Dave Meltzer

Professional wrestling journalist and sports historian Dave Meltzer has assigned his ratings to professional wrestling events since the creation of his publication, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 1982, and named his first 5-star match in 1983. Receiving a 5 or higher star rating is considered by many to be a great achievement.[1]

The first match rated more than five stars by Meltzer was Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat in 1989. The highest-ever rating is seven stars, awarded to Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega at Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall in June 2018.

There have been 244 matches awarded 5 or more stars; Will Ospreay has the most individual matches with 32.

Matches

1980s

Date Match Promotion Event Rating Ref.
1 April 7, 1982Ric Flair vs. Butch Reed[lower-alpha 1]CWFMiami Beach show5[2]
2 April 21, 1983Dynamite Kid vs. Tiger MaskNJPWBig Fight Series II
Night 19		5[3]
3 December 5, 1984Kazuo Yamazaki vs. Nobuhiko TakadaUWFYear-End Special
Day 10		5
4 December 8, 1984Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen vs. Dory Funk Jr. and Terry FunkAJPWReal World Tag League
Night 15		5[4]
5 March 9, 1985Kuniaki Kobayashi vs. Tiger Mask85 Gekitoh! Exciting Wars
Night 14		5
6 August 22, 1985Lioness Asuka vs. Jaguar YokotaAJWSummer Night Festival in Budokan5
7 January 28, 1986Jumbo Tsuruta and Genichiro Tenryu vs. Riki Choshu and Yoshiaki YatsuAJPWNew Years War Super Battle
Night 25		5
8 February 14, 1986Ric Flair vs. Barry WindhamCWFBattle of the Belts 25[3]
9 April 19, 1986The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) vs. The Sheepherders (Butch Miller and Luke Williams)JCPCrockett Cup5
10 January 20, 1987Ric Flair vs. Barry WindhamWorld Wide Wrestling5[4]
11 February 26, 1987Chigusa Nagayo vs. Lioness AsukaAJWKawasaki show5
12 March 20, 1987Akira Maeda and Nobuhiko Takada vs. Keiji Muto and Shiro KoshinakaNJPWSpring Flare Up
Night 21		5
13 April 11, 1987Ric Flair vs. Barry WindhamJCPCrockett Cup5
14 July 4, 1987Paul Ellering, The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal), and The Super Powers (Dusty Rhodes and Nikita Koloff) vs. The Four Horsemen (Arn Anderson, Lex Luger, Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, and J. J. Dillon)The Great American Bash5[3]
15 July 31, 1987Paul Ellering, The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal), and The Super Powers (Dusty Rhodes and Nikita Koloff) vs. The Four Horsemen (Arn Anderson, Lex Luger, Ric Flair, The War Machine, and Tully Blanchard)The Great American Bash5[5]
16 December 6, 1987Chigusa Nagayo, Mika Suzuki, Mika Takahashi, Yachiya Hirata, Yumi Ogura, and Yumiko Hotta vs. Etsuko Mita, Kazue Nagahori, Lioness Asuka, Mika Komatsu, Mitsuko Nishiwaki, and Sachiko NakamuraAJWUnknown5[4]
17 December 16, 1988Genichiro Tenryu and Toshiaki Kawada vs. Stan Hansen and Terry GordyAJPWReal World Tag League
Night 23		5[3]
18 January 28, 1989Genichiro Tenryu, Toshiaki Kawada, and Samson Fuyuki vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Yoshiaki Yatsu, and Masanobu FuchiNew Year Giant Series
Night 17		5[6]
19 February 20, 1989Ric Flair vs. Ricky SteamboatWCWChi-Town Rumble5[3]
20 March 18, 1989Landover, MD show6[7]
21 April 2, 1989Clash of the Champions VI5[3]
22 May 7, 1989WrestleWar5
23 June 5, 1989Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Genichiro TenryuAJPWSuper Power Series
Night 18		5
24 November 15, 1989Ric Flair vs. Terry FunkWCWClash of the Champions IX5

