The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer has been assigning star ratings to every major match for over forty years. Meltzer’s star ratings are as much a staple of the business as a wrist lock.
2022 saw Meltzer give an epic 19 matches the hallowed five-star (or above) rating. This feature documents all 2023 matches that the legendary wrestling journalist has deemed worthy of the five-star (or above) treatment.
Will Ospreay vs Kenny Omega, NJPW (January 4, 2023) – 6.25 Stars
2023 began with a bang as Meltzer gave a colossal 6.25 stars to the IWGP US Title match-up at New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom. Meltzer explained:
“Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay put on a match that exceeded the ridiculously high expectations people had for it, and one that could be hard to beat for match of the year.”
High praise indeed but Omega versus Ospreay did live up to the lofty expectations placed upon it. Omega wrestled a much more aggressive style than usual and the bout was all the better for it. The pair smashed each other with everything they had and the bout told a logical story.
Omega finally won after he nailed the valiant Ospreay with a Kamigoye and a One Winged Angel after a hard-fought 35-minute contest. One of the best matches in either man’s career.
Death Triangle vs Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks, AEW (January 11, 2023) – 5 Stars
The final of the best-of-seven series for the World Trios Title was much like the previous six encounters that had preceded it; a non-stop spot fest.
Whether these types of matches are worthy of five stars or not depends on personal preference, but what this bout did provide was plenty of action and jaw-dropping athleticism. It was a fitting conclusion to the series and The Elite winning made sense as their title victory gave the fledgling title some firm credibility.
Meltzer said the match:
“Was one of the best matches in Dynamite history. I had this at *****, the best of the seven and this was the best version of a best-of-seven series in history, and was significantly above whatever was No. 2.”
High praise indeed.
Adam Page vs Jon Moxley, AEW (March 5, 2023) – 5 Stars
The feud between former AEW World Champions, Adam Page and Jon Moxley peaked in a blood-soaked Texas Death Match at AEW’s first pay-per-view of the year, Revolution.
This was a match that likely may have been more at home in CZW or GFW. The contest centred around barbed wire and both mean utilising it to maim each other as much as humanly possible.
The finish came when Page nailed Moxley with a brick, smashed him with a Buckshot Lariat, and then used the chain to hang him over the rope for the submission. One of those moves would have likely sufficed for the finish.
Of the bout, Meltzer said:
“It was gruesome. I usually hate these kind of matches but it was billed as Texas death and it was so ridiculously well done.”
MJF vs Brian Danielson, AEW (March 5, 2023) – 5.75 Stars
Adam Page versus Jon Moxley was not the only five-star match at Revolution. Dave Meltzer dished out another five (and three-quarter) snowflakes for the show’s headliner. Bryan Danielson challenged AEW World Champion, MJF in a 60-minute Ironman bout for the gold.
The contest actually lasted over 65 minutes as the score was tied at 3-3 as the time limit expired. MJF who had received oxygen at the conclusion of the 60 minutes knocked Danielson silly with the oxygen tank and slapped on a LeBell Lock to earn the submission win.
Technically sound, heated, and with some good storytelling sprinkled in, this was a fine encounter. Explaining his star rating, Meltzer stated:
“This was a classic in some ways, an incredibly brilliant match where every move pretty much made sense and built to something that led to the climax, and violently brutal all at the same time.”
El Hijo Del Vikingo vs Kenny Omega, AEW (March 22, 2023) – 5 Stars
In a bout that AAA had been seeking to book for several years, AEW managed to secure the services of El Hijo Del Vikingo to clash with Kenny Omega on Dynamite.
This clash delivered as a spectacle of death-defying athleticism as Vikingo wowed the American crowd with his jaw-dropping, innovative offence.
After 17 hard-fought minutes, Omega smashed Vikingo with a One Winged Angel. A high-quality television bout. It does feel that fans would have paid to see this on pay-per-view, however, so one questions the wisdom of giving the dream match away on television.
Melter said that the contest was:
“One of the best television matches in the history of the company and the single most spectacular television match.”
The Usos vs Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn, WWE (April 1, 2023) – 5 Stars
The greatest storyline of the past decade peaked with a phenomenal WrestleMania headliner. Sami Zayn ostracised from The Bloodline at Royal Rumble and defeated by ‘The Tribal Chief’ at Elimination Chamber finally earned some degree of vengeance when he and long-time associate, Kevin Owens dethroned The Uso’s to lift the Unified Tag Team Title.
Packed full of emotion, an electric crowd, and stupendous storytelling, this was a five-star classic. One of the most memorable ‘Mania main events of all time.
Meltzer commented:
“There was a huge pop for the finish and the post-match celebration.”
That was an understatement. This was a hugely popular result, capping a magnificent match-up.
