Danhausen would welcome the chance to compete at WWE Survivor Series, but he has a very specific vision for the match he would like to enter. The eccentric WWE talent has voiced support for bringing back the event’s traditional five-on-five elimination format, saying he would prefer a classic Survivor Series bout over WWE’s current WarGames centerpiece.
Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, Danhausen said the original Survivor Series match concept remains among his favorite match types in wrestling. While he stressed that he would answer the call if WWE placed him in WarGames, his preference would be to take part in the multi-person elimination contests that helped define Survivor Series for decades.
“Danhausen would love to participate at Survivor Series in a classic Survivor Series style elimination match ... regular style. No WarGames for Danhausen. If he’s called, he’ll do it. But he would like to do traditional, classic Survivor Series. Those are one of my favorite all-time matches, Survivor Series style.”
The comments arrive as Survivor Series continues to be closely associated with WarGames. Beginning in 2022, WWE moved away from presenting the titular elimination match as the show’s central attraction and instead made WarGames the annual signature stipulation. The format places two teams in a cage spanning two rings, with competitors entering at intervals before the match officially begins once all participants have entered.
For more background on this topic, read Mackenzie Dern Says a Future Move to Professional Wrestling ‘Would Be Fun’.
WarGames has supplied WWE with a major late-year spectacle, often providing a platform for the culmination of faction rivalries and major brand-wide conflicts. At the same time, Danhausen’s remarks reflect a continuing appreciation for the straightforward but distinctive drama of the traditional Survivor Series format: two teams, eliminations throughout the contest, and the possibility that one wrestler can survive against overwhelming odds.
The appeal of the original Survivor Series format
Survivor Series has undergone several identity shifts since its earliest years. For a long stretch of its history, though, the event was built around elimination matches involving teams of four or five wrestlers. The structure made the show different from WWE’s other premium live events. Rather than centering entirely on singles championship matches, Survivor Series could bring together rivals, allies and unexpected combinations within a single team.
The elimination stipulation also created storytelling opportunities that do not always exist in a standard tag match. A wrestler could be removed quickly because of a costly mistake. A team captain could be left without support. An underdog could outlast several opponents, while a heavily promoted star could be eliminated early to establish a new direction. The result was a match format in which momentum could turn sharply from one fall to the next.
That history is clearly part of what appeals to Danhausen. His character work, unusual presentation and ability to operate as both a comedic presence and an unpredictable opponent could fit naturally into a traditional elimination match. In that environment, he would not need to be the sole focus of a major storyline to make an impression. The format has long rewarded distinctive personalities, sudden momentum swings and surprise survivals.
Danhausen did not dismiss WarGames outright. His statement made clear that he would participate if selected. Still, his answer put the emphasis on the distinction between being willing to compete under WWE’s current Survivor Series formula and actively wanting the old format to return. For him, the ideal scenario is not simply appearing on the card; it is competing in the match type that he views as the essence of Survivor Series.
Why WWE made WarGames the Survivor Series focus
WWE leadership has previously addressed the decision to refresh Survivor Series. After the first Survivor Series WarGames event in 2022, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque explained that the familiar Raw-versus-SmackDown approach to the five-on-five elimination concept had begun to feel “a bit tired.” For years, WWE frequently framed Survivor Series around brand supremacy, assembling Raw and SmackDown teams to face one another.
That presentation had obvious annual structure, but it could also create challenges. In some years, wrestlers who were involved in personal feuds had to temporarily set those issues aside in order to represent their assigned brand. The stakes of brand supremacy could feel disconnected from ongoing stories, particularly when the same competitors resumed their individual rivalries immediately after the event.
WarGames offered a different framework. Rather than requiring a Raw-versus-SmackDown theme, WWE could use the match to advance major feuds already playing out on television. The cage, two-ring setup and staggered entry format add a sense of escalation suited to faction battles. It also gives WWE a high-profile match that can be marketed as a major annual attraction while still being shaped around current storylines.
The shift has not erased fan interest in traditional elimination matches, however. Survivor Series remains inseparable from the format in the minds of many viewers, and the name itself naturally raises the question of whether a “survivor” will emerge from a team battle. Danhausen’s public preference adds a wrestler’s voice to that conversation without suggesting that a change has been announced.
Levesque has not confirmed when, or if, the classic five-on-five Survivor Series format will return as the event’s primary match. WWE can always feature elimination matches elsewhere on a Survivor Series card, but there has been no indication that WarGames is set to be replaced in the immediate future.
WarGames remains planned for Houston
For 2026, WWE intends to present WarGames again when Survivor Series heads to Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. The setting gives the company another opportunity to stage the large-scale match in a venue capable of accommodating the two-ring configuration and the imposing cage structure that defines WarGames.
As of now, reported plans and speculation surrounding the men’s WarGames direction have centered on Roman Reigns leading The Bloodline against Royce Keys, Bronco Nima and Lucien Price of 946. Such a match would be positioned to bring an end to the feud that has been unfolding on Raw. However, those teams remain rumored rather than officially confirmed, and WWE can alter its creative direction at any point before the event.
If that matchup comes together, it would demonstrate exactly why WarGames has become a natural fit for modern Survivor Series cards. The potential conflict is rooted in a sustained faction issue, with Reigns and The Bloodline on one side and 946 represented by Keys, Nima and Price on the other. A WarGames match would provide a contained environment for resolving a conflict built around numbers, alliances and group identity.
It also underlines the contrast at the heart of Danhausen’s comments. WarGames is designed to heighten a feud through chaos, weapon-friendly violence and the visual scale of its cage. The classic Survivor Series elimination match is built around attrition, strategy and the changing balance of a team contest. Both can feature five competitors per side, but they produce dramatically different kinds of matches.
A format debate tied to Survivor Series history
There is no reason WWE could not someday use both concepts at Survivor Series. WarGames could remain the main-event attraction for a heated faction war, while a traditional elimination match could return elsewhere on the card with its own story and stakes. That type of balance could preserve the newer identity WWE has established for the event while also acknowledging the match style that made Survivor Series unique for generations.
For Danhausen, the issue is uncomplicated. He wants the classic version. His comments were not framed as a demand or a criticism of those who enjoy WarGames; instead, they were an enthusiastic endorsement of a format he considers one of wrestling’s best. The desire to see him participate in that setting is likely to resonate with fans who continue to associate Survivor Series with eliminations, surviving teammates and the finality of a last wrestler standing.
Until WWE announces otherwise, WarGames remains the direction for Survivor Series in Houston. Danhausen has said he will be ready if called upon, regardless of the stipulation. But if he gets his choice, he wants the event’s traditional five-on-five elimination match back in the spotlight—very nice, very evil, and without a cage surrounding two rings.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.