Danhausen's mystery partner at WWE Backlash in Tampa this Saturday could be about to generate the wrong kind of reaction from fans.
Brian Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer wrote on If the rumor turns out to be true, it's a reveal that won't go down well with audiences who are tired of celebrity presence in the company.
That framing tells its own story. The betting odds at Backlash place Punk as the favorite to become Danhausen's partner at -200, with Joe Hendry at +200, Mr. Iguana at +300, and Jelly Roll at +400. A crowd expecting a punk hit, but getting jelly rolls instead, could have a bad reaction at Amalie Arena on Saturday night.
Before Cody Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42, there were plans for Jelly Roll to team with Rhodes at Backlash in a tag match against Orton and Pat McAfee.
That program fell apart when McAfee opted out of the program following negative fan reaction to his inclusion at WrestleMania, and Orton has not appeared on WWE programming since this event, amid reports that he was struggling with physical problems on the show.
With the original tags matching the table, it appears that Jelly Roll's involvement has been redirected to the Danhausen program. Whether that creative pivot satisfies viewers who have been waiting to learn who Danhausen's partner is, but the contrast between CM Punk's revelations and Jelly Roll's revelations may backfire.
