@@AsukaStan better overall, yes, because let’s be honest, the hit man SUCKED at promos, but no one, most likely ever, will be better than Bret hart in technical wrestling
I'd include AJ Styles in that discussion too. Yes, he's been stuck with Omos lately but every time he gets on singles action the man shines in every possible aspect. Dude's a legend at this point.
@@rodycaz8984 That's on Meltzer. Bryan vs Nigel McGuinness in 2006 should've been a 5 Star match. His match against Ziggler at Bragging Rights and CM Punk at Over the Limit should've been 5 Star Matches. But he'll give BF and Santana and Ortiz in a 13 minute Parking Lot Brawl 5 stars.
So nice to see Stardom mentioned by any western wrestling page, let alone one I really enjoy! More Stardom! Great list and presentation as always by my fellow Canuck Tempest.
Brandon Andujar.... most shouldve been squash matches?!? Why, because of his super imposing size or the fact that he's 40 years old- cause combat athletes get better after 35, we all know this...... Stupid. Go back to watching the non wrestling show to find out if your favorite tag team of randomly paired people "can coexist".
It's also interesting to note that (a) all of those 5-star matches in the 2000's happened before June 2006 and (b) despite the drought of five-star matches in the 2000's, the short list includes the only three-way match to reach five stars.
I feel the two time limit draws with Danielson is leading to a triple threat match at Double or Nothing with Hangman defending against Danielson and the (hopefully) returning Kenny Omega. Omega gets his title rematch and Danielson has to face both men he so far hasn't been able to beat in AEW.
I think at some point AEW should book a Triple Threat even if it is not for the title, it really all depends on how long Omega is going to be out for. I've heard at the least six months because of surgeries. Bryan needs to hold the AEW title now that it has the prestige behind it before he retires, but I want to see Hangman take on other opponents as champion before he drops it. AEW is going to give Hangman a good title run, so they now have to build an opponent that can be considered a credible threat. Right now the only threat I can see to Hangman's title besides Bryan is Moxley, which I suspect is a feud we will get when Mox returns. Bryan never faced 10 of the Dark Order prior to his match with Hangman so that is a match I want to see as well. While that happens we need to see Hangman vs Moxley. If they want to draw out the Hangman and Danielson feud, have Danielson take on 10 and Hangman take on Miro if Moxley is going to be away for a longer amount of time. They may not book a Hangman and Danielson rematch right away so those guys can be the in-between opponents. There's also a possibility that Moxley returns at Revolution that leads to Moxley vs Hangman.
Been watching pro wrestling since early 90's and Jay White's post match promo against Ibushi at WK is the greatest promo I have ever seen. Edit: Takagi deserves so much more recognition.
Will Ospreay is a great athlete. One of the best all-around wrestlers in the world. Only knock is that sometimes things look too choreographed for a New Japan.
Yeah, that match was awesome. But Dave Meltzer has always been pretty clueless on Danielson. He didn't give his KENTA, Nigel McGuinness, Morishma match the five stars they deserved.
If you thought it was five stars then it was five stars. Just because one person does not think it's five stars doesn't mean it isn't. Just like how he thinks all these other matches are five stars but that doesn't exactly mean they are.
Alternate title Why shingo takagi was the most outstanding wrestler of the year(maybe slightly behind omega) Seriously that ospreay vs shingo takagi match at dontaku is not talked abt a lot which is a shame as it was the best match of the year
Sadly Japanese promotions are seen as the "poor relatives" to WWE and now even AEW by many! While literally having the best (women) promotion right now in Stardom! NJPW with the top workrate talents and NOAH keeping the strong style alive! All this in the middle of the pandemic and lockdown, no foreign stars and a limited audience who can only clap!
Rollins VS. Edge Hell in a Cell Adam Cole VS. Kyle O’Reilly at NXT Stand & Deliver Reigns VS. Edge VS. Bryan at Wrestlemania Walter VS. Tommaso Ciampa at NXT Stand & Deliver Finn Balor VS. Pete Dunne at NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day
I dont understand why Kenny vs hagman was 5,5...for me the match was boring i loved that Hagman won, but i dont like it him as champion until now, hope DB wins it
It's only one fanbase's opinion, not to say it's actually only one man's opinion! WWE has bangers too, but Dave is part of the fanbase that doesn't see that
Suzuki vs Danielson is MOTY for me. I also want to give special mention to Nick Gage vs Matt Cardona for the story it told, the crowd, and Cardona's excellent heel work making me not dislike his work anymore.
Thank You For this list!! I hadn't seen a lot of these due to having a long break from NJPW and Stardom this year. This gives me a list of matches to watch over the festive season, very grateful, Thank You Tempest and PartsFUNknown
Tempest has that subtle something that just puts his commentary head and shoulders above some of his co-workers. (No offense WT boys) but I put tempest right up there with Mr.Blampied on terms of delivery, someone please give this man some more list work and let him run with it.
