August 1 will be a big day at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan: the first day of training camp for the Minnesota Vikings.
As we get into the 2026 NFL season, fans across the league are looking for anything that gives them an indication of how their season will go.
For Vikings fans, the question of who will be the starting QB is the top priority. Still, August 1 will be the first time when the initial rosters will start coming together. On the same day, 15 miles away at the home of the Minnesota Vikings, US Bank is hosting WWE’s SummerSlam. It’s an event billed as “The Biggest Party of the Summer” in WWE, the second-biggest event behind WrestleMania.
Maybe the WWE and the NFL are more intertwined than we would like to admit. If this is the case, is there someone or some insight the Vikings can take from the WWE?
WWE and the NFL
Many wrestlers who had WWE careers have also tried their hand at the NFL, and vice versa. WWE and the NFL have been linked for ages, because both are physically demanding spectacles. They became further intertwined when WWE VP Vince McMahon created the XFL in 2001 and revamped it in 2020.
Many current and former NFL players have been in the ring, and many WWE superstars have tried their hands at football. Some have made careers out of both, allowing some conspiratorial fans to believe that the NFL may be scripted.
The Vikings have several prominent ties to WWE. They’ve had Brock Lesnar and Joe Anoa’i, better known as Roman Reigns (aka The Tribal Chief), on their practice squads. These two star wrestlers also headlined the No. 1 WWE event at WrestleMania 38 in 2022.
Neither played a professional snap for the team, but they can claim to have been with the Purple and Gold.
While WWE and the NFL are a marriage made in sports heaven, could the 2026 Vikings be the final child of this union, given WWE’s newest top-selling talent?
Who is Danhausen?
Danhausen, whose real name is Donovan Danhausen, is a WWE wrestler who debuted in February 2026.
His shtick is a horror-comic-style wrestler who relies on theatrical displays (such as appearing and disappearing at will) and on his ability to place “curses” on anyone who opposes him.
While not as well-known as John Cena or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Danhausen also hasn’t had the run that either of those wrestlers has had…yet. In just a few months, he has become a top seller for the WWE and, due to unforeseen yet unforgettable circumstances, the center of attention during the NBA playoffs.
Let me explain.
He initially cursed sports personality Steven A. Smith, who is a massive New York Knicks fan. After the Knicks went down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks, Danhausen lifted the curse 11 days later, leading the Knicks to coast through the NBA playoffs and win their first championship in 53 years.
The Knicks went 15-1 en route to their championship, sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers and dropping only one game to the San Antonio Spurs.
While WWE is fake and scripted, the Knicks’ luck turned Finals MVP Jalen Brunson into a believer.
With that being said, are the Vikings unknowingly a victim of Danhausen?
Are the Vikings cursed?
Some fans have speculated that the Vikings are cursed, given their repeated success in the regular season and repeated postseason heartbreaks.
The Vikings are 0-4 in Super Bowls, and lost four of the first 11 Super Bowls ever played, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs (IV), Miami Dolphins (VIII), Pittsburgh Steelers (IX), and the Oakland Raiders (XI). Only the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos have lost more, with six and five losses, respectively. The Vikings’ four Super Bowl losses are tied with the Buffalo Bills, who lost four straight in the early 90s.
Then, who could forget Minnesota’s heartbreaking playoff loss to the Falcons in early 1999? After a 15-1 season in which he hit 122 consecutive field goals, placekicker Gary Anderson shanked a 39-yard attempt with the Vikings leading 27-20. After the miss, the Falcons sent the game into overtime, where they would break the hearts of Vikings fans everywhere with a 30-27 OT win.
Later, they had the 2009 Bountygate scandal and Blair Walsh’s wide-left 27-yard miss in Seattle in 2016. Each game added to the validity of a Vikings curse.
Therefore, the WWE and NFL could combine forces and make everything right in 2026. Maybe Danhausen can save the Vikings from their dire postseason fates.
So, as a tortured Vikings fan to Danhausen: Please lift this curse! We will give you your “human moneys.” We will name our children after you, whatever you want. Just please lift this curse!