1990s

Date Match Promotion Event Rating Ref.
25 1 January 31, 1990Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Naoki SanoNJPWNew Year Golden Series5[4]
26 2 June 8, 1990Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu MisawaAJPWSuper Power Series
Night 19		5[3]
27 3 September 30, 1990Jumbo Tsuruta and Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki KawadaOctober Giant Series
Night 2		5[8]
28 4 October 19, 1990Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, and Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Masanobu Fuchi, and Akira TaueOctober Giant Series
Night 16		5[9]
29 5 January 4, 1991Akira Hokuto vs. Bull NakanoAJWKorakuen Hall show5[10]
30 6 February 24, 1991The Four Horsemen (Barry Windham, Larry Zbyszko, Ric Flair, and Sid Vicious) vs. Brian Pillman, Sting, and The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)WCWWrestleWar5[3]
31 7 April 20, 1991Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, and Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Masanobu Fuchi, and Akira TaueAJPWFan Appreciation Day5[9]
32 8 August 9, 1991Big Van Vader vs. Keiji MutohNJPWG1 Climax 1991
Night 2		5[3]
33 9 April 24, 1992Kyoko Inoue vs. Manami ToyotaAJWWrestlemarinepiad5[11]
34 10 April 30, 1992El Samurai vs. Jushin Thunder LigerNJPWExplosion Tour
Night 13		5
35 11 May 17, 1992Dangerous Alliance (Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, Larry Zbyszko, Rick Rude, and Steve Austin) vs. Sting's Squadron (Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, Ricky Steamboat, and Sting)WCWWrestleWar5[11]
36 12 May 22, 1992Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, and Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Masanobu Fuchi, and Akira TaueAJPWSuper Power Series
Night 6[12]		5[9]
37 13 May 25, 1992Kenta Kobashi and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Can-Am Express (Doug Furnas and Dan Kroffat)Super Power Series
Night 8		5[11]
38 14 July 5, 1992Kenta Kobashi and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Masanobu Fuchi and Yoshinari OgawaSummer Action Series
Night 2		5
39 15 August 15, 1992Manami Toyota vs. Toshiyo YamadaAJWMid Summer Typhoon5
40 16 April 2, 1993Kyoko Inoue and Takako Inoue vs. Cutie Suzuki and Mayumi OzakiDream Slam I5[13]
41 17 Shinobu Kandori vs. Akira Hokuto5
42 18 April 11, 1993Manami Toyota and Toshiyo Yamada vs. Dynamite Kansai and Mayumi OzakiDream Slam II5
43 19 April 18, 1993Bull Nakano vs. Devil MasamiJWPKorakuen Hall show5[14]
44 20 April 25, 1993Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki KawadaAJPWChampion Carnival5[15]
45 21 July 2, 1993Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, and Jun Akiyama vs. Yoshinari Ogawa and Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue)Summer Action Series
Night 1		5[9]
46 22 July 29, 1993Kenta Kobashi vs. Stan HansenSummer Action Series
Night 22		5[11]
47 23 July 31, 1993Aja Kong, Kyoko Inoue, Takako Inoue, and Sakie Hasegawa vs. Cutie Suzuki, Dynamite Kansai, Mayumi Ozaki, and Hikari FukuokaJWPThunder Queen Battle in Yokohama5[16]
48 24 August 31, 1993Kenta Kobashi vs. Steve WilliamsAJPWSummer Action Series II
Night 10		5[17]
49 25 December 3, 1993The Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue) vs. Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuharu MisawaReal World Tag League
Night 18		5[11]
50 26 December 6, 1993Manami Toyota and Toshiyo Yamada vs. Dynamite Kansai and Mayumi OzakiAJWSt. Battle Final5[18]
51 27 December 10, 1993Manami Toyota and Akira Hokuto vs. Toshiyo Yamada and Kyoko InoueTag League The Best5[19]
52 28 Manami Toyota and Akira Hokuto vs. Toshiyo Yamada and Kyoko Inoue5
53 29 January 29, 1994Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, and Giant Baba vs. Masanobu Fuchi and Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue)AJPWNew Year Giant Series
Night 20		5[20]
54 30 March 20, 1994Razor Ramon vs. Shawn MichaelsWWFWrestleMania X5[11]
55 31 April 16, 1994The Great Sasuke vs. Wild PegasusNJPWSuper J-Cup Final5
