Danhausen's Very Nice, Very Evil SmackDown: Gunther Warns Danhausen Ahead of Halloween Special
Halloween on SmackDown belongs to Danhausen. WWE has announced that the October 30 episode will be "Danhausen's Very Nice, Very Evil SmackDown," a special show built around the man who has turned into one of the most talked-about acts in WWE since his debut earlier this year.
There is one problem for Danhausen: Gunther has made it clear he will be there too.
SmackDown on October 30: date, time and how to watch
- Date: Friday, October 30, 2026
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
- Venue: Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, West Virginia
- How to watch: USA Network in the United States, and Netflix in most other countries
Gunther: "I hate Halloween"
After the October 23 SmackDown went off the air, WWE released footage of Gunther reacting to the news. He was not impressed. "I hate Halloween," he said, before making fun of the idea of a whole night being handed to Danhausen. He then promised to be at the show and to make it "a very special night for a very special boy."
WWE has since said Gunther wants to do "something special" for Danhausen on the show. No match between the two has been announced yet.
How the Danhausen and Gunther story got here
Gunther has been in a foul mood for weeks after missing out on both an Undisputed WWE Championship shot and Money in the Bank, and Danhausen is the one who has paid for it.
On the October 9 SmackDown, Danhausen tried to curse Gunther before their match could even start. Gunther answered with a boot to the face, ripped off his cape and powerbombed him, and kept going long after it was over. Finn Bálor ran in to make the save for the second week in a row, and Gunther left Bálor laid out after powerbombing him through the announce table. The bell never rang, so the match never officially happened.
That is the backdrop for October 30. Gunther has already shown he does not care about curses, and now WWE has given Danhausen a whole night of his own, right in the middle of that feud.
Danhausen is still unbeaten in WWE
Danhausen has not lost a match since arriving in WWE at Elimination Chamber in February. By our count he is 22–0 in all WWE matches this year, house shows included, and 6–0 on Raw, SmackDown and Premium Live Events. That includes his win over Dominik Mysterio on night two of SummerSlam.
Gunther is a very different kind of threat to anyone Danhausen has faced so far, which is exactly why this story works. Check his full record on his profile, or see where he ranks for win rate on our WWE Leaderboards.
Three title matches on the Halloween SmackDown
Danhausen's night is also a big night for the Crown Jewel card. Two of the three title matches could change the Champion vs. Champion matches in Riyadh on November 7.
- Undisputed WWE Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Trick Williams. Zayn is booked to face Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel. If he loses the title to the United States Champion a week before, that match changes.
- WWE Women's Championship: Chelsea Green (c) vs. Nikki Bella. Green is booked to face Liv Morgan at Crown Jewel, so the same is true here.
- AAA World Cruiserweight Championship: Rey Fenix (c) vs. Ricky Saints.
What to expect
WWE does not build a themed episode around someone just to have him beaten on it. Expect Danhausen to be on screen a lot, with the kind of comedy only he can get away with, and expect Gunther to try to ruin it. The most likely outcome is that Gunther gets his hands on him at some point in the night, and Danhausen gets the last laugh before the show is over, whether that is with a curse, a little help or both. If a match does get made, a Gunther win would end the unbeaten run, so WWE will think hard about whether this is the night for that.
For the title matches, Zayn and Green are both strong favorites to retain. WWE has spent weeks promoting its Crown Jewel Champion vs. Champion matches, and changing either one a week out would be a big swerve. But both challengers have a real reason to be there, and either match could set up something for after Crown Jewel.
A Halloween weekend for Danhausen
Danhausen's busy weekend does not stop on Friday. He is also the host of NXT Halloween Havoc on Saturday, October 31, at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on The CW in the United States and Netflix in most other countries.
We will have a full SmackDown preview and predictions before the show, and live results on the night. For the latest on the Crown Jewel card, see our Crown Jewel 2026 preview.
