10 WWE Midcarders Who Broke The Glass Ceiling

The Biggest Little Man is one of the great overachievers in WWE history. Sure, everybody could see that he was a seriously talented performer and that he had gotten over in a way in which no other cruiserweight had before (just look at the amount of masks he was shifting), but nobody had him pegged as a future WWE and World Heavyweight Champion.

When Rey was brought in to the company in the summer of 2002, many were surprised and expressed scepticism. This wasn't a guy Vince McMahon would typically push and there was a fear that the 619er could easily get lost in the shuffle. Thankfully, that didn't happen, and Rey became a featured part of Paul Heyman's Smackdown.

His 2005 feud with Eddie Guerrero was a turning point, as it showed that Rey wasn't 'just a cruiserweight/tag team wrestler'. No, this guy could do much more than that. This guy could carry his end in a major, emotion-driven feud and he could do it well.

Following Guerrero's death in November '05, Rey was picked as his natural successor and given a shocking Royal Rumble win and even more shocking World Heavyweight Title victory at WrestleMania 22. Yes, his reign was horribly mishandled, but Rey was there. He'd reached the summit.

Further WWE and World Heavyweight Title wins would follow in the years after and, while his career trajectory could fluctuate for time to time, he could still be called upon to engage in main event feuds. Not bad for a 5ft 5in masked man with an unorthodox style...