10 WWE Midcarders Who Broke The Glass Ceiling

The 'glass ceiling' is a term many of you may already be familiar with. For those who aren't quite sure what it is, in wrestling terms the 'glass ceiling' is an unseen yet unreachable barrier that holds down those who aren't in the top tier of the company, keeping them down in the midcard and away from the top spots.

It's something that many former WWE stars have complained about, stars who may have been fantastic in-ring workers who were over. To them, people might not talk about it and the presumption is that everything is possible if you work hard enough and produce, but that's baloney and they know it.

For example, former WWE midcarder and member of Cryme Tyme JTG last year said that for certain superstars there is definitely a glass ceiling, citing Zack Ryder as an example of that fact and offering that 'it doesn't matter if the crowd is on your side. If they don't approve of you, if they don't put the machine behind you, then they are not going to follow through with it. They handpick their stars'.

There's definitely more than a little bit of truth to that but, in spite of it, there have been those who have smashed through the glass ceiling on their way to becoming bonafide main event superstars and multi-time world champions. 

They weren't 'supposed' to get there, but they did it anyway be it due massive fan support, changing business philosophies or otherwise.

Jeff Hardy had been a part of the WWE system since he was 16-years-old, having famously wrestled squash matches after lying to WWE officials about his age. The talented flyer, along with brother Matt, was signed to a full-time deal in 1999 off the back of years of impressive showings and called up to the main roster.

Hardy has pretty much always been a popular performer, wowing audiences with his risky style and penchant for putting his body on the line. Despite his incredible popularity, he was never really able to cement himself as a real player during his first run with the company, due to injuries, burnout and substance abuse issues.

WWE had thrown him into a main event or two, with the rainbow-haired warrior having famously contested a gripping ladder match with The Undertaker over the Undisputed Title in the summer of 2002. He wouldn't actually win the big one until his return to the company in 2006, following a three-year absence in which he competed for TNA and attempted to clean up his act.

When Jeff was brought back it was to compete in the Tag Team and Intercontinental Title divisions. WWE naturally saw money in Jeff teaming up with his brother once more, but didn't necessarily see him as a big singles star/face of the company.

It was only when his popularity began to explode and his performance remained remarkably consistent that WWE were forced to acknowledge it with WWE and World Heavyweight title reigns, starting at Armageddon 2008. The average-sized Charismatic Enigma was not supposed to get there, but he broke through the glass ceiling against the odds and long after some had written him off altogether.