Shame britt v Rosa lights out wasn't 5 stars, I forget if dave isn't much a fan of hardcore style matches or not. That's one I feel shoulda been 5 stars.
What about that WWE tag team match where we didn't know if the randomly paired partners could coexist- they kept looking at each other sideways, it was deft, fresh storytelling and was definitely 5 star!!
Probably not mouthwatering match or even caught Dave's attention but Balor vs Dunne is a banger. A lot of people maybe forgotten it because it's mat-based but don't count me in. I know star rating is subjective to mark out a very great match. But honestly, Balor vs Dunne at Vengeance Day definitely needs recognitions. Dunne bent joints very realistically and really looked terrifying whenever he does it. Balor played his role perfectly, a calm cool and collected that in mid match showed some cracks to his armor. A dream match that lived to my expectation thanks to NXT (oh my I miss old NXT). Also at the end, one of the shocking moment and added the drama is when Cole superkicked not just Balor but O'Reilly, signaling the end of the UE.
Even though FTR didn't have a match rated 5 stars this year, I would say they are probably one of the most important tag teams of the year. They are an excellent workhorse crew that has helped further so many great storylines. Put them against anyone and they are making it work!
One match I was a little sad to see not get the full 5 was ZSJ vs KENTA from the G1 Climax. ZSJ had a string of bangers in that tournament and this was the best of them, in my view.
5 Star matches really dosen't mean much these days... Meltzer has become very biased... Bryan Danielson never had 5 star match but now, he got one since he fought Meltzer's crush, Omega...
@@OK_225 I know I’m saying Meltzer just didn’t rate a bunch of his best ROH work for instance so that’s part of why he didn’t have a 5 star before. And plus for some reason they’re just generally more common nowadays
People have always said Meltzer is biased. With NJPW,AJPW,NXT and now AEW maybe he just likes good wrestling. But in all seriousness while I do agree that some of Bryan's matches should be 5 or 6 star matches I don't think Meltzer is biased because he has done this for decades and I respect him for that. He saw all the bad in wrestling from WWE,WCW,and TNA. Now we finally are getting a new silver age of wrestling.
Main roster WWE certainly I think deserve more 5 stars, especially with all the 4.75 ratings they get. I don't think it would've been a crime if the Wrestlemania Triple Threat main event or the Men's MITB match got 5 stars
Ahaha if wwe deserves 5 stars then I deserve to be the next president you should be happy that they are getting at least 4.75 considering that their products are 4 at best 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Each to their own wrestling is subjective, I think main roster WWE can have great matches (too talented of a roster not to even with the releases) but it’s over produced people like Michael Hayes aren’t good enough and have too much control in creating these matches, the wrestlers should have more freedom because too often these matches feel like a watered down version of what they could be (Reigns vs Big E for example). I’m not surprised the only 5 star match was a wrestled in a style you don’t get on the main roster, there should be more variation of styles allowed. On your point about giving the WrestleMania Triple Threat and The money in the bank ladder match 5 stars you could say the same about AEW and NJPW who’ve had several matches who don’t get 5 stars but imo should be worthy of him giving it but they have more great matches in general so they’re likely the get those 5 star ratings.
Meltzer has a type for American and Japanese styles and AEW and NJPW tend to fit that mold really well. Personally there are a lot of matches I'd consider 5 stars that weren't on here from Noah, TJPW, and WWE. I even have some matches from NJPW and AEW he didn't include. People make a big deal about Meltzer's stars, but insee them as a Canon for wrestling. Whenever I want to introduce wrestling to people, I'll usually turn to a match from his list.
People take Meltzers ratings too seriously on both ends. The man has a style of wrestling he enjoys and he rates them as such. I disagree with some of the matches he gives 5 stars, and I can think of a solid number of matches he gave less than 5 too that I'd give 5 easily. Too many people get bent out of shape about it
@@unblinkingear yeah but how many epic classics has Michael's had that he gave only 4.75 stars? He didn't give Benoit and Angle vs Rey Mysterio and Edge 5 stars, didn't give Kurt Angle vs The Undertaker at no way out 5 stars, didn't give HBK vs The Undertaker at wrestlemania 25 5 Stars, and the list goes on and on of the many WWE classics that he only gave 4.75 ratings to. And it's like how do you even differentiate that from a 4.5 or a 5? To me it's clear that he favors other wrestling promotions and clearly is way too harsh on WWE matches when it comes to his ratings. Because no matter how great of a match you have, if you're not an indie darling, or if you not from Japan, you ain't getting 5 stars.
@@lukedavis1436 "Because no matter how great of a match you have, if you're not an indie darling, or if you not from Japan, you ain't getting 5 stars." Meltzer has given 14 WWF/WWE/NXT matches 5 stars or more so that statement is demonstrably false.
Shingo vs Osprey is this era's Okada vs Omega but people aren't ready for that conversation yet. And that match at Dontaku is one of the all timer if not the best ever.
