Will Ospreay has set a new benchmark for Dave Meltzer’s ratings, now being the first non-Japanese athlete with at least 20 matches rated five or more stars!
‘The Commonwealth Kingpin’ reached the luxurious twentieth match when his G1 Climax outing vs. Shingo Takagi was rated as 5.5 stars. This puts him behind only Toshiaki Kawada (21 matches), Kazuchika Okada (22 matches), Kenta Kobashi (23 matches), and Mitsuharu Misawa (25 matches) on Dave Meltzer’s list of must-see bouts.
Ospreay had previously been tied on the list with Kenny Omega. With ‘The Best Bout Machine’ expected back in a ring imminently, Will may not be one step ahead of him for long.
Will Ospreay today received his 20th 5*+ match following his incredible clash with Shingo Takagi.
He is now the 5th most decorated WON wrestler of all-time!
Where does 'The Commonwealth Kingpin' rank amongst the all-time greats? pic.twitter.com/HBYCufdxvN
— Inside The Ropes (@Inside_TheRopes) August 12, 2022
Will Ospreay first appeared in a five-star-rated match following a hectic six-man tag team match during PWG’s 2016 Battle of Los Angeles. Ospreay, teaming with Ricochet and Matt Sydal, was victorious over Adam Cole and the Young Bucks in the critically-acclaimed match.
Since then, the three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion has been a mainstay in such matches with KUSHIDA, Bandido, and Kazuchika Okada, among others. Shingo Takagi, however, accounts for a quarter of Ospreay’s renowned contests, beginning with their collision in the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors finals.
Dave Meltzer now has 205 matches rated at least five stars; the latest Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi clash was his eleventh of 2022 alone.