Joe Hendry Escalates JD McDonagh’s ‘Funko Pop Head’ Gag on Raw

JD McDonagh’s head size has become one of WWE’s longest-running inside jokes, and the bit is only growing bigger. On the October 12 episode of Raw, McDonagh found himself face-to-face with an oversized Funko Pop mascot built in his own likeness, courtesy of his ongoing feud with Joe Hendry — a confrontation WWE’s own social team gleefully described as McDonagh “crashing out after humiliation.”

The mascot is the latest escalation of a joke that’s been building for years. Cody Rhodes is credited with originating it back on the August 21, 2023 episode of Raw, during his feud with The Judgment Day, when he told McDonagh, “Head so big on that little body, he’s looking like a Funko Pop!” It was a throwaway insult at the time, but it stuck — and McDonagh has never quite been able to shake it.

The gag resurfaced in unexpected places over the following years. On the ImPaulsive podcast, Logan Paul and Randy Orton revisited it after Orton flattened McDonagh with an RKO, with Paul dubbing him “the Bobblehead guy” and Orton confirming, after meeting McDonagh in person, that the comparison checked out.

Now Joe Hendry has taken the joke to its logical, physical extreme. Beyond simply referencing it verbally, Hendry has incorporated a song about McDonagh into his act and has been appearing alongside the life-size Funko Pop figure for several weeks, building to the on-screen confrontation that finally played out on Raw.

It’s a small example of how WWE’s creative team has leaned into organic, fan-adjacent humor rather than forcing it. The ‘Funko Pop head’ line could have died as a one-off Cody Rhodes zinger in 2023, but its staying power — bolstered by other talent picking it up unprompted on podcasts and in casual banter — turned it into a genuine piece of McDonagh’s character work. That WWE is now willing to build a physical prop and a full segment around it suggests the company sees value in letting these organic bits breathe rather than scripting every joke from scratch.

There’s also a practical angle worth watching: WWE has shown before that it isn’t shy about turning viral moments into merchandise, as seen when a toy ambulance featured on a Money in the Bank go-home show later became a real plot device in that night’s ladder match. Given Funko’s existing licensing relationship with WWE, it isn’t a stretch to imagine an actual McDonagh Funko Pop — or even a broader Judgment Day set — making its way to store shelves, possibly timed for the holiday shopping season.

For now, the joke remains squarely part of the Hendry-McDonagh program, giving McDonagh a rare comedic showcase while Hendry continues to build his presence on the Raw roster. Whether it ends with an actual collectible on toy shelves or simply fades as the next big angle takes over, the ‘Funko Pop head’ saga has proven to be one of WWE’s more durable running gags in recent memory.