Gunther vs Drew McIntyre vs Sheamus, WWE (April 2, 2023) – 5 Stars
Night Two of WrestleMania delivered another five-star classic. The live crowd was invested in Sheamus’s quest to capture the one title that has eluded him in his lengthy WWE career.
Said Meltzer:
“This was a hard hitting match that the crowd went nuts for.”
Indeed. Sheamus and Gunther picked up where they had left off in their Clash at the Castle classic, by smashing each other with stiff blows. Another storyline wrinkle was that Sheamus’s buddy, Drew McIntyre was at odds with his ally over capturing the gold, which led to intense exchanges between the pair.
The creative finish came when Gunther power-bombed Sheamus onto McIntyre for the win. An instant classic.
Shingo Takagi vs Aaron Henare, NJPW (April 2, 2023) – 5.25 Stars
Shingo Takagi retained the KOPW title over Aaron Henare, who had defeated him in singles and tag team action to set up the title bout.
In a stiff, hard-fought brawl, Takagi toppled his challenger in an excellent Last Man Standing type rules match-up, by narrowly beating the ten count ahead of Henare.
Meltzer commented that the contest was “easily one of the year’s best matches.”
Master Wato vs Titan, NJPW (May 28, 2023) – 5 Stars
New Japan’s famed Best of the Super Junior Cup tournament is no stranger to Dave Meltzer’s five-star ratings. So, it is, therefore, no surprise that the 2023 final made the cut this year.
Master Wato beat Titan to win the hallowed tournament. Meltzer stated:
“Wato-Titan was in the opinion of most, not only the best match of the tournament, but among the best finals in history. It came across like an attempt to make two new superstars in the same match.”
High praise indeed. The match definitely delivered plenty of action and was warmly received by the live crowd. Time will tell if the bout solidifies the participants as major stars in New Japan going forward.
Adam Page, Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks vs Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta, AEW (May 28, 2023) – 5 Stars
Double Or Nothing was headlined by Anarchy in the Arena, which delivered lots of blood and violence as it does every year. This edition featured The Elite against the Blackpool Combat Club. Meltzer said: “This was insane from start to finish.”
It was. Though five stars does seem a tad generous when as Meltzer said himself:
“So much was going on that the cameras missed a lot and from being there live, it was impossible to follow everything.”
Despite the overbooking and the shoddy camerawork, the two teams worked hard and constructed a match-up that fit its anarchic billing.
The Blackpool Combat Club won after Wheeler Yuta pinned Kenny Omega after Takeshita interfered.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii vs Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley & Shota Umino, NJPW (June 4, 2023) – 5 Stars
This six-man tag team bout was one of the most anticipated contests on New Japan’s Dominion show. Packed full of star names who were hell-bent on delivering the type of super stiff matches that are synonymous with NJPW.
The crowd went wild for Hiroshi Tanahashi and Claudio Castagnoli squaring off. Jon Moxley and Tomohiro Ishii battled in a callback to their famous G1 match.
Kazuchika Okada finally put Shota Umino down with the Rainmaker after almost 21 minutes of hard-hitting action.
Meltzer said:
“This was probably the best Never Trios title match in history. Moxley and Ishii were great. Okada and Umino have a great veteran/upcoming star chemistry and Castagnoli was just awesome as well.”
Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay, AEW (June 25, 2023) – 6 Stars
Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay bettered their Wrestle Kingdom encounter in January with another bout that rocked the house at AEW’s Forbidden Door.
The rivals battered each other senseless in a bout packed full of innovative, high-impact moves. Both men bled in the best match on the card and possibly the greatest match of the year to date.
Said Meltzer:
“There were a ton of people who said this was the best match they had ever seen or best match ever in North America. You could certainly argue it for that spot or as the best match in AEW history.”
That may be a mild exaggeration but only just. This contest was an instant classic and will have fans salivating at a return match to round off the 2023 trilogy.
FTR vs Bullet Club Gold, AEW (July 15, 2023) – 5.25 Stars
AEW Collision earned it’s first ever five star rating from Meltzer for the near one hour war which pitted AEW Tag Team Champions, FTR against Bullet Club Gold in a two out of three falls contest.
The match was a slow starter but picked up from the second fall onwards and the final 10 minutes were packed full of big moves and dramatic moments. The bout was a stature enhancer for Jay White and Juice Robinson, who haven’t been presented as the mega stars there were in Japan during their AEW tenure to date.
Meltzer was effusive in his praise for the match. He said:
“This had instant classic written all over it, and boy did this deliver. There was so much to love about this – good ol’ traditional tag team wrasslin’ at its finest. I loved the tease of going 60 minutes, that seemed to be the obvious path they were going, so for the finish to come mere minutes before the end was a nice touch.”
