Five Stars

[Mr. C]

For the first time since Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at In Your House: Bad Blood, a match has received ***** in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Dave Meltzer gave ***** to CM Punk vs. John Cena. Again, this is the first time since 1997 that Meltzer has rated a match this highly.

It would’ve been better with Jim Ross calling it. Good ol’ JR calling Punk/Cena would’ve been amazing. “PUNK KICKS OUT!”

[#BROKEN Hasney]

For the first time since Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at In Your House: Bad Blood, a match has received ***** in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

I can see why. After that match was done I was in shock and actually popped out of my seat. If I was there, I would have given them a standing ovation.

The match had everything, it was brutal in places and had finesse elsewhere. I think in terms of the story and emotion these two guys played out, 5 stars might not even be enough.

You might think this is hyperbole, but let's be fair. I don't think this match will ever be topped in our lifetime.

So Kelly Kelly and Brie Bella, I applaud you on such an achievement. May this feud continue.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Now he adds the last line. Some people.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

It's changed again, what in the hell is going on?

[XL]

No 5 stars for Taker/HBK at Mania 25? Or one of the Jericho/HBK matches? Or Jericho/Mysterio? Or...you get the point.

[Razzamajazz]

dave meltzer is still relevant?

[Volare]

To some people stuck in the 80's.

[Spaff]

So

[Chavo Classic]

John Cena in a 5 star match. Who would have thought it?

[St. Jimmy]

This thread is QUITE incorrect.

http://wrestlingclique.com/wwe-discussion/32441-list-dave-meltzers-5-star-matches.html

9/11/05 AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels (TNA Unbreakable 2005)
10/16/04 Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk
10/1/05 Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi
10/31/98 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi
6/11/99 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi
10/23/99 Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa
3/1/03 Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
7/10/04 Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama

[CSL]

talking about WWE. And the list is missing the ROH tag match with CIMA and the other Jap guys

[Hanso Amore]

How the Taker/HBK matches didnt get 5 Stars is out of comprehension.

[Droford]

I cant wait for Cena to accept the Slammy Award for best match only to have Punk interupt via satellite on a megaphone..

though they'll probably have dropped the angle by december.

[Xero]

How the Taker/HBK matches didnt get 5 Stars is out of comprehension.

I'd bet it has to do with the ending being predictible. He probably wrote something like "It WOULD have been 5 stars, but Taker won, and anyone with half a brain could see that. So 4.78 stars."

[Battlekat]

I can agree with the rating. I hadn't enjoyed a wwe match that much since RVD/Cena ONS '06. There were a few botches and misfires but the electricity of the crowd more than made up for it. As awesome as the HBK/Taker match was, knowing the ending did kind of hurt it for me.

[Hanso Amore]

Meltzer is shit. I refuse to believe neither Taker HBK match was 5 stars and all that Jap shit was.

[Hanso Amore]

Knowing the Ending shouldnt count, since its a fake fucking match.

All that should matter is what happens between the bells.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Knowing the Ending shouldnt count, since its a fake fucking match.

All that should matter is what happens between the bells.

The ending is between the bells...

Also, the "jap shit" on his list is all pretty quality stuff.

Not really arguing that HBK vs Taker shouldn't be on there, or that it should... Personally, I enjoyed the matches. Probably in my top 10, definitely in top 25... Who needs a rating?

[El Fangel]

Im going to have to watch this, because I find it incredibly difficult to believe that Cena could ever possibly be in a match rated 5 stars.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

So does this mean that John Cena is the best wrestler in the WWE? I think it does.

[El Fangel]

So does this mean that John Cena is the best wrestler in the WWE? I think it does.

That or Punk can carry 230 pounds on his back and still put on a 5 star match.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Seems to me that Cena is the only active wrestler in the WWE with a 5 star match on his resume. Looks like he's the best.

[gwaruk]

i feel Orton and Christian have had a few stellar matches this year..

