Jelly Roll Rumored as Danhausen’s Mystery Backlash Partner

WWE Backlash is less than 24 hours away, and the biggest mystery on the card still hasn’t been solved — but the leading theory just shifted in a big way.

Danhausen needs a tag team partner to face The Miz and Kit Wilson at Saturday’s premium live event in Tampa, and for days the internet has been convinced that partner would be CM Punk. The real-life friendship between the two, Punk’s lack of a scheduled Backlash match, and a cryptic Michael Cole line about someone who “loves money” had fans connecting dots all week. Then Wrestling Observer’s Bryan Alvarez stepped in and redirected the conversation entirely.

“I can’t confirm this but I am hearing speculation that the mystery partner for Danhausen is, in fact, Jelly Roll,” Alvarez wrote to subscribers on X. “Which would make a LOT more sense than an unadvertised PLE appearance by CM Punk.”

That one line did a lot of work. Alvarez was careful to frame it as speculation rather than confirmed reporting, but the logic behind it is hard to argue with.

Why Jelly Roll Actually Makes a Lot of Sense

Jelly Roll isn’t just a celebrity with a passing WWE connection — he’s been woven into SmackDown storylines for months. On the March 27 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, he stepped into the ring for the first time as a singles competitor and beat Kit Wilson. The same Kit Wilson who will be standing across the ring at Backlash. That’s not a random celebrity cameo. That’s a pre-built rivalry with a natural payoff.

He also appeared at WrestleMania 42 during the Night 1 main event, putting Pat McAfee through the announce table with an elbow drop — a moment that landed exactly as WWE hoped it would. The company clearly trusts him in big spots.

There’s also a backstage layer to this. According to reports, before WWE decided on Cody Rhodes defeating Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42, the original plan had Jelly Roll teaming with Rhodes at Backlash in a tag match against Orton and McAfee. That program never materialized — Orton reportedly came into WrestleMania hurting and hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since — which left Jelly Roll without his originally planned Backlash moment. Slotting him in beside Danhausen would effectively give him the Backlash spotlight that was already being built for him.

The betting odds haven’t fully caught up to the new speculation yet. As of now, MyBookie still has CM Punk as the heavy favorite at -200, with Joe Hendry at +200, Mr. Iguana at +300, and Jelly Roll sitting at +400. But Alvarez’s note — that Jelly Roll makes more logical sense than an unadvertised Punk appearance — could move some money before Saturday night.

The Miz Doesn’t Care Either Way

Whoever walks out with Danhausen, The Miz is unbothered. Appearing on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike earlier this week, the A-Lister made his feelings clear.

“I don’t care who he brings. I’ve seen the internet going in an uproar on who this mystery partner could be. I don’t care who it is. Whoever it is is going to lose to me, myself and my mentee, Kit Wilson,” Miz said.

He also took a shot at Danhausen’s whole deal — the face paint, the curses, the character that has somehow turned into one of WWE’s top merchandise sellers since debuting at Elimination Chamber in February.

“Danhausen is a clown and I will showcase exactly what he is. And that is a clown. Look at him. He has face paint, all right? And he’s cursing people and people are believing in a curse.”

Miz then addressed a recent on-air moment that’s been hard to shake. “Never in my 20 years have I ever been blown up on TV until Danhausen comes in and curses everybody. It’s not a curse. It’s not a curse.”

Sure, Miz. Sure.

Danielle Fishel Also Wants In

While the insider speculation swirls around Jelly Roll, one very public campaign has been running on social media all week. Danielle Fishel — Topanga from Boy Meets World, longtime WWE fan, and the owner of an actual Daniellehausen action figure — posted herself on the official Backlash graphic wearing Danhausen’s signature face paint.

“Just saying, we have history,” she wrote on Instagram.

Danhausen responded with crying-laughing emojis. Kit Wilson replied that he thought they “might fall out.” And CM Punk — still the betting favorite, still not officially scheduled — reacted with a shocked face emoji, which predictably sent the internet into another spiral.

Fishel has been a visible presence at WWE events for years, including at the company’s first Monday Night Raw on Netflix back in January 2025, so the post wasn’t entirely out of nowhere. But WWE hasn’t given any indication she’s actually in the picture for Saturday.

What’s Actually on the Line at Backlash

The tag match is one of five on the Backlash card. Roman Reigns defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Jacob Fatu in the main event. Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker collide in a grudge match that’s been building since WrestleMania. Trick Williams puts the United States Championship on the line against Sami Zayn. And Iyo Sky vs. Asuka promises to be a score-settling moment — particularly with the recent WWE roster cuts adding an emotional undercurrent to that one.

John Cena is also scheduled to make an appearance and deliver what he’s teased will be an announcement that will “shock the foundation of WWE.” No pressure.

As for Danhausen — the very nice, very evil, and currently very partner-less WWE star — his night hinges entirely on who walks through that curtain with him. If it’s Jelly Roll, it’s the kind of organic, earned celebrity crossover moment that WWE does best. If it’s CM Punk, it’s a pop that’ll shake the building in Tampa.

WWE Backlash airs live Saturday, May 9 from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN in the US and Netflix internationally. The mystery ends tonight.