It depends on what they ultimately decide to do at WrestleKingdom 17 in a few weeks, really. I think that if Shingo were to beat Okada and meet Ospreay on the second night, they truly could be said to have surpassed Okada vs Omega at this point. Even more so if they do eventually meet in a G1 Final like Tempest mentioned. But if Okada walks out of WK as champion, neither one will seem to have ever been at his level imo and therefore, their rivalry would fall short by virtue of standing.
I just forgot and want to make a special shout out because you forget it was THIS YEAR...but Britt baker DMD VS Thunder Rosa Lights out match...idk if its 5* buts its close if not!
Totally forgot Fenix and PAC was the Bucks first title defense, then Fenix and Penta are the ones who eventually beat them for the titles. AEW never ceases to amaze me with the long term story telling
Honestly, I'd give the match when Drew and Sheamus both got knocked out 5 stars because the match went way beyond expectations, it had true fighting spirit for both competitors, and it seemed like they truly hated each other
They need a proper feud. I know they had a quick one a little while ago, but they need a solid 3-6 month feud. They’re styles mesh well together. It’s just a absolute slug-fest. And people seem to eat it up.
Guys seriously go watch Utami vs Syuri, their rematch is a week and a half from now and the original was so good. Then go watch more stardom because stardom is awesome
I was at Arthur Ashe for that match. The atmosphere in that building was absolutely electric. Also...I think the Triple Threat Main Event at Mania between Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, and Edge will go down as an all-timer, and probably should be 5 stars, though I may just think that cuz I was there live.
Came down to the comments to find this. Probably my favourite match this year just for the match itself. If a lapsed rasslin fan friend asked me to recommend one match from AEW to try and lure them back in this would probably be up there ...
Yeah Meltzer has just gone over the edge with these ratings. The shear number of 5 star matches and breaking his ratings system multiple times the same year just dilutes it to the point it doesn't mean anything. Every match on this list was a banger for sure, just not all greatest match ever candidates.
So many people are saying “Dave Meltzer has a clear anti-WWE bias.” Guys, Dave Meltzer clearly has an opinion on the way he likes his wrestling. So does Vince McMahon, so does Jim Cornette. Everybody likes what they like. Just because you think something is amazing doesn’t mean everybody will. Don’t take what Meltzer has to it being the only opinion that matters. Also, to any dumbass who thinks he is on TK’s payroll, this list should show that he would be on Gedo’s payroll in NJPW first.
I had absolutly no idea there was that many incredible NJPW matches this year, furthermore this really speaks volumes about the preformance aspect of the WWE product. 30+ year old company can't produce as high quality matches as "newer" promotions.
They can but they just often don't let their performers actually wrestle. However, I do think that they deserved to have a few matches on this list, Meltzer has a Meltzed brain.
This video just made me notice how damn constant is Shingo Takagi in offering great performances. I always liked him but heck, he can just squat dwn and sheet out gem after gem
Surprised the triple threat between Daniel Bryan, Edge and Roman wasn't on the list. I can't remember enjoying a main roster wwe match so much for a loooong time.
Ya know, kinda crazy how New Japan had the most 5 star matches this year and it still doesn't get mentioned in the title. This may have been an awkward, down period year for New Japan, but they proved that they can still produce some of the best matches in pro wrestling even in a state of chaos and flux.
He just loves the attention. That's why you see him hanging out with wresters if you think you wanted to be seen as impartial he wouldn't try and hang out with wresters. He has never worked in the wresterling business. He is just a fan with a website trying to make money good for him.
Just remember that Meltzer the Melt didn’t give either of the Taker/HBK wrestlemania matches 5 stars, despite them being widely regarded as the best WM matches of all time and some of the best of all time full stop. That’s all you need to know.
Just remember he also didn't give AJ vs Nakamura at WK10 5* despite it being widely regarded as one of the best matches in years. We all know and agree these matches are great, sometimes it feels like people forget that 4 star + matches are also *great* matches. Just because Dave doesn't give them one of his highest ratings doesn't mean he thinks they were bad.
WWE fans don’t get worked up. I know there were TONS of matches that should’ve gotten 5 stars between last year and this year but didn’t. The same could be said for New Japan and AEW.
Bryan Danielson is the closest thing we have to Bret Hart today. He is a genuine master of his craft in every way.
Yea he better than Bret
@@AsukaStan better overall, yes, because let’s be honest, the hit man SUCKED at promos, but no one, most likely ever, will be better than Bret hart in technical wrestling
I'd include AJ Styles in that discussion too. Yes, he's been stuck with Omos lately but every time he gets on singles action the man shines in every possible aspect. Dude's a legend at this point.
@@Jackson_the_king66 (cough cough) Kurt Angle would care to disagree
@@Jackson_the_king66 Thats nostalgia dude, Danielson is at least on par with Bret.
It's crazy what AEW has given us in just two years. It's easy to forget how much they've given us in such a short time
We got MJF and the Revival vs Darby, CM Punk and Sting on television.
