Danhausen’s AEW Contract Quietly Extended Despite His Desire To Leave

Danhausen has been noticeably absent from AEW programming for most of 2024, aside from a lone appearance at ROH Final Battle. While many assumed his contract would be up by now, new information confirms that he’s not going anywhere just yet—whether he likes it or not.

According to Fightful Select, Danhausen’s deal was supposed to expire on July 1, 2025, but AEW quietly extended the contract, adding several months that now carry him deep into 2026. Despite being inactive creatively and barely used for the past couple of years, Danhausen is still technically signed and listed on the AEW roster.

“We’re told by AEW sources that Danhausen’s contract would have been up on July 1, however there were months added to Danhausen’s contract that take the contract well into 2026.”

Even more surprising, the report claims that Danhausen had no intention of staying and didn’t want AEW to pick up the option.

“It was believed that Danhausen had requested they not pick up the option, and that he was ready to leave the company after barely being used the last couple of years.”

As of now, there are zero creative plans for the “Very Nice, Very Evil” star. That lines up with what Sean Ross Sapp recently said during a Q&A session, where he revealed a past miscommunication regarding Danhausen’s availability. Sapp noted it stemmed from a private family situation, which led AEW to misread his decision to return to indie bookings.

“There was a thing last year where I knew they took issue with some miscommunication regarding his availability—or preferred availability. He had a family situation that I’m not going to get into, and then they were like, ‘Oh, but look—now he’s taking indies and all that. It was a miscommunication. He is well-liked there.”

While he remains a popular merch mover and fan favorite, Danhausen’s AEW future now looks locked in contractually, but not creatively. Unless something changes, the eccentric star could be stuck on the sidelines for the foreseeable future.