56 32 May 21, 1994Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi vs. The Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue)AJPWSuper Power Series
Night 6		5[9]
57 33 June 3, 1994Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki KawadaSuper Power Series
Night 16		5[21]
58 34 July 8, 1994The Great Sasuke vs. Jushin Thunder LigerNJPWSummer Struggle5[22]
59 35 August 29, 1994Bret Hart vs. Owen HartWWFSummerSlam5[11]
60 36 October 9, 1994Kyoko Inoue and Takako Inoue vs. Manami Toyota and Toshiyo YamadaAJWWrestlemarinpiad5[23]
61 37 November 6, 1994Los Gringos Locos (Art Barr and Eddy Guerrero) vs. El Hijo del Santo and OctagónAAAWhen Worlds Collide5[11]
62 38 November 20, 1994Aja Kong vs. Manami ToyotaAJWDoumu Super Woman Great War5
63 39 November 30, 1994Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Juventud GuerreraAAAMatamoros show5[24]
64 40 January 19, 1995Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki KawadaAJPWNew Year Giant Series
Night 14		5[25]
65 41 January 24, 1995Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi vs. The Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue)New Year Giant Series
Night 17		5[9]
66 42 March 4, 1995Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Johnny Ace and Steve WilliamsExcite Series
Night 12		5[11]
67 43 April 15, 1995Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu MisawaChampion Carnival
Night 19		5
68 44 May 7, 1995Manami Toyota vs. Kyoko InoueAJWG*Top 2nd5
69 45 June 9, 1995Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuharu Misawa vs. The Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue)AJPWSuper Power Series
Night 15		5
70 46 June 27, 1995Manami Toyota vs. Aja KongAJWZenjo Movement Night 405
71 47 June 30, 1995Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, and Satoru Asako vs. Tamon Honda and Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue)AJPWSummer Action Series
Night 1		5[9]
72 48 July 23, 1995Manami Toyota vs. Mima ShimodaAJWJapan Grand Prix
Night 8		5[26]
73 49 August 30, 1995Kyoko Inoue and Takako Inoue vs. Manami Toyota and Sakie HasegawaWWWA Champions Night5[27]
74 50 September 2, 1995Akira Hokuto vs. Manami ToyotaDestiny5
75 51 September 22, 1995Rey Misterio Jr. vs. PsicosisAAAMexico City show5
76 52 March 9, 1996Juventud Guerrera vs. Rey Misterio Jr.ECWBig Ass Extreme Bash5[28]
77 53 May 23, 1996Mitsuharu Misawa and Jun Akiyama vs. The Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue)AJPWSuper Power Series
Night 5		5[9]
78 54 June 7, 1996Jun Akiyama and Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Johnny Ace and Steve WilliamsSuper Power Series
Night 15		5[11]
79 55 October 10, 1996Kaientai DX (Dick Togo, Men's Teioh, Shiryu, Shoichi Funaki, and Taka Michinoku) vs. Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa, Masato Yakushiji, Super Delfin, and Tiger Mask IVMichinoku Pro3rd Anniversary5[29]
80 56 December 6, 1996Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue) vs. Jun Akiyama and Mitsuharu MisawaAJPWReal World Tag League
Night 16		5[11]
81 57 March 23, 1997Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve AustinWWFWrestleMania 135[30]
82 58 June 5, 1997Koji Kanemoto vs. El SamuraiNJPWBest of the Super Juniors IV
Night 17		5
83 59 June 6, 1997Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki KawadaAJPWSuper Power Series
Night 16		5
84 60 October 5, 1997Shawn Michaels vs. The UndertakerWWFIn Your House 18: Badd Blood5
85 61 December 5, 1997The Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue) vs. Jun Akiyama and Mitsuharu MisawaAJPWReal World Tag League
Night 15		5
86 62 June 27, 1998Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Tsuyoshi KosakaRINGSFourth Fighting Integration5[31]
87 63 October 31, 1998Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu MisawaAJPW26th Anniversary Show5[30]
88 64 June 11, 1999Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta KobashiSuper Power Series
Night 14		5
89 65 October 23, 1999Mitsuharu Misawa and Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Burning (Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama)October Giant Series Night 115[32]