Imagine trying to explain that to someone in 2018. They'd call you a madman
Bryan is a treasure truly. This year alone Edge, Roman, Suzuki, Omega, and Hangman. That’s bonkers..
who is Roman?
@@secondcityr7331 -_- Roman Reigns
Every Time I see him wrestling I can't BELIEVE WWE didn't do everything under the sun to keep him around
@@secondcityr7331 The guy who made The Tonight Show's ratings go up. The face of the most watched show in all of pro wrestling/sports entertainment.
@@harishsubramanian1241 who?
Bold of you to post this while there’s 2 weeks of the year left for Danielson to have more 5 star matches
And there's a Walter match coming up. And round two for Utami/Syuri.
@@aether9461 Wait Utami and Syuri round 2?
Oh yeah they did kinda end in a double draw
Lars Sullivan had a 5 star match years before Bryan did.
@@rodycaz8984 That's on Meltzer. Bryan vs Nigel McGuinness in 2006 should've been a 5 Star match. His match against Ziggler at Bragging Rights and CM Punk at Over the Limit should've been 5 Star Matches.
But he'll give BF and Santana and Ortiz in a 13 minute Parking Lot Brawl 5 stars.
So nice to see Stardom mentioned by any western wrestling page, let alone one I really enjoy! More Stardom!
Great list and presentation as always by my fellow Canuck Tempest.
How does dave willy taste
@@Tom-lw3uk Similar to Vince's I imagine...
You must not watch much because they're always mentioned. I never saw a match yet know way more about it than i should.
I Second That! More Stardom please! 👍
Ever since arriving in AEW Bryan has had utter classics with everyone he has faced so far
He has had classics anywhere he goes he is a great wrester.
They should have been squash matches for Bryan most of the time
Nice to see yoy appreciate gymnatstics
@@Tom-lw3uk Calling a Danielson match "gymnastics" is like saying the ocean is red
Brandon Andujar.... most shouldve been squash matches?!? Why, because of his super imposing size or the fact that he's 40 years old- cause combat athletes get better after 35, we all know this...... Stupid. Go back to watching the non wrestling show to find out if your favorite tag team of randomly paired people "can coexist".
It's crazy how in the 2000s Meltzer rating only 7 matches 5 stars in that whole decade, but just in the year 2021 alone his rating 19 matches 5 stars.
It's also interesting to note that (a) all of those 5-star matches in the 2000's happened before June 2006 and (b) despite the drought of five-star matches in the 2000's, the short list includes the only three-way match to reach five stars.
I don't think anyone realizes this but we got 5...5 star or higher matches in the first 9 days of the year
Absolutely bonkers
🤡
We live in a golden area of wrestling.
@@boyddurham9751 id's zpelt era yu domp fokc
I feel the two time limit draws with Danielson is leading to a triple threat match at Double or Nothing with Hangman defending against Danielson and the (hopefully) returning Kenny Omega.
Omega gets his title rematch and Danielson has to face both men he so far hasn't been able to beat in AEW.
I agree 100%my friend...and Tony make this reality and will be better than WM20 main event Benoit vs HBK vs HHH
I hadn’t thought of that but oh lord that would be amazing
I think at some point AEW should book a Triple Threat even if it is not for the title, it really all depends on how long Omega is going to be out for. I've heard at the least six months because of surgeries. Bryan needs to hold the AEW title now that it has the prestige behind it before he retires, but I want to see Hangman take on other opponents as champion before he drops it. AEW is going to give Hangman a good title run, so they now have to build an opponent that can be considered a credible threat. Right now the only threat I can see to Hangman's title besides Bryan is Moxley, which I suspect is a feud we will get when Mox returns. Bryan never faced 10 of the Dark Order prior to his match with Hangman so that is a match I want to see as well. While that happens we need to see Hangman vs Moxley. If they want to draw out the Hangman and Danielson feud, have Danielson take on 10 and Hangman take on Miro if Moxley is going to be away for a longer amount of time. They may not book a Hangman and Danielson rematch right away so those guys can be the in-between opponents. There's also a possibility that Moxley returns at Revolution that leads to Moxley vs Hangman.
@@DisasterMaggot instead of a triple threat, how about a three way dance?
I hadn’t considered how much I wanted a three way match until we put together the thumb for this video.
The V-Trigger into the kip-up Super Kick in that Fenix/Omega match is still one of the coolest things of the year.
I loved that plus the backflip suplex spot.
The highlight of your lame little life huh
@@adamgwinnett7161 it was great but omega landed on his head
So.....yeeeesh
BEST SEQUENCE OF THE YEAR
@@riccogee you got me, guy trolling wrestling video comments on YT.
Only tempest would feed my love of baseball and wrestling with a Yogi Berra mention in a video. Thank you, you beautiful masked man.
In my case it was the Minecraft reference, he's AMAZING
Been watching pro wrestling since early 90's and Jay White's post match promo against Ibushi at WK is the greatest promo I have ever seen.
Edit: Takagi deserves so much more recognition.
