One of the most polarising things wrestling fans argue about is Dave Meltzer’s five star WWE match list. The Wrestling Observer Journalist has been covering wrestling in his weekly newsletter since 1980 and is considered the primary expert on all things professional wrestling (he has also been covering the UFC since it’s very first event).
In his weekly newsletter, Dave Meltzer regularly rates the biggest matches of the week. He awards them a star rating based on how he viewed the match and how good he thinks it is. He utilises a star ratings system which is generally considered to go between 0 and 5 stars. However, the fabled 5 star rating has been beaten on occasions, most notably when he awarded Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega an incredible 7 star rating for their famous 2 out of 3 falls match in NJPW.
He has long been accused of having a bias against WWE – however, he has long been a friend to numerous WWE talent and was even a confidant to a number of people in the company, including Vince McMahon and Bret Hart (he was the man that Bret Hart called to tell all after the infamous “Montreal Screwjob”).
He has given other promotions more 5 star matches in the past, with the top Japanese promotions like All-Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling being historically his favourites. However, he has also given All Elite Wrestling (AEW) a number of five star matches in the past and continues to so, as recently as earlier this year.
Dave Meltzer has awarded WWE 15 five star matches in the history of the company. This includes matches on Raw, Smackdown, Pay Per View and even the developmental shows in NXT and NXT UK. Here is the list of ever WWE five star match that Dave Meltzer has given in the Wrestling Observer and our thoughts on the incredible bouts.
Sheamus vs GUNTHER – Clash At The Castle 2022
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Star
Cagematch Rating – 9.17
Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins – Hell in a Cell 2022
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Star
Cagematch Rating – 8.95
Ilja Dragunov vs WALTER – NXT Takeover 36
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5.25 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.63
Ilja Dragunov vs WALTER – NXT UK 29/10/22
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.65
Tyler Bate vs WALTER – NXT UK Takeover Cardiff
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5.25 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.57
Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano – NXT Takeover XXV
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5.25 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.13
Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano – NXT Takeover: New York
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5.5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.16
Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong vs. Trent Seven & Tyler Bate – NXT 11/7/18
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.22
Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa – NXT Takeover: New Orleans
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.41
Adam Cole vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet vs. The Velveteen Dream – NXT Takeover: New Orleans
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.16
Andrade Almas vs Johnny Gargano – NXT Takeover: Philadelphia
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.65
CM Punk vs John Cena – Money in the Bank 2011
Dave Meltzer Star Rating –
Cagematch Rating –
Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker – In Your House: Bad Blood
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.64
Bret Hart vs Steve Austin – Wrestlemania 13
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.55
Bret Hart vs Owen Hart – Summerslam 1994
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.67
Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels – Wrestlemania X
The first five star match Dave Meltzer ever gave to a WWE match came in 1994 at that years Wrestlemania. At Wrestlemania X, Razor Ramon took on Shawn Michaels to decide the true, undisputed Intercontinental Champion of the WWE.
The match was a first in WWE. It was the first time a ladder match had been shown on American television and started a trend in WWE that would last for the next 30 years and beyond. WWE had put on a ladder match before, at a house show match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels (the ladder match was allegedly created by Bret Hart in Stampede Wrestling) and was moved to Wrestlemania in 1994 involving The Heart Break Kid vs Razor Ramon.
The ladder match soon became a staple of WWE but this first match was something to behold. Both men were famously best friends as part of The Kliq and had insane chemistry in the ring together. Their use of the ladder to attack their opponent, whilst also trying to climb it to grab the two championships hanging above, was innovative and violent in ways fans had never seen before.
Razor Ramon picked up the win in the incredible match that Dave Meltzer awarded an astonishing 5 star match. It was the first time that he had given a WWE match such a high rating, but would be the last time that Razor Ramon (Scott Hall in WCW) would appear on this list. However, Shawn Michaels would go on to have a number of five star matches after this one, including some incredible matches that shockingly did not reach that milestone (the Wrestlemania 25/26 double against The Undertaker comes to mind).
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.39
