Some Superstars were born to greatness. There was no question that guys like Brock Lesnar and John Cena were going to be marquee performers the minute they walked into Mr. McMahon's office. Others had to scratch and claw every step of the way. Learn the stories of eight of these fighters who overcame daunting odds in pursuit of their dreams, brought to you by The Real Cost.

Daniel Bryan

The New WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan addresses the proud members of The "Yes!" Movement.

Imagine Rocky Balboa with a beard and you’ve kind of got the idea of Daniel Bryan, a battle-tested veteran told he was a “B+ player” and shunted out of the title picture in favor of a Money in the Bank briefcase toting Randy Orton. Sensing they had a hero in their midst, the WWE Universe took Bryan’s fate into their own hands, chanting his name and yelling “YES!” during unrelated matches and interviews — and all but booing heir apparent Batista out of the building — until The Beard found himself in the main event of WrestleMania, where he fulfilled his destiny on The Grandest Stage of Them All. A series of injuries unfortunately cut his reign, and his comeback, short, which is probably just fine: Bryan’s at his best when the odds work against him. — ANTHONY BENIGNO

Zach Gowen

Zach Gowen pulls off an unexpected victory over Matt Hardy.

Zach Gowen must have never heard that old phrase about a one-legged man’s chances in a particular kind of contest. A Superstar who debuted for the SmackDown brand in 2003, Gowen battled cancer earlier in his life and ultimately had his leg amputated. Against all odds, however, he went on to train to become a professional wrestler.

Then–SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon brought in Gowen, which immediately drew the ire of Mr. McMahon. The tenacious competitor found himself in many precarious situations because of his beef with The Chairman, including a memorable outing with The Boss himself in a No Holds Barred Match at Vengeance 2003.

Gowen’s tenure with WWE was short-lived. Even still, he proved that — whether it was going toe-to-toe with Brock Lesnar or upsetting Matt Hardy on pay-per-view — the only elements you need to succeed in WWE are heart and the will to keep standing back up. — RYAN PAPPOLLA

Mick Foley

To the uneducated ear, retellings of Mick Foley’s career highlights may sound more like bits and pieces from a fairytale, but as you quickly learn with anything in regards to Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy, it’s all as real as you can get.

Foley, who entertained the WWE Universe with his alter-egos of Mankind, Dude Love and Cactus Jack, did not fit the prototypical mold of a WWE Superstar. His unique build and reckless in-ring style made many doubt his long-term upside and potential. Foley refused to be denied, however, catapulting himself to the main event with the same ferocity that The Undertaker catapulted Foley himself off the Hell in a Cell in 1998.

The Hardcore Legend finally silenced his critics when he, as Mankind, defeated The Rock for the WWE Championship on Raw in January 1999, becoming the shining example for all the WWE Universe (and mankind) that the underdog not only can, but will. — RYAN PAPPOLLA

Mikey Whipwreck

Mikey Whipwreck scores a major upset when he defeats Steve Austin at November to Remember on November 18, 1995.

In the early days of ECW, Mikey Whipwreck was spotted running the ropes while setting up the ring, which resulted in a tryout match that night. Undersized and overpowered, the scruffy youngster lost his early bouts without mustering any offense at all. Months later, however, Whipwreck defeated Pitbull #1 for the ECW World Television Championship. Just two weeks after losing the title, Mikey substituted for Terry Funk as Cactus Jack’s partner  against The Public Enemy and shocked the ECW Arena by pinning Rocco Rock to win the ECW Tag Team Titles.

Whipwreck returned to singles competition and had more unexpected success. On Oct. 28, 1995, the underdog scored the second-greatest victory of his career by defeating The Sandman in a Ladder Match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. In his very first title defense, Mikey scored the greatest victory of his career by pinning Steve Austin. Yes, that Steve Austin. — JOEY STYLES

The Miz

Randy Orton strikes Chris Jericho with a devastating RKO to clear his path to the Money in the Bank briefcase before The Miz moves in for the kill at WWE Money in the Bank on July 18, 2010.

Unlikely champion? The Miz probably never should have even been in the conversation. But the Cleveland kid who emerged as a WWE-obsessed braggart on MTV’s “The Real World” somehow gritted his way to a spot on “Tough Enough,” a thankless Seacrest knockoff gig on SmackDown, a breakout tag team partnership with John Morrison, a run as WWE Champion and a marquee role in the main event of WrestleMania before going off and becoming a movie star. Despite his legions of haters, Miz likes to say he’s “awesome” without a hint of irony. Truth be told, he’s earned it. — ANTHONY BENIGNO 

Tommy Dreamer

Tommy Dreamer looks to make his dream a reality as he attempts to win the ECW Title from Tazz.

Tommy Dreamer almost missed out on becoming the heart and soul of ECW. The rabid Philadelphia crowds loathed him upon his 1992 arrival. They chided him for his colorful suspenders and decidedly un-ECW personality.

That same bingo hall crowd quickly came around when Dreamer willingly took 10 shots from The Sandman's Singapore Cane while shouting, "Thank you, sir, may I have another?!" after each lash. The normally vocal ECW faithful were shocked into silence by Dreamer’s actions and gained a newfound respect for him that endures to this very day. The incident was the start of Dreamer’s metamorphosis into The Innovator of Violence.

Dreamer often used the Singapore Cane, along with many other weapons, in brutal brawls with Raven, The Dudleys and countless others. His embrace of the hardcore style, along with his devotion to ECW until its bitter end in 2001, made him the ultimate ECW crowd favorite. — BOBBY MELOK 

Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio draws No. 2 in the Royal Rumble Match and remarkably lasts over 60 minutes to triumph over Randy Orton, showing why he's truly The Ultimate Underdog of WWE on January 29, 2006.

For many years, it appeared that there would be no greater victim of the glass ceiling than Rey Mysterio. The luchador was heralded worldwide as one of the greatest and most exciting in-ring talents of all time, and it seemed that nothing could hold him back … aside from his 5-foot-2 and 172-pound frame.

Toiling away in the middle of the card for many years in WCW, it wasn’t until he debuted in WWE that Mysterio was finally given tangible opportunities to ascend. During his time in WWE, Mysterio captured major championships and accolades, including reaching the ultimate pinnacle on several occasions winning both the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships.

The biggest little man became a symbol of hope for millions around the world with his never-say-die attitude and everlasting displays of heart. Mysterio became proof positive that height and weight should have no bearing on a talent’s ability to pop up from beneath the ground and smash right through the ever illusive glass ceiling. — RYAN PAPPOLLA

Zack Ryder

Zack Ryder captures the United States Championship with a victory over Dolph Ziggler.

This former Edgehead had been left for the scrap heap when inspiration struck and WWE’s first viral Superstar of the modern age was born. Rather than collect a paycheck and run out the clock, Zack Ryder christened himself the Internet Champion and recruited a motley posse of broskis and family members for “Z! True Long Island Story,” a free-form YouTube variety show that earned him a grassroots following, a significant TV presence and a run with the United States Championship. Ryder’s struggled to reach the same highs in the years since “Z!” shuttered, but a tag team with the merry lunatic Mojo Rawley down in NXT may just be the ticket to rekindling the Ryder Revolution. Good luck, bro. We’re all pulling for you. — ANTHONY BENIGNO