Dave Meltzer’s star rating system is one of the most polarizing things amongst wrestling fans. Matches that get five-stars or more are hotly contested, and often cause controversy.
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 between 0 and 5 stars, although it has reached six or seven stars on rare occasions.
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.
Cody Rhodes vs AJ Styles – Backlash France 2024
In front of one of the hottest crowds in WWE history, Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles put on a five-star classic. Backlash 2024 took place in Lyon, France. It was the first PLE to emanate from mainland Europe, and the crowd did not disappoint.
They sang the song “Il est vraiment phenomenal” for Styles throughout the bout, and were rewarded with some fantastic action. Rhodes walked away still as the WWE Champion after one of the best matches of his career.
Dave Meltzer’s Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 8.64
Sheamus vs Drew McIntyre vs GUNTHER – WrestleMania 39 Night 2
Possibly the best Triple Threat match of all time occurred on the second night of WrestleMania 39.
Gunther defended his Intercontinental Championship against two more of Europe’s finest – Sheamus and Drew McIntyre.
In a hard-hitting encounter, Gunther overcome both opponents in a classic match. It was only the fourth five-star match in WrestleMania history, but the second in 2023.
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Star
Cagematch Rating – 9.40
Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens vs The Usos – WrestleMania 39 Night 1
The first ever five star match from Dave Meltzer to main event WrestleMania is Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens vs The Usos, in the end of the first night at WrestleMania 39.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens main evented the first night of WrestleMania 39 Night 1, in a history-making tag team bout against The Usos.
The huge victory in the main event of WrestleMania was the culmination of a multi-decade long story, that saw the pair go from the dank gyms in Montreal, all the way to the main event of WrestleMania.
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Star
Cagematch Rating – 9.18
Sheamus vs GUNTHER – Clash At The Castle 2022
Sheamus picked up his first five-star match in Cardiff, when he defended his Intercontinental Championship against Sheamus.
They battled in the historic Clash at the Castle event in the UK, as 70,000 fans crammed in to watch this tremendous match take place.
It was one of the most physical and intense matches in WWE history, and fantastic value for it’s five-star rating from Dave Meltzer.
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Star
Cagematch Rating – 9.17
Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins – Hell in a Cell 2022
The third match in the historic Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins trilogy turned out to be the best, despite a disturbing injury to Cody Rhodes.
Before the match begun, Rhodes removed his rope to reveal a huge bruise on his chest, resulting from a torn pectoral muscle.
The injury was unbearable, but Cody Rhodes fought through the pain to put on the third five-star match of his career.
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
The greatest match I’ve ever seen love is the five-star match between WALTER and Tyler Bate from NXT UK Takeover Cardiff.
Defending his United Kingdom Championship, WALTER was against the crowd, who were firmly behind the British hero.
The Big Strong Boy battled hard for 45 minutes, even kicking out of a powerbomb at the count of one before the match finish.
The match made Tyler Bate a star, and earned a rating of even higher than five stars in the WWE.
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
14 years after the last five-star match, CM Punk walked out of Chicago as the five-star WWE Champion.
After his legendary pipe bomb promo, the WWE crowd was the hottest anyone had been since Steve Austin.
His hometown crowd at Money in the Bank were rabid to see him win, and exploded at the end of the night when he blew a kiss to Vince McMahon and John Cena as he left through the crowd as the World Champion.
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.62
Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker – In Your House: Bad Blood
In the first ever Hell in a Cell match, Shawn Michaels defeated The Undertaker at Bad Blood 1996.
The event saw the WWE debut of Kane, who ripped the door from the cage in one of the most memorable WWE moments.
Outside of that, the two wrestlers worked an amazing match. Dave Meltzer rightly awarded it five stars, and it remains an all-time great match.
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.64
Bret Hart vs Steve Austin – Wrestlemania 13
Not only is this match a five-star classic (according to Dave Meltzer), it also tops our list of the best Stone Cold Steve Austin matches of all time.
This classic match was a submission match between two of WWE’s best wrestlers, and had been building up over the past year for this blockbuster match.
The match was a technical masterpiece as well as veering off into a long, bloody affair. The everlasting image of the matches ends lives long is the memories of anyone who saw.
Steve Austin, blood pouring down his face and locked in Bret Hart’s Sharpshooter was defiant until the end. He hung on as long as he could, passing out in a pool of his own blood as Hart was declared the winner
Dave Meltzer Star Rating – 5 Stars
Cagematch Rating – 9.55
Bret Hart vs Owen Hart – Summerslam 1994
One of the first five-star matches in WWE came in this incredible brother-vs-brother match. Bret Hart, in his first of two matches of the night, faced off with his younger brother Owen Hart at Wrestlemania X.
The feud pitted the jealous sibling against his brother Bret who was set to battle for the WWE Championship later that night, intent on stopping his brother from winning the gold.
Owen and Bret Hart pulled out a technical masterpiece that was 30 years ahead of it’s time. The pair showed incredible chemistry, pulling out spots at lightning quick speed and showing incredible in-ring psychology.
Owen worked over the knee of Bret during the match, intent on ruining his chances of winning the WWE Championship later that night.
He even pinned Bret Hart to win the match, shocking everybody in attendance and making a name for himself on the biggest stage with one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches of all time.
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