2000s

Date Match Promotion Event Rating Ref.
90 1 December 14, 2000Masanobu Fuchi and Toshiaki Kawada vs. Takashi Iizuka and Yuji NagataNJPWThe 2nd Judgement!!5[33]
91 2 March 1, 2003Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta KobashiNoahNavigate For Evolution5[30]
92 3 July 10, 2004Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun AkiyamaDeparture5
93 4 October 16, 2004Samoa Joe vs. CM PunkROHJoe vs. Punk II5
94 5 September 11, 2005Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Samoa JoeTNAUnbreakable5
95 6 October 1, 2005Samoa Joe vs. Kenta KobashiROHJoe vs. Kobashi5
96 7 March 31, 2006Cima, Masato Yoshino, and Naruki Doi vs. Dragon Kid, Genki Horiguchi, and Ryo SaitoSupercard of Honor5

2010s

Date Match Promotion Event Rating Ref.
97 1 July 17, 2011CM Punk vs. John CenaWWEMoney in the Bank5[30]
98 2 March 31, 2012Davey Richards vs. Michael ElginROHShowdown in the Sun5
99 3 October 8, 2012Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru SuzukiNJPWKing of Pro Wrestling5
100 4 April 7, 2013Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika OkadaInvasion Attack5[34]
101 5 August 4, 2013Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomohiro IshiiG1 Climax 23
Night 4		5
102 6 October 14, 2013Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi TanahashiKing of Pro Wrestling5
103 7 September 21, 2014Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori ShibataDestruction in Kobe5
104 8 January 4, 2015Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kota IbushiWrestle Kingdom 95
105 9 February 14, 2015Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro IshiiThe New Beginning in Sendai5
106 10 August 16, 2015Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shinsuke NakamuraG1 Climax 25 Final5
107 11 November 1, 2015Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Shingo TakagiDragon GateGate of Destiny5
108 12 January 4, 2016Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi TanahashiNJPWWrestle Kingdom 105[34]
109 13 August 6, 2016Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro IshiiG1 Climax 26
Night 13		5
110 14 August 13, 2016Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya NaitoG1 Climax 26
Night 18		5
111 15 September 3, 2016Superkliq (Adam Cole, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. Matt Sydal, Ricochet, and Will OspreayPWGBattle of Los Angeles
Night 2		5
112 16 January 4, 2017Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny OmegaNJPWWrestle Kingdom 116
113 17 February 11, 2017Tetsuya Naito vs. Michael ElginThe New Beginning in Osaka5
114 18 April 9, 2017Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuyori ShibataSakura Genesis5
115 19 June 3, 2017Kushida vs. Will OspreayBest of the Super Juniors
Final		5
116 20 June 11, 2017Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny OmegaDominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall6.25
117 21 August 11, 2017Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya NaitoG1 Climax 27
Night 17		5
118 22 August 12, 2017Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny OmegaG1 Climax 27
Night 18		6
119 23 August 13, 2017Tetsuya Naito vs. Kenny OmegaG1 Climax 27 Final5.75
120 24 September 3, 2017Donovan Dijak vs. Keith LeePWGBattle of Los Angeles
Night 3		5
121 25 October 21, 2017Walter vs. Zack Sabre Jr.All Star Weekend 13
Night 2		5
122 26 January 4, 2018Kenny Omega vs. Chris JerichoNJPWWrestle Kingdom 128[35]
123 27 January 27, 2018Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Johnny GarganoWWENXT TakeOver: Philadelphia5
124 28 March 25, 2018Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)NJPWStrong Style Evolved5
125 29 April 1, 2018Will Ospreay vs. Marty ScurllSakura Genesis5
126 30 April 7, 2018Adam Cole vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet vs. Velveteen DreamWWENXT TakeOver: New Orleans5
127 31 Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa5
128 32 April 14, 2018A-Kid vs. Zack Sabre Jr.La Triple WTotal Rumble 85
129 33 May 4, 2018Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi TanahashiNJPWWrestling Dontaku5.5
130 34 June 4, 2018Taiji Ishimori vs. Hiromu TakahashiBest of the Super Juniors Final5.5
131 35 June 9, 2018Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny OmegaDominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall7
132 36 July 11, 2018Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) vs. The Undisputed Era (Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong)WWENXT5
133 37 July 15, 2018Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya NaitoNJPWG1 Climax 28
Night 2		5
134 38 July 19, 2018Hirooki Goto vs. Kenny OmegaG1 Climax 28
Night 4		5
135 39 July 21, 2018Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro IshiiG1 Climax 28
Night 6		5
136 40 August 4, 2018Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro IshiiG1 Climax 28
Night 14		5.5
137 41 August 10, 2018Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika OkadaG1 Climax 28
Night 17		5
138 42 August 11, 2018Kenny Omega vs. Kota IbushiG1 Climax 28
Night 18		5.5
139 43 August 12, 2018Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota IbushiG1 Climax 28 Final5.75
140 44 September 23, 2018Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika OkadaDestruction in Kobe5
141 45 September 30, 2018Chaos (Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii) vs. Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi)Fighting Spirit Unleashed5
142 46 December 15, 2018Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay vs. Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi)Road to Tokyo Dome
Night 2		5
143 47 January 4, 2019Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi TanahashiWrestle Kingdom 135.75[lower-alpha 2][36]
144 48 March 24, 2019Kazuchika Okada vs. SanadaNew Japan Cup Final5
145 49 April 5, 2019Adam Cole vs. Johnny GarganoWWENXT TakeOver: New York5.5
146 50 May 23, 2019Bandido vs. Will OspreayNJPWBest of the Super Juniors
Night 8		5
147 51 May 25, 2019Cody Rhodes vs. Dustin RhodesAEWDouble or Nothing5
148 52 June 1, 2019Johnny Gargano vs. Adam ColeWWENXT TakeOver: XXV5.25
149 53 June 5, 2019Shingo Takagi vs. Will OspreayNJPWBest of the Super Juniors Final5.75
150 54 June 9, 2019Dragon Lee vs. Will OspreayDominion 6.9 in Osaka-jo Hall5
151 55 July 18, 2019Kota Ibushi vs. Will OspreayG1 Climax 29
Night 5		5
152 56 July 19, 2019Jon Moxley vs. Tomohiro IshiiG1 Climax 29
Night 6		5
153 57 July 20, 2019Kazuchika Okada vs. Will OspreayG1 Climax 29
Night 7		5.75
154 58 July 26, 2019Bandido, Flamita, and Rey Horus vs. Black Taurus, Laredo Kid, and Puma KingPWGSixteen5
155 59 August 3, 2019Sanada vs. Kazuchika OkadaNJPWG1 Climax 29
Night 13		5
156 60 August 4, 2019Tetsuya Naito vs. Shingo TakagiG1 Climax 29
Night 14		5
157 61 August 8, 2019Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro IshiiG1 Climax 29
Night 16		5.5
158 62 August 10, 2019Kota Ibushi vs. Kazuchika OkadaG1 Climax 29
Night 17		5
159 63 August 12, 2019Kota Ibushi vs. Jay WhiteG1 Climax 29 Finals5.5
160 64 August 31, 2019Walter vs. Tyler BateWWENXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff5.25
161 65 Lucha Brothers (Pentagón Jr. and Rey Fenix) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)AEWAll Out5.25
162 66 September 22, 2019Bandido vs. Dragon LeePWGBattle of Los Angeles
Night 3		5
163 67 October 26, 2019David Starr vs. Jordan DevlinOTT5th Year Anniversary5

