10 Wrestlers Who Succeeded Against The Odds

Rey Mysterio was one of the most exciting wrestlers on the planet through the 1990s, and seemed set for stardom when WCW plucked him from ECW in 1996. Unfortunately, Rey had much of his momentum sapped when the company made him unmask and placed him in the ill-fated Filthy Animals stable, but he remained a thrilling in-ring competitor who rarely failed to deliver in terms of exciting matches.

Mysterio joined WWE in 2002, and was an immediate hit with the fans. His flashiness won the crowds over, but it was widely assumed that his height - 5’6” - would forever prevent him from breaking through the glass ceiling. At a time when Vince McMahon’s obsession with giants was near its peak, Mysterio seemed doomed to an eternity of exciting upper-midcard performances, without ever being awarded the gold his popularity and efforts merited.

Rey refused to accept this role, though. He regularly outshone those he shared a ring with, and became so full of momentum that WWE simply couldn’t ignore him any longer. After helping revolutionise the Cruiserweight division in WCW, Rey defied convention to prove he could hang with the heavyweights in WWE by winning the 2006 Royal Rumble, and becoming a three-time World Champion throughout his tenure with the company.

Given the whimper his WWE career ended on, it’s easy to forget just how popular Mysterio was at his peak. His incredible heart, skill and athleticism proved that it was possible for a smaller athlete to succeed at the industry's highest level, and paved the way for many more to follow.