grave. Taker asks how it feels as we hear “Hey Deadman!” It’s Gallows & Anderson, who say “we’re just getting started.” Lights shine from a structure behind them as doors fall and a legion of druids walk out, surrounding Taker. The fight begins again, Taker taking out as many druids as he can.

Gallows and Anderson attack Taker, pounding him to the ground. Anderson swings a shovel at Taker, who kicks past it. Taker gets the shovel and takes it to both men, evening the odds once again. Styles runs from behind with a block and shatters it against the back of the Taker, telling the “old man” he doesn’t have what it takes. Styles punches at Taker but rolls off yelling, noting that Taker made him break his finger. “Stay down, old man.” The old man does not stay down, so Styles spears him through a fence. Styles is up first as Taker crawls off, Styles taunting him and calling him a broken down old bitch. Styles breaks a shovel across Taker’s back, who falls into the empty grave plot.

After dropping a handful of dirt on Taker, Styles eyes a big John Deere tractor next to the grave. He climbs up, cranks it up and is shocked by a light behind him, the Undertaker standing right there. Taker beats Styles on the tractor, knocking him around the grave plot. Styles runs towards the house behind them, climbing a ladder to the roof. Taker tells Styles he can run but he can’t hide. Taker climbs behind him, meeting him on top of the roof. Taker raises his arms and causes a large flame to shoot up behind AJ, who catches a book when running towards Taker. Anderson and Gallows have joined them on the roof, Taker throwing Gallows off. Taker grabs Anderson and Tombstones him on the roof. That again leaves just Taker and AJ.

They trade blows on top of the roof, but Taker catches AJ with a choke and chokeslams him off and into a pile of easily breakable wood. Taker climbs down the ladder and walks over, asking AJ about his taunts of Michelle McCool. Taker tells Styles that they’re just getting started. Taker grabs the hand of Styles and helps him to his feet, then carrying him over his shoulder toward the grave. “You won’t last as long as I did.” Styles begs Taker to not bury him, apologizing. Taker kicks him into the grave, hops on John Deere, and dumps the dirt on top of Styles. The bell tolls as he turns off the engine. Taker moves moss off its tombstone to reveal “AJ Styles” as we see one gloved AJ hand sticking out of the dirt. Taker gets on his motorcycle, puts his bandana back on, raises one arm, igniting fire and a Taker logo on the building behind him. Metallica starts playing again as he rides off.

Undertaker defeats AJ Styles. For a thirty minute mini-film, it was pretty good. I think you could probably cut about 5-10 minutes out of it and not miss much. That said, for the first cinematic match of the Pandemic Era, it was good. Thumbs up.

We return one last time to Danhausen’s Laboratory. Cardona is on a gurney and being worked on by Boogeyman and Papa Shango. Chelsea Green pops in to find Matt and heads right back out, not ready to deal with any of this. Danhausen tells us to continue the success of this show by watching Halloween Havoc. If you don’t watch, you are cursed. Shango and Boogey laugh and we close out.

This was a fun watch. Running a little under two hours, it is mostly matches. While it leans to modern matches with the WrestleMania matches and the women’s match, there’s some older nostalgia here too. I might’ve traded out one of the Mania for the Chamber of Horrors match, but I also get why the more modern matches are here compared to a nostalgic WCW match. Really though we were here for Danhausen and his parts didn’t disappoint. Who knew we’d end the night with Papa Shango and Matt Cardona as storyline friends? This is worth your time if you need something goofy to put on in the background.