2020s

Date Match Promotion Event Rating Ref.
164 1 January 4, 2020Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu TakahashiNJPWWrestle Kingdom 14
Night 1		5.5[lower-alpha 3][36]
165 2 Kazuchika Okada vs. Kota Ibushi5.5
166 3 January 5, 2020Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya NaitoWrestle Kingdom 14
Night 2		5[lower-alpha 4]
167 4 February 14, 2020Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr.RevProHigh Stakes5
168 5 February 29, 2020Kenny Omega and "Hangman" Adam Page vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)AEWRevolution6
169 6 September 16, 2020Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent) vs. Santana and OrtizDynamite5
170 7 September 27, 2020Shingo Takagi vs. Will OspreayNJPWG1 Climax 30
Night 5		5
171 8 October 10, 2020Kota Ibushi vs. Minoru SuzukiG1 Climax 30
Night 13		5.25
172 9 Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi5.25
173 10 October 29, 2020Walter vs. Ilja DragunovWWENXT UK5
174 11 November 7, 2020The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood)AEWFull Gear5.25
175 12 December 6, 2020Go Shiozaki vs. Takashi SugiuraNoahThe BEST ~Final Chronicle 2020~5
176 13 January 4, 2021Kazuchika Okada vs. Will OspreayNJPWWrestle Kingdom 15
Night 1		5.25[37]
177 14 Tetsuya Naito vs. Kota Ibushi5
178 15 January 5, 2021Shingo Takagi vs. Jeff CobbWrestle Kingdom 15
Night 2		5
179 16 Kota Ibushi vs. Jay White5.25
180 17 January 6, 2021Kenny Omega vs. Rey FenixAEWNew Year's Smash
Night 1		5
181 18 January 30, 2021Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shingo TakagiNJPWThe New Beginning in Nagoya5
182 19 March 14, 2021Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr.New Japan Cup
Night 8		5
183 20 March 21, 2021Will Ospreay vs. Shingo TakagiNew Japan Cup
Night 13		5.5
184 21 April 14, 2021The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. Death Triangle (Pac and Rey Fenix)AEWDynamite5
185 22 May 4, 2021Will Ospreay vs. Shingo TakagiNJPWWrestling Dontaku 2021
Night 2		6
186 23 June 12, 2021Syuri vs. Utami HayashishitaStardomTokyo Dream Cinderella5.5
187 24 July 25, 2021Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shingo TakagiNJPWWrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome5
188 25 August 22, 2021Ilja Dragunov vs. WalterWWE NXT TakeOver 365.25
189 26 September 5, 2021The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. Lucha Brothers (Pentagón Jr. and Rey Fenix)AEWAll Out5.75
190 27 September 18, 2021Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shingo TakagiNJPWG1 Climax 31
Night 1		5.5
191 28 September 22, 2021Bryan Danielson vs. Kenny OmegaAEWGrand Slam5
192 29 October 9, 2021Lucha Brothers (Pentagón Jr. and Fénix) vs. Jinetes del Aire (El Hijo del Vikingo and Laredo Kid)AAAHéroes Inmortales XIV5
193 30 November 13, 2021Superkliq (Adam Cole, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. Christian Cage and Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus)AEWFull Gear5
194 31 Kenny Omega vs. "Hangman" Adam Page5.5
195 32 December 15, 2021"Hangman" Adam Page vs. Bryan DanielsonWinter Is Coming5
196 33 January 5, 2022Kazuchika Okada vs. Will OspreayNJPWWrestle Kingdom 16
Night 2		5.75
197 34 January 26, 2022 Cody Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara AEW Beach Break 5
198 35 January 29, 2022 Will Ospreay vs. Michael Oku RevPro High Stakes 5
199 36 March 21, 2022 Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. NJPW New Japan Cup
Night 13		 5
200 37 March 26, 2022 Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. New Japan Cup
Night 14		 5
201 38 April 1, 2022 Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe) vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) ROH Supercard of Honor XV 5
202 39 May 29, 2022 Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho, Daniel Garcia, Jake Hager, Angelo Parker and Matt Menard) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley), Eddie Kingston, and Santana and Ortiz AEW Double or Nothing 5
203 40 June 3, 2022 The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. Lucha Brothers (Penta Oscuro and Rey Fenix) Rampage 5
204 41 June 5, 2022 Cody Rhodes vs. Seth "Freakin" Rollins WWE Hell in a Cell 5
205 42 July 23, 2022 FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) vs. Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe) ROH Death Before Dishonor 5
206 43 August 6, 2022 Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay NJPW G1 Climax 32
Night 12		 5.5
207 44 August 18, 2022 Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay G1 Climax 32
Night 20		 5.75
208 45 August 21, 2022 Will Ospreay vs. Ricky Knight Jr. RevPro Tenth Anniversary Night 2 5 [38]
209 46 August 24, 2022 United Empire (Will Ospreay, Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) vs. Death Triangle (Pac, Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix) AEW Dynamite 5 [39]
210 47 September 3, 2022 Gunther vs. Sheamus WWE Clash at the Castle 5 [40]
211 48 October 2, 2022 FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) vs Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) NJPW Royal Quest II
Day 1		 5[41]
212 49 October 15, 2022 Rey Fenix vs El Hijo del Vikingo AAA Triplemanía XXX 5
213 50 October 23, 2022 Laredo Kid vs El Hijo del Vikingo Showcenter Championship Final Round 5
214 51 November 5, 2022 Will Ospreay vs. Tetsuya Naito NJPW Battle Autumn '22 5
215 52 December 10, 2022 FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) vs. Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe) ROH Final Battle 5.5
216 53 December 19, 2022 Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi JTO 50th Anniversary for TAKATaichi Together 5
217 54 January 4, 2023 Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17
Night 1		 6.25[42]
218 55 January 11, 2023 Death Triangle (Pac, Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix) vs. The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) AEW Dynamite 5
219 56 March 5, 2023 "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley Revolution 5
220 57 MJF vs. Bryan Danielson 5.75
221 58 March 22, 2023 Kenny Omega vs. El Hijo del Vikingo Dynamite 5
222 59 April 1, 2023 Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) WWE WrestleMania 39
Night 1		 5
223 60 April 2, 2023 Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus WrestleMania 39
Night 2		 5
224 61 Shingo Takagi vs. Aaron Henare NJPW Road to Sakura Genesis 5.25
225 62 May 28, 2023 Master Wato vs. Titán Best of the Super Juniors Finals 5
226 63 Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta) vs. The Elite (Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) and Adam Page) AEW Double or Nothing 5
227 64 June 4, 2023 Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli) and Shota Umino vs. Chaos (Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii) and Hiroshi Tanahashi NJPW Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall 5
228 65 June 25, 2023 Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay AEW/NJPW Forbidden Door 6
229 66 July 15, 2023 Kento Miyahara vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima Noah One Night Dream 5.25
230 67 FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) vs Bullet Club Gold (Jay White and Juice Robinson) AEW Collision 5.25
231 68 August 12, 2023 Tetsuya Naito vs. Will Ospreay NJPW G1 Climax 33
Night 18		 6
232 69 August 13, 2023 Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada NJPW G1 Climax 33
Night 19		 5.25
233 70 August 26, 2023 Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi RevPro 11th Anniversary 5
234 71 September 3, 2023 Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks AEW All Out 5
235 72 Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita
236 73 September 24, 2023 Will Ospreay vs. Yota Tsuji NJPW Destruction in Kobe 5
237 74 October 1, 2023 Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr. AEW WrestleDream 5.5
238 75 October 14, 2023 Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. NJPW Royal Quest III 5.5
239 76 October 21, 2023 Mike Bailey vs. Will Ospreay Impact Bound for Glory 5.25
240 77 November 4, 2023 Will Ospreay vs. Shota Umino NJPW Power Struggle 5.75
241 78 November 5, 2023 Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Yuma Aoyagi AJPW Giant Series 2023: Hokkaido Edition - Day 6 (Evening Show) 5.25
242 79 November 18, 2023 Swerve Strickland vs. "Hangman" Adam Page AEW Full Gear 5
243 80 December 31, 2023 Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kento Miyahara AJPW AJPW Mania X 5.25 [43]
244 81 January 4, 2024 Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 5.25

