WWE star Danhausen makes Game 3 NBA Finals appearance after uncursing Knicks

Nypost · Jun 08, 2026 · 338 words · By Collin Ward

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What to know about WWE star Danhausen makes Game 3 NBA Finals appearance after uncursing Knicks

WWE star Danhausen is in attendance for Game 3 of the NBA Finals, after uncursing the Knicks when they went down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left14%

Center72%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

WWE star Danhausen is in attendance for Game 3 of the NBA Finals, after uncursing the Knicks when they went down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

Why it matters

“I hope [the Knicks] get to 3-0, then I think we’re smooth sailing,” Danhausen said on “Hoop Streams” pregame.

Common ground

It’s not over yet.” Danhausen, wearing his signature white, black and red face paint and a No.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: WWE star Danhausen makes Game 3 NBA Finals appearance after uncursing Knicks?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that the curse that caused Dominik Mysterio to lose the Intercontinental championship to Penta?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/06/08/sports/danhausen-makes-game-3-nba-finals-appearanc…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

schedule Pending 4

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

schedule

Claim 1: “the curse that caused Dominik Mysterio to lose the Intercontinental championship to Penta.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “Danhausen... posed for a photo with Knicks celebrity superfan Ben Stiller before Monday’s game.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm Danhausen posted a photo with Ben Stiller before a game, describing him as a 'new best friend'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Donovan Andrew Danhausen, better known mononymously as Danhausen, is an American professional wrestler.Danhausen also worked as a nursing assistant while taking wrestling bookings before eventually tr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danhausen_(wrestler)

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web search NEUTRAL — Before tip-off, Danhausen posted a picture of himself with his “new best friend,” Stiller. They were both smiling, and the vibes were high before the game began. Danhausens new best friend Ben Stiller…
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-dan…

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web search NEUTRAL — DANHAUSEN fans and Knicks fans were hype in New York ahead of the Knicks Game 3. While fans went wild before the game even started outside the arena, DANHAUSEN would roam around the arena meeting cele…
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/danhausen-new-york-knicks

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Claim 3: “Danhausen has since lifted the curse on a Cameo message bought by J-Starr of BodySlam.net.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that Danhausen lifted the curse via a Cameo message purchased by J-Starr of BodySlam.net.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The WWE star asked Smith for an apology and money on Twitter, but the television personality did not provide either. Danhausen has since lifted the curse on a Cameo message bought by J-Starr of BodySl…
https://nypost.com/2026/06/08/sports/danhausen-makes-game-3-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — So when Danhausen “lifted” a curse on the Knicks right before they went on their tear through the NBA Playoffs, many took notice.Fans had seen the success of the Knicks and Danhausen’s curses, sparkin…
https://ripped.topps.com/wwe-danhausen-curse-knicks-hurrican…

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web search NEUTRAL — Danhausen is known for cursing fellow wrestlers and others who disrespect him, and has storyline powers to lift curses at a price.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/wwe-star-danhausen-lifts-c…

help

Claim 4: “Danhausen has since reversed the curse onto the Golden Knights.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny the claim regarding the Golden Knights.

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Claim 5: “the Knicks when they went down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly mention the Knicks' struggles and trailing the Atlanta Hawks 2-1 in the opening round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024–25 New York Knicks season was the 79th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks advanced to the 2024 NBA Cup knockout stage after winning East Group A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024–25_New_York_Knicks_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025–26 New York Knicks season was the 80th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). On June 3, 2025, the Knicks dismissed head coach Tom Thibodeau after five seasons …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_New_York_Knicks_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York Knickerbockers, commonly called the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Baske…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Knicks

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 6: “The Knicks have won 13 straight since then.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

A Wikipedia search result explicitly states that the Knicks became the second team in NBA history to win thirteen consecutive playoff games in 2026.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2012–13 New York Knicks season was the 67th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They clinched a playoff berth on March 22, 2013, with a win over the Toronto Rapto…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012–13_New_York_Knicks_season

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “WWE star Danhausen is in attendance for Game 3 of the NBA Finals”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm Danhausen attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, wearing a Knicks jersey and joining the ESPN broadcast.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Darren Jason Watkins Jr. (born January 21, 2005), better known as IShowSpeed or simply Speed, is an American influencer and online streamer. Known for his dramatic and energetic behavior he displays d…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IShowSpeed

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), also known by his initials KAT, is a Dominican American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl-Anthony_Towns

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A sports-related curse is a superstitious belief in the effective action of some malevolent power that is used to explain the failures or misfortunes of specific sports teams, players, or cities. Team…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports-related_curses

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 8: “The former AEW performer also cursed the Carolina Hurricanes before their double-overtime loss in the Stanley Cup Finals.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny the claim regarding the Carolina Hurricanes.

schedule

Claim 9: “His catch phrase, “Very nice, very evil,””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 10: “The WWE star asked Smith for an apology and money on Twitter, but the television personality did not provide either.”

CORROBORATED

One source explicitly states that Danhausen asked Smith for an apology and money on Twitter and did not receive either; another TikTok source discusses the demand for an apology.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Donovan Andrew Danhausen, better known mononymously as Danhausen, is an American professional wrestler. As of February 2026.Danhausen performing his finisher on The Miz. Before the kick, he taunts the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danhausen_(wrestler)

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web search NEUTRAL — Danhausen's call for an apology suggests a perceived slight or misrepresentation by Smith regarding wrestling matters. The exact nature of the dispute remains a point of discussion among fans, particu…
https://www.tiktok.com/@firsttake/video/7632373141683047710

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web search NEUTRAL — Thanks for checking out this interviewhausen with @LoveThatDanhausen! Go to https://www.upstart.com/cvv and find out how Upstart can lower your monthly payme...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YauK_AgKjI

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Claim 11: “Danhausen cursed ESPN star Stephen A. Smith and the Knicks on “First Take” before the start of the NBA playoffs”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources mention Danhausen's 'curse' on the Knicks and the mention of this on ESPN's 'First Take' on May 19.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name "the Rock", is an American actor and professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely r…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwayne_Johnson

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — John Felix Anthony Cena ( SEE-nə; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor, retired professional wrestler, and former rapper. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Cena wrestled for WWE for 24 y…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cena

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+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 12: “The self-proclaimed evil entity is one of the most unique members of the WWE roster, being the sole member in the comedy-horror lane.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 13: “He was also on hand at MSG for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavaliers.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results link Danhausen's presence at MSG to the Cavaliers' Game 1 loss in the Eastern Conference Finals.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago ... Danhausen is at Madison Square Garden for game 3 of the NBA Finals! If the New York Knicks win it will be 14 in a row since Danhausen lifted ...
https://www.facebook.com/thedougrush/posts/danhausen-wearing…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 20, 2026 ... If you want to blame someone for the Cavs' Game 1 loss to the Knicks, point a finger at WWE wrestler Danhausen.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/danhausen-curse-blame-cavs…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jun 8, 2026 ... Danhausen is at Madison Square Garden for game 3 of the NBA Finals! If the New York Knicks win it will be 14 in a row since Danhausen lifted the ...
https://www.facebook.com/AdrianRadio93/posts/danhausen-has-a…

schedule

Claim 14: “He made his debut at Elimination Chamber in February.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.