Is it on youtube?
@@frankrizzo9521 yes
@@reubenelite I saw it, absolute class
@@frankrizzo9521 yup
The idea Bryan didn’t have one 5 star match in WWE and his first one out he has one, is everything you need to know about Dave lol
Will Ospreay is a great athlete. One of the best all-around wrestlers in the world. Only knock is that sometimes things look too choreographed for a New Japan.
Almost every one of his longer matches, yeah.
Too small, too vanilla. Good flippies, cool name. C+.
He should have defeated Okada in the most recent WK
@@kidneystonermusic He's over 6 feet tall, and has recently bulked up in weight.
Bryan Danielson Vs Minoru Suzuki should have also gotten a 5 star. It was a dream match and it delivered.
Yeah, that match was awesome. But Dave Meltzer has always been pretty clueless on Danielson. He didn't give his KENTA, Nigel McGuinness, Morishma match the five stars they deserved.
that *KAZE NI NARE!!* from the crowd was stellar!!
If you thought it was five stars then it was five stars. Just because one person does not think it's five stars doesn't mean it isn't. Just like how he thinks all these other matches are five stars but that doesn't exactly mean they are.
Thank you, WrestleTalk, for this list!
Tempest is a terrific presenter.
Alternate title
Why shingo takagi was the most outstanding wrestler of the year(maybe slightly behind omega)
Seriously that ospreay vs shingo takagi match at dontaku is not talked abt a lot which is a shame as it was the best match of the year
Shingo is fantastic
Shingo is the best in Japan rn no doubt. Easily top 3 in the world with Omega and Danielson.
Sadly Japanese promotions are seen as the "poor relatives" to WWE and now even AEW by many! While literally having the best (women) promotion right now in Stardom! NJPW with the top workrate talents and NOAH keeping the strong style alive! All this in the middle of the pandemic and lockdown, no foreign stars and a limited audience who can only clap!
@@androgynousmaggot9389 it's so sad
But i feel 2022 will be the year njpw rises on top again
Omega didn't do anything noteworthy this year or last with the belt. Now we're stuck with hangman for the time being
The only match that I would give a shout out to is Minoru Suzuki vs Bryan Danielson. Probably my favorite match of the year.
Same here
How great is it that Suzuki vs Danielson will forever remain free on youtube?
It's hard for WWE to make the list when most of their matches go 3 minutes and end in a DQ
Rollins VS. Edge Hell in a Cell
Adam Cole VS. Kyle O’Reilly at NXT Stand & Deliver
Reigns VS. Edge VS. Bryan at Wrestlemania
Walter VS. Tommaso Ciampa at NXT Stand & Deliver
Finn Balor VS. Pete Dunne at NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day
Kenny vs Hangman=5.5
Kenny/Hangman vs Bryan=5
I NEED THESE 3 IN ONE MATCH!
10 stars
Honestly i would believe it would be a 3.5 star. They are incredible but i think it would be to many chefs in kitchen if you get what i am saying.
I dont understand why Kenny vs hagman was 5,5...for me the match was boring i loved that Hagman won, but i dont like it him as champion until now, hope DB wins it
@@ARA94no1 Kenny v Hangman was 3.75 for me, 4.5 at best, quite an overrated match imo! But I do like Hangman as champ
Excellent work, Brain! -Oli, seven times in a row upon seeing this video before realization hits.
Ok, so Dragunov vs Walter has been the only WWE match to receive 5+ stars for the 2nd year in a row now. WOW
And being NXT UK is also telling! The only remaining part of WWE where they still care about the sport part of entertainment!
@@androgynousmaggot9389 exactly!
It's only one fanbase's opinion, not to say it's actually only one man's opinion! WWE has bangers too, but Dave is part of the fanbase that doesn't see that
@@androgynousmaggot9389 idk, all of Edge Vs Rollins matches just got better over time, those should have all been 5 stars alone
Tempest mentioning a Yankee great, and acknowledging him gets a certified 👍🏽 in my book 8:12
Suzuki vs Danielson is MOTY for me. I also want to give special mention to Nick Gage vs Matt Cardona for the story it told, the crowd, and Cardona's excellent heel work making me not dislike his work anymore.
Thank You For this list!! I hadn't seen a lot of these due to having a long break from NJPW and Stardom this year. This gives me a list of matches to watch over the festive season, very grateful, Thank You Tempest and PartsFUNknown
Tempest has that subtle something that just puts his commentary head and shoulders above some of his co-workers. (No offense WT boys) but I put tempest right up there with Mr.Blampied on terms of delivery, someone please give this man some more list work and let him run with it.
We're all living in Shingo Takagi's world in 2021.
Nice list Brian
Tempest has grown so much as a presenter. Love Tempest content!
Honestly he´s the best one of Wrestletalk.
Shame britt v Rosa lights out wasn't 5 stars, I forget if dave isn't much a fan of hardcore style matches or not. That's one I feel shoulda been 5 stars.
