Longtime pro-wrestling journalist, historian, and expert, Dave Meltzer, confirmed today that Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada from Dominion last weekend was the greatest match he has ever seen. He awarded the match 7-stars out of what was originally only a possible 5.
All four matches between Omega and Okada have received a 6-star or higher rating from Meltzer.
While assigning a rating or score to a match is controversial, Meltzer’s rating system is the most high-profile of its kind.
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Dave Meltzer’s Match Ratings Explained
Meltzer began reviewing matches with a star-based system back in the tape-trading era. For those unaware, this pre-internet period involved fans connecting via ads in wrestling magazines. Fans would tape (with a VCR) their local shows and mail them to fans outside of the market. Tape trading allowed fans to keep up with promotions from around the world before the internet did.
Meltzer’s match-ratings were originally just to let fans know which tapes they might want to trade for. It wasn’t meant to be used as a way to compare matches or wrestlers. All the same, a 5-star match is usually confirmation that something special has occurred.
Dave Meltzer’s Highest Rated Matches Ever
In total 8 matches have broken Meltzer’s 5-star system by receiving more than 5 stars.
- Kenny Omega defeated Kazuchika Okada (c) (NJPW Dominion 2018) 7*,
- Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (time limit draw) (NJPW Dominion 2017) 6.25*
- Kenny Omega defeated Kazuchika Okada (G1 Climax 2017) 6*
- Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Kenny Omega (WrestleKingdom XI) 6*
- Mitsuharu Misawa defeated Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW June 1994) 6*
- Tetsuya Naito defeated Kenny Omega (G1 Climax 2017) 5.75*
- Hiromu Takahashi defeated Taiji Ishimori (Best of the Super Juniors 2018) 5.5*
- Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (Wrestling Dontaku 2018) 5.5*
Notable 5-star WWE matches include Bret Hart vs Austin at WM13, Michaels vs Undertaker in the first ever Hell in a Cell match, and CM Punk vs John Cena MITB 2011.
NXT has also produced several 5-star matches in recent years, including Takeover: New Orleans. The North American title ladder match and Gargano vs Ciampa matches from that show each earned 5-stars from Meltzer.