This was a far cry from the tag team bouts AEW usually presents, particularly those that feature The Young Bucks, in that its drama came from the selling from both teams, which sold the jeopardy and high stakes of the match-up perfectly.
The finish came when an exhausted Robinson submitted to a Dax Harwood Sharpshooter.
An excellent, old school tag team encounter. It’s debatable whether it is the finest tag team bout ever held on television in the States, as Meltzer claims. It was however, very, very good.
Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Kento Miyahara, Pro Wrestling NOAH (July 15, 2023) – 5.25 Stars
Meltzer had a good July 15, as he awarded a second bout the hallowed five star (or 5.25 star) treatment on the same day.
In a cross promotional dream match, NOAH’s own Katushiko Nakajima tangled with All Japan’s, Kento Miyahara in a stiff bout that built and built to a dramatic crescendo.
Miyahara in particular was singled out for praise by Meltzer who said:
“Miyahara has the ability to do a long match and slow, so that ever move is sold and means something, which is basically a Jack Brisco-Dory Funk Jr., pacing combined with the brutal kicks and knees that are more modern.”
The match ebbed and flowed and did feature some dramatic selling. Nakajima nailed Miyahara with a brutal Brainbuster to earn the pinfall.
A rematch in All Japan has been mooted. There should definitely be an appetite for it after this tour de force classic.
Tetsuya Naito vs Will Ospreay, NJPW (August 12, 2023) – 6 Stars
“The Ospreay match ranks with the Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi match as the best G-1 match in history.”
So said Meltzer in his review of New Japan’s G1 Climax semi-final battle.
The finish was strange as Tetsuya Naito had legitimately been knocked silly, which led to Will Ospreay essentially nailing himself with three of Naito’s Destino’s. Naito took the victory and progressed to the finals the following night where he was set to compete in another blinder.
Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada, NJPW (August 13, 2023) – 5.25 Stars
“This was an incredibly dramatic match.”
Those were Dave Meltzer’s thoughts on the G-1 Climax final. The battle between Japanese legends, Tetsuya Naito and Kazuchika Okado more than lived up to its billing in a superlative battle 35-minute war.
Two-time winner, Naito who had won the tournament in 2013 and 2017 made it a treble with victory over great rival Okada. The bout was a super heated affair, with the live crowd molten hot for Naito.
The exciting closing stretch saw Naito reverse a Rainmaker into two Destino’s to claim the trophy.
Will Ospreay vs Shingo Takagi, RevPro (August 26, 2023) – 5.25 Stars
Will Ospreay notched up his 28th 5 star rating from Dave Meltzer at the 11th anniversary RevPro show from the UK.
Whilst in town for All In from Wembley Stadium, Ospreay took on and defeated Shingo Takagi in a fast paced match-up which thrilled the London crowd.
Following the bout, Chris Jericho made a surprise run-in and attacked Ospreay as a final push for their All In match-up.
Although, Meltzer rated the match an epic 5.25 stars, he didn’t pass comment on the bout within the Observer newsletter.
Bryan Danielson vs Ricky Starks, AEW (September 3, 2023) – 5 Stars
Dave Meltzer observed that AEW All Out on paper and at the outset of the show itself appeared to be the weakest pay-per-view line-up in AEW history. However, Meltzer then said:
“Cue Bryan Danielson and Ricky Starks, who had the best strap match I’ve ever seen.”
Danielson marked his return in style in a super stiff, hard hitting strap match as both men battered each other senseless with the strap in a tough 16-minute encounter.
It was a match worthy of the five snowflakes awarded to it.
Konosuke Takeshita vs Kenny Omega, AEW (September 3, 2023) – 5 Stars
The long running feud between Takeshita and Kenny Omega delivered in the ring in their first singles match in AEW.
Takeshita turned heel on Omega and aligned himself with Omega’s longtime associate, Don Callis, which set up this top-drawer encounter.
On the match, Meltzer said:
“This turned into a fantastic match. I was surprised Omega lost after being pinned last week but the idea is to use Omega’s status to make Takeshita into a superstar heel and eventually a top tier superstar babyface.”
If that is the goal, then this was an excellent way to begin that journey. Takeshita looked every inch the superstar throughout the match-up. He utilised a wheelbarrow german suplex and a running knee, before taking of his kneepad and hitting another running knee for the clean pin. This was a decisive victory. Terrific encounter.
Will Ospreay vs Yota Tsuji, NJPW (September 24, 2023) – 5 Stars
“Just beautiful stuff.”
Those were Dave Meltzer’s thoughts on the contest between Will Ospreay and Yota Tsuji which headlined night one of New Japan’s Destruction in Kobe event.
The pair contested a fast paced, energetic collision which went down extremely well with the live crowd.