Wrestlers with the most 5-or-higher-star matches

As of January 14, 2024.

Rank Wrestler No. of
≥5★ matches		 Highest rating
1 Will Ospreay 32 6.25
2 Kazuchika Okada 26 7
3 Kenny Omega 25 7
Mitsuharu Misawa 25 5[21]
5 Kenta Kobashi 23 5
6 Toshiaki Kawada 21 5
7 Shingo Takagi 17 6
8 Hiroshi Tanahashi 16 5.75
9 Akira Taue 15 5
10 Kota Ibushi 13 5.75
Manami Toyota 13 5
12 Ric Flair 12 6
13 Matt Jackson 11 6
Nick Jackson 11 6
Tetsuya Naito 11 6
16 Tomohiro Ishii 10 5.5
17 Rey Fenix 9 5.75
18
Zack Sabre Jr. 8 5.5
Jumbo Tsuruta 8 5
Bryan Danielson 8 5.75
Kyoko Inoue 8 5
22 Jun Akiyama 7 5
Masanobu Fuchi 7 5
24
Adam Page 6 6
Pentagon Jr. 6 5.75
Cash Wheeler 6 5.5
Dax Harwood 6 5.5
Walter/Gunther 6 5.25
Toshiyo Yamada 6 5
30 Ricky Steamboat 5 6
Adam Cole 5 5.5
Jon Moxley 5 5
Akira Hokuto 5 5
Barry Windham 5 5

Wrestlers with the most higher-than-5-star matches

As of January 14, 2024.