It’s still tied for the highest rated American Women’s match of all time at least
@@BasedWorld690 what's the other one?
@@Brendan7001 Becky vs Charlotte Last Woman Standing I believe
@@BasedWorld690 how is sasha vs bayleu iron woman match not the highest or joint highest?
I wanna say it was because it was a WOMEN'S DIVISION MATCH 🤷🤷. For me that MATCH was TOP 5 IN AEW IN ANY DIVISION....
“Okay - no more 5-star matches now, I mean it.”
…
…
…
…
“Anybody want a peanut!?”
Still convinced Ibushi is low-key the best wrestler in the world.
Yep.
I wish I could see what others do in NJPW. Cause I am loving AEW right now and I was a WWE mark for 10 years.
The John Tavares cameo in this video! Amazing lol
What about that WWE tag team match where we didn't know if the randomly paired partners could coexist- they kept looking at each other sideways, it was deft, fresh storytelling and was definitely 5 star!!
suzuki vs danielson should've absolutely been rated five stars
Never thought I’d make it onto a partsfunknown vid, thanks winter is coming
Darby Allin vs Mjf was personal my favorite because both of them are my favorite & the match was unpredictable & was amazing
Probably not mouthwatering match or even caught Dave's attention but Balor vs Dunne is a banger. A lot of people maybe forgotten it because it's mat-based but don't count me in. I know star rating is subjective to mark out a very great match. But honestly, Balor vs Dunne at Vengeance Day definitely needs recognitions. Dunne bent joints very realistically and really looked terrifying whenever he does it. Balor played his role perfectly, a calm cool and collected that in mid match showed some cracks to his armor. A dream match that lived to my expectation thanks to NXT (oh my I miss old NXT). Also at the end, one of the shocking moment and added the drama is when Cole superkicked not just Balor but O'Reilly, signaling the end of the UE.
Man I love me some Takagi, what a year. Shame it had to come at just about the worst time it could have
Completely agree
Even though FTR didn't have a match rated 5 stars this year, I would say they are probably one of the most important tag teams of the year. They are an excellent workhorse crew that has helped further so many great storylines. Put them against anyone and they are making it work!
That Stardom match was easily MOTY looking back on it. Much as I loved Ishii vs Takagi, it was just on a different level.
One match I was a little sad to see not get the full 5 was ZSJ vs KENTA from the G1 Climax. ZSJ had a string of bangers in that tournament and this was the best of them, in my view.
nah.
MJF vs Darby Allin is my favorite match of all time and definitely should have been 5*
totally, 100% agree with you. That match was magic.
of all time?! really?
Agreed this was the best match of full gear, Dave meltzer's 5 star rating has just become a consolation prize at this point...
I’m so shocked that Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa’s Lights Out Match wasn’t 5 stars.
5 Star matches really dosen't mean much these days... Meltzer has become very biased... Bryan Danielson never had 5 star match but now, he got one since he fought Meltzer's crush, Omega...
I don’t think he actually rated a bunch of the Bryan vs Nigel matches and some other ROH matches so that’s probably part of it.
@@BasedWorld690 he actually never had one before his match with Omega
@@OK_225 I know I’m saying Meltzer just didn’t rate a bunch of his best ROH work for instance so that’s part of why he didn’t have a 5 star before. And plus for some reason they’re just generally more common nowadays
People have always said Meltzer is biased. With NJPW,AJPW,NXT and now AEW maybe he just likes good wrestling. But in all seriousness while I do agree that some of Bryan's matches should be 5 or 6 star matches I don't think Meltzer is biased because he has done this for decades and I respect him for that. He saw all the bad in wrestling from WWE,WCW,and TNA. Now we finally are getting a new silver age of wrestling.
@@ibenerdy3808 and even if he is who cares it’s his opinion
edge vs danyel bryan vs roman reings should be on the list
Main roster WWE certainly I think deserve more 5 stars, especially with all the 4.75 ratings they get. I don't think it would've been a crime if the Wrestlemania Triple Threat main event or the Men's MITB match got 5 stars
Ahaha if wwe deserves 5 stars then I deserve to be the next president you should be happy that they are getting at least 4.75 considering that their products are 4 at best 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Each to their own wrestling is subjective, I think main roster WWE can have great matches (too talented of a roster not to even with the releases) but it’s over produced people like Michael Hayes aren’t good enough and have too much control in creating these matches, the wrestlers should have more freedom because too often these matches feel like a watered down version of what they could be (Reigns vs Big E for example). I’m not surprised the only 5 star match was a wrestled in a style you don’t get on the main roster, there should be more variation of styles allowed.
On your point about giving the WrestleMania Triple Threat and The money in the bank ladder match 5 stars you could say the same about AEW and NJPW who’ve had several matches who don’t get 5 stars but imo should be worthy of him giving it but they have more great matches in general so they’re likely the get those 5 star ratings.