[Supreme Olajuwon]

5 star matches? No? Good day then.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Seems to me that Cena is the only active wrestler in the WWE with a 5 star match on his resume. Looks like he's the best.

It takes three to tango...

Wait, what?

Seriously though, not only does it take the two guys in the ring to pull off a great match, they also have to be given the opportunity. Most guys aren't given enough time to make a match "great."

A lot of guys wouldn't know what to do with the time if it was given to them.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

The stars don't lie, folks.

[gwaruk]

anyone else think orton and christian's matches have been stellar of late?

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Wait, so if Eddie Guerrero could wrestle a bowl of pudding to a 5* match, but not John Cena, but CM Punk can wrestle CM Punk to a 5* match, what does it all mean?

[CSL]

Im going to have to watch this, because I find it incredibly difficult to believe that Cena could ever possibly be in a match rated 5 stars.

http://smiliesftw.com/x/huge_roll_eyes.gif

[CSL]

Wait, so if Eddie Guerrero could wrestle a bowl of pudding to a 5* match, but not John Cena, but CM Punk can wrestle CM Punk to a 5* match, what does it all mean?

that Punk is destined to kiss his own mother at some point

[kareru]

The 5 Star List



JCP/Territories/World Championship Wrestling

* 4/19/86 Sheepherders vs. Fantastics (Bobby Fulton/Tommy Rogers)
* 4/11/87 Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham
* 2/20/89 Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair (NWA Chi-Town Rumble)
* 4/2/89 Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair (2/3 falls, NWA Clash of the
Champions VI: Ragin' Cajun)
* 5/7/89 Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (NWA WrestleWar '89: Music City
Showdown)
* 11/15/89 Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk ("I Quit" Match, NWA Clash of the
Champions IX: New York Knockout)
* 2/24/91 Ric Flair, Larry Zbyszko, Barry Windham, & Sid Vicious vs.
Sting, Brian Pillman, Rick Steiner, & Scott Steiner (WarGames Match, WCW
WrestleWar 1991)
* 5/17/92 Sting, Nikita Koloff, Ricky Steamboat, Barry Windham, &
Dustin Rhodes vs. Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, &
Larry Zbyszko (WarGames Match, WCW WrestleWar 1992)

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment

* 3/20/94 Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (Ladder Match, WrestleMania X)
WWF Intercontinental Championship
* 8/29/94 Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (Cage Match, SummerSlam 1994) WWF
Championship
* 3/23/97 Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (Submission Match, WrestleMania
13)
* 10/5/97 Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker (Hell in a Cell Match, In Your
House: Bad Blood) WWF Championship
* 7/17/11 John Cena vs. CM Punk (Money in the Bank) WWE Championship

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA)

* 9/11/05 AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels (TNA
Unbreakable 2005)

Ring of Honor

* 10/16/04 Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk (ROH Joe vs Punk 2)
* 10/1/05 Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi (ROH Joe vs Kobashi)
* 3/31/06 Dragon Kid & Genki Horiguchi & Ryo Saito vs. CIMA & Naruki
Doi & Masato Yoshino (ROH Supercard Of Honor)

Pro Wrestling NOAH

* 3/1/03 Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
* 7/10/04 Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama

