At 20, Rusev left his Bulgaria home for America, cleaned houses and lived in his car. Years later he became a WWE superstar

Rusev (via Getty)At just 20, Miroslav Barnyashev (popularly known as Rusev) left Bulgaria with a dream of becoming a professional wrestler. He had little money and no guarantee of success in America. The journey was far from glamorous for him. He had to find ways to survive while chasing his dream.Barnyashev took whatever work he could find. He cleaned houses to earn money for his basic needs. At one point, he even lived out of his car. Those difficult days came long before he became known around the world as Rusev, the “Bulgarian Brute” in the WWE.Rusev’s difficult journey from cleaning houses to WWE stardomMiroslav Barnyashev was born on December 25, 1985, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He grew up with a strong sporting background. He attended a sports school and competed in powerlifting, rowing and sambo.But his biggest dream was professional wrestling. In his early 20s, Barnyashev decided to leave Bulgaria and move to the United States. It was a huge gamble! He was chasing a career that offered no certainty. He also had very little money to support himself.Life in America was difficult from the beginning. Barnyashev first lived in Virginia before eventually moving to Torrance, California. He needed money to survive. So, he cleaned houses and took on difficult work while trying to build a career in wrestling.There was also a period when he did not have a proper place to stay. Barnyashev lived in his car for a short time. It was a far cry from the bright lights and packed arenas that would later become part of his life.Despite the hardships, he did not give up. He began training at the KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy in California. He worked with experienced wrestlers such as Gangrel and Rikishi. His training gave him a chance to turn his dream into a real career.Rusev made his wrestling debut in 2008. He initially competed on the independent wrestling scene under the name “Miroslav Makaraov”. Later, he shortened the name to “Miroslav”.Rusev’s hard work eventually caught WWE’s attentionIn September 2010, WWE signed Barnyashev to a contract. He was sent to the company’s developmental system, where he adopted the name Alexander Rusev.However, the road was still not easy. Soon after his FCW debut, Rusev suffered serious knee injuries. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus. The injuries kept him out for around six months.He later suffered another major setback when he broke his neck. The injury temporarily paralyzed his arm.Instead of giving up, he continued his rehabilitation. He even travelled to Thailand to study Muay Thai while recovering.Those years of struggle eventually paid off! Rusev made his WWE main roster debut at the 2014 Royal Rumble. He went on to become one of WWE’s most recognisable stars. His “Bulgarian Brute” character, alongside Lana, his manager, made him a major attraction.He later won the WWE United States Championship three times.Rusev’s journey from Bulgaria to America showed how far determination could take him. The WWE superstar had a long journey before the television cameras started following him.