Rank Wrestler No. of
>5★ matches		 Highest rating
1 Will Ospreay 15 6.25
2 Kazuchika Okada 13 7
3 Kenny Omega 12 7
4 Shingo Takagi 8 6
5 Kota Ibushi 6 5.75
6 Matt Jackson 4 6
Nick Jackson 4 6
8 Hiroshi Tanahashi 3 5.75
Tomohiro Ishii 3 5.5
Jay White 3 5.5
Cash Wheeler 3 5.5
Dax Harwood 3 5.5
Bryan Danielson 3 5.75
Tetsuya Naito 3 6
Katsuhiko Nakajima 3 5.25

Promotions with the most 5-or-higher-star matches

As of January 14, 2024.

Rank Promotion Abbreviation No. of
≥5★ matches		 Highest rating
1 New Japan Pro-Wrestling NJPW 91 7
2 All Japan Pro Wrestling AJPW 37 5.25 [21]
3 All Elite Wrestling AEW 27 6
4 All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling AJW 19 5
5 World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment WWF/WWE 18 5.5
6 World Championship Wrestling WCW 7 6
Ring of Honor ROH 7 5.5
8 Asistencia Asesoría y Administración/Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide AAA 6 5
9 Pro Wrestling Guerrilla PWG 5 5
Jim Crockett Promotions JCP 5 5
11 Pro Wrestling Noah Noah 4 5.25
12 Revolution Pro Wrestling RevPro 4 5
13 Total Nonstop Action Wrestling/Impact Wrestling TNA/Impact 2 5.25
14 World Wonder Ring Stardom Stardom 1 5.5
Professional Wrestling Just Tap Out JTO 1 5
Over the Top Wrestling OTT 1 5
Extreme Championship Wrestling ECW 1 5
White Wolf Wrestling La Triple W 1 5
Michinoku Pro Wrestling Michinoku Pro 1 5
Dragon Gate – 1 5
Fighting Network RINGS RINGS 1 5
Championship Wrestling from Florida CWF 1 5
Universal Wrestling Federation UWF 1 5

Promotions with the most higher-than-5-star matches

As of January 14, 2024.

Rank Promotion Abbreviation No. of
>5★ matches		 Highest rating
1 New Japan Pro-Wrestling NJPW 34 7
2 All Elite Wrestling AEW 9 6
3 World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment WWF/WWE 4 5.5
4 All Japan Pro Wrestling AJPW 3 5.25
5 World Championship Wrestling WCW 1 6
World Wonder Ring Stardom Stardom 5.5
Ring of Honor ROH 5.5
Pro Wrestling Noah Noah 5.25
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling/Impact Wrestling TNA/Impact 5.25

List of wrestlers with 5-or-higher-star matches by nationality

As of January 14, 2024.

Rank Country No. of
wrestlers
1Japan Japan104
2United States United States85
3Mexico Mexico17
4Canada Canada15
5United Kingdom United Kingdom10
6New Zealand New Zealand4
7Republic of Ireland Ireland2
8Puerto Rico Puerto Rico2
9Australia Australia2
10Russia Russia2
11Austria Austria1
12Spain Spain1
13Switzerland Switzerland1

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Occurred before the creation of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  2. ↑ Originally 5.5, but later revised
  3. ↑ Originally 5.25, but later revised
  4. ↑ Originally 4.75, but later revised