All Japan Pro Wrestling

* 12/08/84 Stan Hansen & Bruiser Brody vs. Dory Funk & Terry Funk
* 03/09/85 Tiger Mask II vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi
* 06/06/89 Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu
* 06/08/90 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jumbo Tsuruta
* 10/19/90 Jumbo Tsuruta & Akira Taue & Masanobu Fuchi vs. Mitsuharu
Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada & Kenta Kobashi
* 05/22/92 Jumbo Tsuruta & Masanobu Fuchi & Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu
Misawa & Kenta Kobashi & Toshiaki Kawada
* 05/25/92 Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas vs. Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi
Kikuchi
* 04/14/93 Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi
* 07/02/93 Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue & Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Mitsuharu
Misawa & Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama
* 07/29/93 Stan Hansen vs. Kenta Kobashi
* 08/31/93 Steve Williams vs. Kenta Kobashi
* 12/03/93 Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta
Kobashi
* 02/13/94 Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, & Giant Baba vs. Masanobu
Fuchi, Toshiaki Kawada, & Akira Taue
* 05/21/94 Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira
Taue
* 06/03/94 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada
* 01/19/95 Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada
* 01/24/95 Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira
Taue
* 03/04/95 Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Steve Williams & Johnny
Ace
* 04/15/95 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Akira Taue
* 06/09/95 Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira
Taue
* 05/23/96 Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira
Taue
* 06/07/96 Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs. Steve Williams & Johnny
Ace
* 12/06/96 Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun
Akiyama
* 06/06/97 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada
* 10/31/98 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi
* 6/11/99 Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi
* 10/23/99 Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari
Ogawa
* 04/20/91 Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada & Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo
Tsuruta & Akira Taue & Masanobu Fuchi
* 07/05/92 Masanobu Fuchi & Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Kenta Kobashi &
Tsuyoshi Kikuchi
* 06/30/95 Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi & Satoru Asako vs. Toshiaki
Kawada & Akira Taue & Tamon Honda
* 12/05/97 Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun
Akiyama

New Japan Pro Wrestling

* 04/23/83 Tiger Mask I vs. The Dynamite Kid for the NWA Junior
Heavyweight Title
* 04/16/94 "Wild Pegasus" Chris Benoit vs. Great Sasuke (Super J Cup
'94)
* 07/08/94 Jushin Liger vs. Great Sasuke
* 06/05/97 El Samurai vs. Koji Kanemoto (Best of the Super Jr. IV)

Asistencia Asesorà a y Administración

* 11/06/94 Los Gringos Locos vs. El Hijo del Santo & Octagon AAA When
Worlds Collide; (hair vs. masks)

All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling

* 08/15/92 Manami Toyota vs. Toshiyo Yamada
* 04/02/93 Akira Hokuto vs. Shinobu Kandori
* 04/02/93 Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue vs. Cutie Suzuki & Mayumi Ozaki
* 04/11/93 Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki vs. Manami Toyota & Toshiyo
Yamada
* 12/06/93 Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada vs. Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi
Ozaki
* 08/24/94 Manami Toyota vs. Kyoko Inoue
* 11/20/94 Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota

Universal Wrestling Federation

* 12/05/84 Kazuo Yamazaki vs. Nobuhiko Takada

Japan Women's Pro Wrestling

* 07/31/93 Dynami Kansai & Cutie Suzuki & Mayumi Ozaki & Hikari Fukuoka
vs. Aja Kong & Sakie Hasegawa & Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue

[Volare]

All I see is Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi. That is all.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Really? Cause there's like 70 matches listed. Might wanna check your browser settings.

[Testicle]

I don't have a huge problem with the list. Add Taker vs. Michaels WM25 and its pretty legit.

I've watched so much wrestling I've started to forget what and when matches were '5 star.'

I do agree with the Jericho vs. Mysterio nomination. The one where Jericho tore off the mask at the finish. Maybe the Cena vs. Michaels 1 hour match. I also thought that the first Christian vs. Orton match from this year was pretty legit, but maybe that's just because its fresh in my mind and maybe it doesn't hold up to the others.

[Testicle]

Also for those hating on the 'Japs'...

Those matches deserve to be on the list no matter how you qualify a '5 star' match. In action, fan reaction, drawing power, ratings they hold up to the WWE matches.

If anything I have a problem with the ROH and TNA matches that were SO GOOD that 800 people paid to see them. While at the same time Mitsuharu Misawa sold out the ~17,000 seat Budokan Hall a record 68 times in a row that he performed on.

[Indifferent Clox]

Nielson v sawa and Richards v Edwards should be five stars. Along with wgtt winningbthe titles match

[Aguakate]

So neither of the HBK/Undertaker WrestleMania matches got 5 stars?