Low key tempest is a great presenter
I really love his delivery
Meltzer has a type for American and Japanese styles and AEW and NJPW tend to fit that mold really well. Personally there are a lot of matches I'd consider 5 stars that weren't on here from Noah, TJPW, and WWE. I even have some matches from NJPW and AEW he didn't include. People make a big deal about Meltzer's stars, but insee them as a Canon for wrestling. Whenever I want to introduce wrestling to people, I'll usually turn to a match from his list.
People take Meltzers ratings too seriously on both ends. The man has a style of wrestling he enjoys and he rates them as such. I disagree with some of the matches he gives 5 stars, and I can think of a solid number of matches he gave less than 5 too that I'd give 5 easily. Too many people get bent out of shape about it
only ilja v walter is 5star in wwe this year. wwe dont even try
@Anthony Reyes-Castillo He gave if 4 3/4 stars. So you know, it's not like he thought it stunk.
@@unblinkingear yeah but how many epic classics has Michael's had that he gave only 4.75 stars? He didn't give Benoit and Angle vs Rey Mysterio and Edge 5 stars, didn't give Kurt Angle vs The Undertaker at no way out 5 stars, didn't give HBK vs The Undertaker at wrestlemania 25 5 Stars, and the list goes on and on of the many WWE classics that he only gave 4.75 ratings to. And it's like how do you even differentiate that from a 4.5 or a 5? To me it's clear that he favors other wrestling promotions and clearly is way too harsh on WWE matches when it comes to his ratings. Because no matter how great of a match you have, if you're not an indie darling, or if you not from Japan, you ain't getting 5 stars.
@@lukedavis1436 "Because no matter how great of a match you have, if you're not an indie darling, or if you not from Japan, you ain't getting 5 stars."
Meltzer has given 14 WWF/WWE/NXT matches 5 stars or more so that statement is demonstrably false.
HOOK’s debut deserved 5 stars
7 stars
10 stars
Hook stars
Shingo vs Osprey is this era's Okada vs Omega but people aren't ready for that conversation yet. And that match at Dontaku is one of the all timer if not the best ever.
Theres not much to argue there. Two of the best in the world going at it will always be beautiful to see.
It depends on what they ultimately decide to do at WrestleKingdom 17 in a few weeks, really. I think that if Shingo were to beat Okada and meet Ospreay on the second night, they truly could be said to have surpassed Okada vs Omega at this point. Even more so if they do eventually meet in a G1 Final like Tempest mentioned. But if Okada walks out of WK as champion, neither one will seem to have ever been at his level imo and therefore, their rivalry would fall short by virtue of standing.
No it isn't. It's an insult to put asspray on the same level as Omega, he's a complete charisma vaccume.
Am I the only one who prefers any previous Takagi vs. Ospreay matches over Dontaku's? That last one was too slow for me
@@sebasfv5705 No, I agree. I prefer their bout from the NJ Cup final.
IMO Eddie Kingston passing out giving American Dragonson the Finger and RUclips free murder grandpa Minoru Suzuki vs Dragonson was also 5* !
I just forgot and want to make a special shout out because you forget it was THIS YEAR...but Britt baker DMD VS Thunder Rosa Lights out match...idk if its 5* buts its close if not!
Totally forgot Fenix and PAC was the Bucks first title defense, then Fenix and Penta are the ones who eventually beat them for the titles. AEW never ceases to amaze me with the long term story telling
that one moment when you realize that Christian Cage had a 5-star match before Edge would
really taking the higher pay out by youtube in december to the next level, but why not! loving it!
Honestly, I'd give the match when Drew and Sheamus both got knocked out 5 stars because the match went way beyond expectations, it had true fighting spirit for both competitors, and it seemed like they truly hated each other
They need a proper feud. I know they had a quick one a little while ago, but they need a solid 3-6 month feud. They’re styles mesh well together. It’s just a absolute slug-fest. And people seem to eat it up.
Love Tempest, need more of his lists
AEW & NJPW = 5 star Machines 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Guys seriously go watch Utami vs Syuri, their rematch is a week and a half from now and the original was so good. Then go watch more stardom because stardom is awesome
From one leafs fan to another I popped for the Tavares NJPW pic. Good laugh on a hard day
I’m sorry Dave but ngl i think that the Seth v Edge HIAC match at Crown Jewel should have been 5 stars
Yes 👍🏾😊 right 100 💯
Great video
It can't be anti-WWE bias when the product is objectively trash.
Or he's a real anti-WWE because their product is objectively trash
Everyone should be anti-WWE
How many matches in wwe history has he given 5 stars?
I was at Arthur Ashe for that match. The atmosphere in that building was absolutely electric. Also...I think the Triple Threat Main Event at Mania between Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, and Edge will go down as an all-timer, and probably should be 5 stars, though I may just think that cuz I was there live.
i thought it was great too but the Uso's getting involved multi times took a bit off for me
Tempest rules!
Loving the frequency of these lists PFK team!