References

  1. ↑ Hart, Bret (2009). Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling. Grand Central Publishing. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-446-54528-0.
  2. ↑ Meltzer, Dave [@davemeltzerWON] (April 1, 2018). "Dave Meltzer on Twitter: "I was there. Nothing on the undercard was anything special. Main event was easy *****. Best match I'd ever seen live up to that point."" (Tweet). Retrieved January 8, 2020 – via Twitter.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Dave Meltzer 5 Star Matches List (1983 to 2019)". IWNerd.com. January 1, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Meltzer's Classics". RamblingsAboutWrestling.com.
  5. ↑ Meltzer, Dave [@davemeltzerWON] (June 23, 2022). "Dave Meltzer on Twitter: "Atlanta War Games was *****"" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ↑ "In Search of Five Star Matches Part Two". PlaceToBeNation.com.
  7. ↑ Meltzer, Dave [@davemeltzerWON] (June 15, 2017). "In 1989, Flair & Steamboat did 10.25 stars working an afternoon and evening show in Landover & Philly on house shows" (Tweet). Retrieved January 8, 2020 – via Twitter.
  8. ↑ Observer Staff (August 21, 1991). "August 21, 1991 Observer Newsletter More WWF steroid troubles, Billy Graham lawsuit". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Hall of Fame season: The best matches of Akira Taue". F4WOnline. September 22, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  10. ↑ Observer Staff (February 25, 1991). "February 25, 1991 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Full Wrestlemania card released". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Dave Meltzer 5 Star Matches List (1983 to 2019) – Page 2 of 6". IWNerd.com. January 1, 2018.
  12. ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "AJPW Super Power Series 1992 Tag 6". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  13. ↑ Observer Staff (January 17, 1994). "Jan. 17 1994 Observer Newsletter: The 1993 Wrestling Observer Reader Awards issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Bull Nakano vs. Devil Masami". Cagematch. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  15. ↑ Observer Staff (May 10, 1993). "May 10, 1993 Observer Newsletter: Konnan retires, Hogan buries WWF, Heyman new promotion, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  16. ↑ Observer Staff (August 30, 1993). "August 30, 1993 Observer Newsletter: Wrestling recovery?, Terry Gordy collapses,Gene Okerlund leaves WWE". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Kenta Kobashi vs. Steve Williams". Cagematch. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  18. ↑ Observer Staff (April 19, 1993). "April 19, 1993 Observer Newsletter: Von Erich death fallout, Hogan title update, Mania buyrate, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  19. ↑ Observer Staff (March 7, 1994). "March 7, 1994 Observer Newsletter: Lawler case finished, WWE leaks finish that didn't end up the finish". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  20. ↑ Observer Staff (March 21, 1994). "March 21, 1994 Observer Newsletter: Tonya Harding and wrestling, Hogan/WCW, Mania X preview, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  21. 1 2 3 Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales (January 6, 2023). "Wrestling Observer Radio: Vince McMahon is back, Dana White, Omega vs. Ospreay". Wrestling Observer Radio. Retrieved January 7, 2023. I [Meltzer] did not give that [Misawa vs Kawada from June 3, 1994] six stars. That would be incorrect. I gave that five stars.
  22. ↑ Observer Staff (August 8, 1994). "August 8, 1994 Observer Newsletter: Back to business after trial, a huge week for pro-wrestling internationally, new promotion starting up, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  23. ↑ Observer Staff (December 19, 1995). "Dec. 19, 1994 Observer Newsletter: Epic Rickson Gracie vs. Yoji Anjoh story which ultimately led to the creation of PRIDE, UFC IV set, Real World Tag League tournament, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  24. ↑ Observer Staff (January 30, 1995). "Jan. 30, 1995 Observer Newsletter: 1995 Royal Rumble, angle to bring Ric Flair back to WCW, "Nu Jack" legal issues, business trends of past three years, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada". Cagematch. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  26. ↑ Observer Staff (October 23, 1995). "Oct. 23, 1995 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Bill Watts already gone from WWE after three weeks, New Japan/UWFi update, Ultimate Ultimate tournament pairings, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  27. ↑ Observer Staff (January 22, 1996). "Jan. 22, 1996 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Results of the 1995 Observer Newsletter Awards, 1995 Record Book, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  28. ↑ Observer Staff (January 13, 1997). "Jan. 13, 1997 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 1997 Annual Awards Issue, a look at all the major shows of the year, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  29. ↑ Observer Staff (November 11, 1996). "Nov. 11, 1996 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Infamous angle where Austin broke into Pillman's house, thoughts on Hall of Fame issue, Pancrase PPV, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  30. 1 2 3 4 "Dave Meltzer 5 Star Matches List (1983 to 2019) – Page 3 of 6". IWNerd.com. January 1, 2018.
  31. ↑ Observer Staff (August 3, 1998). "August 3, 1998 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: More on Leno and WCW, WWF Fully Loaded review, death of June Byers, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  32. ↑ Observer Staff (November 15, 1999). "November 15, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: ECW November to Remember review, Dynamite Kid book, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  33. ↑ Observer Staff (January 1, 2001). "January 1, 2001 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Candidates for Wrestler of the Year, Sakuraba Defeats Another Gracie, More". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  34. 1 2 "Dave Meltzer 5 Star Matches List (1983 to 2019) – Page 4 of 6". IWNerd.com. January 1, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Dave Meltzer 5 Star Matches List (1983 to 2019) – Page 5 of 6". IWNerd.com. January 1, 2018.
  36. 1 2 "Dave Meltzer 5 Star Matches List (1983 to 2020) – Page 6 of 6". IWNerd.com. January 1, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Dave Meltzer 5 Star Matches List (1983 to 2021) - Page 7". IWNerd. January 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Will Ospreay vs Ricky Knight Jr Awarded 5 Star Rating By Dave Meltzer". ATLETIFO. August 26, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Will Ospreay Awarded TWO Five Star Matches In One Week". ATLETIFO. August 26, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  40. ↑ "Dutch Mantell sugiere a WWE preste mayor atención al uso de Gunther". IWNerd. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  41. ↑ "EVERY DAVE MELTZER 5-STAR RATING OF 2022". WrestleTalk. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  42. ↑ "Every Dave Meltzer 5-Star Rating of 2023". WrestleTalk. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  43. ↑ Meltzer, Dave (January 5, 2024). "January 8, 2024 Observer Newsletter: The Rock vs. Roman Reigns, Worlds End & WK18 reviews". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, AEW News, AEW results. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
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