...huh.

[dingdongyo]

i caught the last 20 minutes of the punk/cena match. i really wanted to know the ending, and i found myself getting slightly annoyed that it was taking so long.

i'll give the ending 5 stars.

[BollywoodSingh]

CM Punk hardly carried Cena. It was a joint effort in my opinion.

From what I know of Dave Meltzer, he is pretty negative in his reviews of matches. HBK-Taker from 1997 was pretty predictable so I don't think that's the reason why he hasn't given a WWE match a 5-star rating since.

How do you not give five stars to matches like Hart/Austin at WM 13, the first and maybe even the 2nd Taker-Michaels WM matches, Rock-Austin at WM 17, Angle-HBK at WM 21, etc.

[ThePhantom]

So does this mean that John Cena is the best wrestler in the WWE? I think it does.

Seems to me that Cena is the only active wrestler in the WWE with a 5 star match on his resume. Looks like he's the best.

5 star matches? No? Good day then.

The stars don't lie, folks.

Really? Cause there's like 70 matches listed. Might wanna check your browser settings.


Fucking Troll

[CSL]

Fucking Troll

1 and a half star post from ThePhantom, 2 tops, certainly not close to 5 stars like John Cena matches.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

I did misspeak earlier. John Cena is not the only five star wrestler in the WWE. Goldust is also a five star wrestler.

Think we have a new WrestleMania main event, folks.

[Jordan]

Anybody who thinks that match was "all Punk" needs to get their perception of reality checked. Cena was fucking awesome in that match, just as much as Punk. I really can't wait one day for "YOU CANT WRESTLE/YES HE CAN" chant, that would be great.

[Jordan]

Meltzer is obviously holding WWE to a certain standard that I disagree with...

I'd say WWE has pulled at least 10 5 Star matches in the past 10 years.... HHH/HBK/Benoit leadding the pack followed by Hogan/Rock, Rock/Austin from WM 17, Austin/Hart from WM 13, Austin/Triple H 3 Stages of Hell, Taker/HBKs 2nd WM match, HHH/Taker from the recent WM, TLC at WM 17, Jericho/HBK at WM, Jericho/HBK pick one from their awesome feud a few years ago, HBK/Angle from WM, Benoit/Austin from Smackdown! a few years ago, Jericho/Benoit from the Rumble, just to rattle of a few.

[Jordan]

But yeah, Punk/Cena is the biggest match since HHH/Taker or Taker/HBK at WM, maybe even bigger. And it delivered like none other, what a fucking match. So fast, so hard hitting, and of course the heat from the crowd as in all of these other five star matches set the pace and made it what it was.

[Droford]

I did misspeak earlier. John Cena is not the only five star wrestler in the WWE. Goldust is also a five star wrestler.

Think we have a new WrestleMania main event, folks.


By that line of Reasoning, TNA should be better because they have AJ Styles,Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels..

oh and Flair, Steiner and Sting too..lol

Also, I think the match will change some people's perceptions of Cena though there will still be a bunch of stubborn people who will say he can't wrestle/he sucks/etc. He could easily win those people over easily by adding new moves into what he does, but lets be honest, hes no different in that respect than 99.7% of the WWE roster that does the same repeated 5 or 6 moves in every match.

[kareru]

i have to say cena really did surprise me in that match (although creatively i'm not sure how much input he had)

he still cant sell or bump for shit, but he has a little more respect from me

[Gertner]

Nielson v sawa and Richards v Edwards should be five stars. Along with wgtt winningbthe titles match

Richards vs Edwards was 2 and a half stars at best.

[mike adamle]

Richards vs Edwards was 2 and a half stars at best.

So you watched it?

[Gertner]

Yup, tons of no selling, 1000 reversals of finishers and submissions, all with the same bland, vanilla, and boring personalty that Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards bring to the table.

[mike adamle]

Alright so what'd you think about the rest of the card? Why are you watching an ROH match?