The finish came when Ospreay nailed a storm drive, hidden blade and stormbreaker. Tsuji wasn’t getting up from that.
Bryan Danielson vs Zack Sabre Jr., AEW (October 1, 2023) – 5.5 Stars
This dream match was the pick of the contests at the appropriately named WrestleDream event. Danielson and Sable Jr. fought the type of stiff, crisp bout you would expect from these two.
Meltzer stated:
“This was a classic style match and I think it will be one of the most remembered matches of this era by people in 20 years.”
That may be an exaggeration, but there is no denying that the match-up was very, very good. Packed full of superlative action and laced with near falls and submission attempts. It was a thrill ride for all of its 23-minute duration.
Will Ospreay vs Zack Sabre Jr., NJPW (October 14, 2023) – 5.5 Stars
Will Ospreay retained his UK Championship opposite Zack Sabre Jr. in a choice contest that hailed from the Copper Box Arena in London at New Japan’s Royal Quest show.
Meltzer stated:
“Ospreay vs. Sabre was a classic match of technical mat wrestling and innovative moves, escapes and sequences”
The match was packed with the sort of high impact spots you would expect but featured lots of submission wrestling that made the contest unpredictable. A breathless finishing sequence saw Ospreay power bomb out of a triangle choke, nail the Hidden Blade and earn the pinfall with the Stormbreaker. Top match, although at 5.5 stars, it seems a tad overrated.
Will Ospreay vs Mike Bailey, Impact Wrestling (October 21, 2023) – 5.25 Stars
Will Ospreay notched a record extending 14th five star rating from Dave Meltzer at Impact Wrestling’s flagship, Bound for Glory show opposite Mike Bailey.
It was the first five star rating match for Impact Wrestling in 18 years, since the killer three way match between Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels at the Unbreakable pay-p-per-view in September 2005.
Ospreay versus Bailey was fought at an electric pace, and was packed full of stiff shots and moves. It was the clear highlight of Bound for Glory.
Said Meltzer:
“Will Ospreay and Speedball, Mike Bailey, two of the consistently best wrestlers in the world over the past two years, tore down the house.”
The finish came when Ospreay hit a Styles Clash and a Storm Driver, which Bailey kicked out of. He then nailed Bailey with a Hidden Blade and Stormbreaker to earn the pin.
The glut of finishing moves in the home stretch was excessive, but didn’t detract too much from an entertaining encounter.
Will Ospreay vs Shota Umino, NJPW (November 4, 2023) – 5.75 Stars
Will Ospreay retained the IWGP US/UK Championship against rising star, Shota Umino at New Japan’s Power Struggle show.
The match was a fast paced, bloody war that had a strong story thread of Umino trying to break out as the face of New Japan but Ospreay not being ready to give up his mantle just yet.
Umino displayed a clear desperation to win the bout, typified by a brutal Tiger Driver through a table spot. The crowd lapped it up and Ospreay eventally finished his opponent with a Storm Breaker.
Meltzer said:
“Ospreay’s win over Umino was a dramatic masterpiece, going 40:16 with the idea of Ospreay beating on Umino, and Umino continually surviving and coming back.”
He added:
“And it was very different from all of his other bouts this year.”
The match however was marred by the typical booking overkill in which selling takes a holiday and both participants kick out of far too many finishing moves. However, judged purely on entertainment value, then this bout ticked many of the boxes one would require.
Yuma Aoyagi, vs Katsuhiko Nakajima, AJPW (November 5, 2023) – 5.25 Stars
Katsuhiko Nakajima captured the famed All Japan Triple Crown in a tough, physical match-up. The crowd were rooting for Yuma Aoyagi throughout and on several occasions it seemed as if he would prevail. However, it was the dastardly Nakajima who took the win when he hit Aoyagi with two Brainbusters.
Both participants looked superhuman as they absorbed huge amounts of punishment in a sickeningly stiff contest.
Meltzer commented:
“It was like every single thing had impact and meant something. Aoyagi’s selling was incredible.”
However, its also a match where less is more and it would have been better if it were 10 minute shorter and the big spots were spread out.
Swerve Strickland vs Adam Page, AEW (November 18, 2023) – 5 Stars
The feud between Swerve Strickland and Adam Page exploded in an ultra-violent, blood-soaked Texas Death Match at the company’s Full Gear event.
The match peaked several minutes before the finish and would have benefitted from being around five minutes shorter. However, it delivered what most would expect from matches of this kind.
Meltzer described the bout as
“Among the best Texas Death Matches in history.”
However, he also added:
“It was at the same something you’d be embarrassed to show family and friends.”
Indeed. Five stars seems excessive for a mid-card, garbage type brawl. However, it did engage the live crowd and no doubt elevated Strickland in the process.
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