It takes an awful lot of work to make it to WWE as a wrestler.
It's even harder to make it as a world champion once getting there.
Perhaps though, the ultimate challenge is making it, capturing a title belt and then staying relevant for the rest of your career in WWE.
AN UPHILL STRUGGLE
Only a select few actually reach the second stage - and even less of them can say that they achieved the third.
Just ask someone like Jack Swagger.
After coming through WWE's developmental territories, he debuted on ECW in 2008 and quickly became the brand's champion.
Swagger was soon traded to RAW and in 2010, he won the Money in the Bank contract - before cashing it in to become the World Heavyweight Champion a few weeks later.
STAYING RELEVANT?
Of course, winning that title was the highlight of Swagger's WWE career. But his run at the top only lasted a matter of weeks.
He did pursue a number of other belts and won the United States Championship in 2012. But for the next five years of his career, he was little more than a mid-carder.
Like so many others, Swagger almost fell into oblivion and fans barely took any notice when he was released in 2017.
RUNNING THE CIRCUIT
The 36-year-old has since gone on to compete on the independent circuit and more recently, has revealed why his relationship with WWE broke down after a promising start.
Like so many others, Swagger suggested that the 'bosses' had been holding him back - but that wasn't the only reason he left.
"Well, you know, the WWE, it’s a dream job, but it’s like any other job where there’s politics and you got bosses that you have to deal with," he told Submission Radio, per Ringside News.
"So for me, in the great words of Drizzy Drake, the moment I stop having fun with it, I’m done with it."
But it wasn't just about not having fun, as Swagger went on to explain that he clashed with officials over his place in the company.
"It came to a point where I wasn’t there for the same reasons that they were having me there. Like, I need to compete.
NO CHALLENGES IN WWE
"when I’m not competing is when I will struggle with things because I’m not going 100 percent or focused 100%."
"So for me it was a combination of two things, I needed a change, I needed to be pushed, I needed to be challenged.
"Also, it was a great opportunity, it was a great time to leave. It’s a great time to be a pro wrestler right now."
Although he suggests that there was an element of being held back, it's good to hear that Swagger was confident enough in himself to step away from WWE completely.