10 Wrestlers Who Succeeded Against The Odds

10. Mikey Whipwreck

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.