Yes, You Can Run WSL on Windows 95 - PC Perspective

A developer built WSL9x, a proof-of-concept that runs a Linux kernel inside Windows 95.

Hailey patched Linux 6.19 to use Win9x APIs, then added a VxD driver and a small DOS-based client.

The demo shows an unusual way to host Linux on very old Windows software, but it is rough and unstable.

It also underscores major stability and security concerns from giving the setup deep kernel-level access.