From 1997-2011, the illustrious
rolleyes Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer gave not a single WWF/E match a five star rating. In 1997, he gave two: Austin vs. Hart in their submissions match, and the HBK/Undertaker Hell In A Cell match. The next match from the WWE to make the list was CM Punk/John Cena from MITB 2011, and no matches since have received one. Wade Keller of PWTorch.com, while not as stingy as Meltzer, gave only three other WWE matches between '97 and 2011 that much-sought-after rating. And while they get paid for their opinions and their sites, I just do this because I enjoy it, but I think both left several glaring omissions off their list. So, along with me, here's your chance to discuss some matches you feel should have gotten that 5-star rating, and why. I came up with 9 myself(from WWE), but I'm only going to go with 3 here, so as not to make it more difficult for others. Plus I'm too lazy to type out 9 matches and why each belongs on the 5-star list. 
I'll post the highlights of the three I'm using just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.
And if you think I'm wrong, feel free to tell me so, and why, as well. Just be sure to have one of your own.
Chris Benoit/Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio/Edge, No Mercy 2002: Simply put, this is the best tag-team match I've ever seen. It received Match Of The Year honors from several publications, and while I know every year doesn't have a 5-star match, this one was. The back-story going was that Benoit and Angle hated one another, and were forced to team together by SD! GM Stephanie McMahon. If they came to blows at any time, they were both suspended for a year, without pay. This match was to crown the inaugural Tag Team Champions exclusive to Smackdown, and the two teams had won their respective branches of a tournament to get here.
Edge was really coming into his own as a wrestler, Mysterio was somewhat new to WWE, and Benoit and Angle were, well, Benoit and Angle. What made this match so special, along with the ring work involved, was the camera angles. There were so many false finishes that looked like the end for certain, only for it to be broken up. All four men were pretty health at the time, so the foursome worked fast and hard for nearly 25 minutes without missing a beat. The story-telling here was fantastic as well, as there was a spot where Benoit was knocked into Angle, and the two came close to blows, only to realize winning the tag championships were more important. The ending came when Mysterio moonsaulted onto Benoit near the end of the match on the outside, taking both out. This left just Edge and Angle in the ring, with Edge perhaps getting slightly cocky and using the Ankle Lock on Angle, only for Angle to reverse into one of his own, to which Edge tapped. Just a brilliant display of getting away from 'formula' tag-team wrestling, with four men going all out to win. My favorite tag match of all time, and if you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for?
[YOUTUBE]RhTu-WjwTbQ[/YOUTUBE]
Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle, Royal Rumble 2003: Gee, it's another match involving both Angle and Benoit! This is the match I was watching a few nights ago that got me thinking about this, and was for the WWE Title. I'm always curious as to how others rate matches, so I searched Meltzer's 5-star list, and was shocked this wasn't on it. Both men have had some fantastic matches in their careers, but I'd be hard-pressed to think of a better one either has had. This was just an absolute war between two men that beat the tar out of each other, and a technical masterpiece at that. The finishing sequence was absolutely insane, perhaps the best I've ever seen. I thought it might be over when Benoit hooked the Crossface, but Angle reversed it into a Powerbomb. After kicking out of the Angle Slam, I was sure it was over when Benoit hooked the Crossface again, but Angle somehow rolled through into the Ankle Lock. Benoit then used kicks, punches, and roll-throughs, but he still couldn't break it, and Angle eventually grapevined the leg and held on for the submision victory.
[YOUTUBE]vbe59YnrdsU[/YOUTUBE]
Benoit got a standing ovation from the Boston crowd following the match, which is such a rare thing in wrestling. If this isn't a 5-star match, I'm not sure what is.
Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker, Wrestlemnia 25: This is probably the one most think of when they think of a recent 5-star match, but surprisingly, it didn't make the list. There were several men who wanted to face Undertaker at Wrestlemnia, and HBK beat Vladimir Kozlov, thankfully, to 'earn' the right to face Undertaker. For weeks leading into the match, HBK played head games with the Undertaker, including hitting him with Sweet Chin Music(SCM) every week.
This was, of course, the first of bck-to-back meetings between HBK and Undertaker at Wrestlemania, and the better of the two. Quite honestly, they had me believing Shawn could break the Streak, which as one of the holy grails in wrestling, was no small feet. There was a spot near the end where Shawn hit SCM and made an immediate cover, only for Undertaker to kick out. The match ended just a few minutes later with Shawn trying a Moonsault from the top rope, only to be caught and Tombstoned for Undertaker to go to 16-0. In my mind, while a different match entirely, this was better then their Hell In A Cell match from '97, which did receive five stars.
[YOUTUBE]JnEBJRlh-0A[/YOUTUBE]
Just as a quick aside, this applies to only WWE matches, and those between 1997 and today.
Are there matches between 97' and today from WWE that are glaring omissions from the 5-star/near perfection list? Why?
