10 Wrestlers Who Succeeded Against The Odds

Some wrestlers are preordained to receive success. While every professional wrestler works long and hard for their spot, nepotism and favouritism have been rife throughout the business for years, particularly since Vince McMahon’s ascent. More often than not, WWE will push “their” guy ahead of the fans’ choice, and fans need only look at the continued main event push of Roman Reigns to see that the trend is still alive and well.

If history has taught us anything, however, it’s that fans love an underdog. While some wrestlers make it thanks to their look, size or relationships, others face seemingly unassailable roadblocks on their journey to success. These are the wrestlers that fans rally behind: the hard-working athletes who conquer obstacles, destroy preconceptions and succeed against the odds.

The was no question that wrestlers like The Rock and John Cena were born to become marquee performers, but not everyone was blessed with their physical and athletic gifts. Some wrestlers have to fight, scratch, and claw with all they’ve got in the pursuit of their dreams, and wrestling history is littered with performers who’ve overcome physical deficiencies, poor booking and other hindrances.

This is an odd to those wrestlers who broke the mould, turned their weaknesses to strengths and made their way to the top through sheer force of will. Here are 10 wrestlers who succeeded against the odds.

Mikey Whipwreck narrowly edges-out Tommy Dreamer as ECW’s greatest underdog. Originally joining the company as a member of the ring crew, Whipwreck would often work unpaid, and in return, Paul Heyman would let Whipwreck and his colleagues play around in the ring before and after the shows.

One night, Heyman noticed the undersized Whipwreck (5’9”, 187lbs) performing a number of aerial moves before a show, and asked if he had an interest in wrestling competitively. Whipwreck confirmed that he did, and the natural underdog would absorb great amounts of damage in extended squash matches against the company’s more celebrated stars, without ever landing any offense of his own.

Mere months after stepping into the ring, however, Whipwreck shocked Pitbull #1 to become ECW Television Champion. Three months later he’d lost the belt, but he and Cactus Jack became ECW Tag Team Champions two weeks later, and greater success was further down the line.

In October 1995, Whipwreck became ECW World Heavyweight Champion. Whipwreck had no formal training prior to joining ECW, but improved immensely when wrestlers like Taz and Perry Saturn took him under their wing. His ECW Title win made him the made unlikely world champion of all-time, and while never the most technically astute wrestler, Whipwreck’s place in wrestling folklore is secure.