Kenny Omega is a living legend
NJPW has amazing matches love NJPW
Man! New Japan sure have a lot of 5 star matches
I would put MJFvs Darby Allin at 5 stars too
That match was rad. Probably my favorite match at Full Gear besides Kenny vs Hangman
Came down to the comments to find this. Probably my favourite match this year just for the match itself. If a lapsed rasslin fan friend asked me to recommend one match from AEW to try and lure them back in this would probably be up there ...
I rather enjoy tempest doing lists, he's good at it
Yeah Meltzer has just gone over the edge with these ratings. The shear number of 5 star matches and breaking his ratings system multiple times the same year just dilutes it to the point it doesn't mean anything. Every match on this list was a banger for sure, just not all greatest match ever candidates.
Oh Tempest, you will certainly have to edit this video.^^ There´s the Utami vs. Syuri match at Stardom Dream Queendom the 29th.
New Japan was on fire this year incredible matches
Oooooooooohhhhhhhh maaaannnnn I absolutely miss the Broserweights. Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle were absolutely excellent.
Cracking list, Brian!
Banks vs Bel-Air was awesome I can watch it over and over
Rey vs. Kenny was a match!
Lucha bros x Young Bucks in the cage is my fav match of the year.
The inclusion of AEW has raised the entire landscape. All across the board.
So many people are saying “Dave Meltzer has a clear anti-WWE bias.” Guys, Dave Meltzer clearly has an opinion on the way he likes his wrestling. So does Vince McMahon, so does Jim Cornette. Everybody likes what they like. Just because you think something is amazing doesn’t mean everybody will. Don’t take what Meltzer has to it being the only opinion that matters. Also, to any dumbass who thinks he is on TK’s payroll, this list should show that he would be on Gedo’s payroll in NJPW first.
More more and more from Tempest
I had absolutly no idea there was that many incredible NJPW matches this year, furthermore this really speaks volumes about the preformance aspect of the WWE product. 30+ year old company can't produce as high quality matches as "newer" promotions.
They can but they just often don't let their performers actually wrestle. However, I do think that they deserved to have a few matches on this list, Meltzer has a Meltzed brain.
@VarenOfTatooine ahhhh yes you make a very good point
Personally, i felt that the wrestlemania triple threat deserved 5 stars, but maybe Meltzer didnt like it? To each to their own, i guess
Ospreay vs takagi at dontaku wasn't just my match of the year, it is my favorite match of all time
This video just made me notice how damn constant is Shingo Takagi in offering great performances. I always liked him but heck, he can just squat dwn and sheet out gem after gem
Kenny omega man is just perfect hope he get well And comes back to AEW
Surprised the triple threat between Daniel Bryan, Edge and Roman wasn't on the list. I can't remember enjoying a main roster wwe match so much for a loooong time.
Jeff Hardy vs Cross definitely 5 stars
there is literally no wwe main roster matches on here
Ya know, kinda crazy how New Japan had the most 5 star matches this year and it still doesn't get mentioned in the title. This may have been an awkward, down period year for New Japan, but they proved that they can still produce some of the best matches in pro wrestling even in a state of chaos and flux.
Wrestlkingdom 15 was ridiculous from start to finish also Shingo Tagaki is the new best bout machine
Darby v. MJF is my match of the year
Long story short: Dave Meltzer loves him some New Japan Pro Wrestling
"bUt He'S oN tHe AeW pAyRoLl"
Say idiots with no clue
Yeah, mostly New Japan. Not even Noah gets as much love as NJPW, and in my opinion their mid and lower card is better
He just loves the attention. That's why you see him hanging out with wresters if you think you wanted to be seen as impartial he wouldn't try and hang out with wresters. He has never worked in the wresterling business. He is just a fan with a website trying to make money good for him.
Like every wrestling fan should do too
Just remember that Meltzer the Melt didn’t give either of the Taker/HBK wrestlemania matches 5 stars, despite them being widely regarded as the best WM matches of all time and some of the best of all time full stop. That’s all you need to know.
Just remember he also didn't give AJ vs Nakamura at WK10 5* despite it being widely regarded as one of the best matches in years. We all know and agree these matches are great, sometimes it feels like people forget that 4 star + matches are also *great* matches. Just because Dave doesn't give them one of his highest ratings doesn't mean he thinks they were bad.
@@heyiamnick4144 you’re right, and I respect that opinion, but the Taker/HBK matches should be the very definition of 5* matches in my opinion
@@ParksandPosh Well I mean he did give Taker vs HBK at bad blood 5*
Wow can't believe Danielson v Suzuki wasn't here it was an amazing surprise
Jungle Boy v Kenny Omega! It's was old school and amazing for free TV.
MJF v Darby was 5* in my books
A comment section full of AEW marks 🔥❤️
WWE fans don’t get worked up. I know there were TONS of matches that should’ve gotten 5 stars between last year and this year but didn’t. The same could be said for New Japan and AEW.
Lucha Bros vs Young Bucks in a Judy Bagwell on a Forklift match...needs to happen!