Here's a link to Meltzer's complete list, from all companies, if you're interested. I can do a similar thread in the TNA section if people would like.
http://starratingslist.blogspot.com/2009/09/wrestling-observer-5-star-ratings-list.html
rolleyes Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer gave not a single WWF/E match a five star rating. In 1997, he gave two: Austin vs. Hart in their submissions match, and the HBK/Undertaker Hell In A Cell match. The next match from the WWE to make the list was CM Punk/John Cena from MITB 2011, and no matches since have received one. Wade Keller of PWTorch.com, while not as stingy as Meltzer, gave only three other WWE matches between '97 and 2011 that much-sought-after rating. And while they get paid for their opinions and their sites, I just do this because I enjoy it, but I think both left several glaring omissions off their list. So, along with me, here's your chance to discuss some matches you feel should have gotten that 5-star rating, and why. I came up with 9 myself(from WWE), but I'm only going to go with 3 here, so as not to make it more difficult for others. Plus I'm too lazy to type out 9 matches and why each belongs on the 5-star list. I'll post the highlights of the three I'm using just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. And if you think I'm wrong, feel free to tell me so, and why, as well. Just be sure to have one of your own.
Chris Benoit/Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio/Edge, No Mercy 2002: Simply put, this is the best tag-team match I've ever seen. It received Match Of The Year honors from several publications, and while I know every year doesn't have a 5-star match, this one was. The back-story going was that Benoit and Angle hated one another, and were forced to team together by SD! GM Stephanie McMahon. If they came to blows at any time, they were both suspended for a year, without pay. This match was to crown the inaugural Tag Team Champions exclusive to Smackdown, and the two teams had won their respective branches of a tournament to get here.
Edge was really coming into his own as a wrestler, Mysterio was somewhat new to WWE, and Benoit and Angle were, well, Benoit and Angle. What made this match so special, along with the ring work involved, was the camera angles. There were so many false finishes that looked like the end for certain, only for it to be broken up. All four men were pretty health at the time, so the foursome worked fast and hard for nearly 25 minutes without missing a beat. The story-telling here was fantastic as well, as there was a spot where Benoit was knocked into Angle, and the two came close to blows, only to realize winning the tag championships were more important. The ending came when Mysterio moonsaulted onto Benoit near the end of the match on the outside, taking both out. This left just Edge and Angle in the ring, with Edge perhaps getting slightly cocky and using the Ankle Lock on Angle, only for Angle to reverse into one of his own, to which Edge tapped. Just a brilliant display of getting away from 'formula' tag-team wrestling, with four men going all out to win. My favorite tag match of all time, and if you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for?
[YOUTUBE]RhTu-WjwTbQ[/YOUTUBE]
Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle, Royal Rumble 2003: Gee, it's another match involving both Angle and Benoit! This is the match I was watching a few nights ago that got me thinking about this, and was for the WWE Title. I'm always curious as to how others rate matches, so I searched Meltzer's 5-star list, and was shocked this wasn't on it. Both men have had some fantastic matches in their careers, but I'd be hard-pressed to think of a better one either has had. This was just an absolute war between two men that beat the tar out of each other, and a technical masterpiece at that. The finishing sequence was absolutely insane, perhaps the best I've ever seen. I thought it might be over when Benoit hooked the Crossface, but Angle reversed it into a Powerbomb. After kicking out of the Angle Slam, I was sure it was over when Benoit hooked the Crossface again, but Angle somehow rolled through into the Ankle Lock. Benoit then used kicks, punches, and roll-throughs, but he still couldn't break it, and Angle eventually grapevined the leg and held on for the submision victory.
[YOUTUBE]vbe59YnrdsU[/YOUTUBE]
Benoit got a standing ovation from the Boston crowd following the match, which is such a rare thing in wrestling. If this isn't a 5-star match, I'm not sure what is.
Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker, Wrestlemnia 25: This is probably the one most think of when they think of a recent 5-star match, but surprisingly, it didn't make the list. There were several men who wanted to face Undertaker at Wrestlemnia, and HBK beat Vladimir Kozlov, thankfully, to 'earn' the right to face Undertaker. For weeks leading into the match, HBK played head games with the Undertaker, including hitting him with Sweet Chin Music(SCM) every week.
This was, of course, the first of bck-to-back meetings between HBK and Undertaker at Wrestlemania, and the better of the two. Quite honestly, they had me believing Shawn could break the Streak, which as one of the holy grails in wrestling, was no small feet. There was a spot near the end where Shawn hit SCM and made an immediate cover, only for Undertaker to kick out. The match ended just a few minutes later with Shawn trying a Moonsault from the top rope, only to be caught and Tombstoned for Undertaker to go to 16-0. In my mind, while a different match entirely, this was better then their Hell In A Cell match from '97, which did receive five stars.
[YOUTUBE]JnEBJRlh-0A[/YOUTUBE]
Just as a quick aside, this applies to only WWE matches, and those between 1997 and today.
Are there matches between 97' and today from WWE that are glaring omissions from the 5-star/near perfection list? Why?
Here's a link to Meltzer's complete list, from all companies, if you're interested. I can do a similar thread in the TNA section if people would like.
http://starratingslist.blogspot.com/2009/09/wrestling-observer-5-star-ratings-list.html
