Dave Meltzer might be one of the more controversial and divisive journalists covering professional wrestling today, but the man who has been putting out the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON) for more than 40 years knows a thing or two about good matches. Over the years, he’s handed out a couple hundred 5-star ratings (or higher) for matches from promotions like WWE, NJPW, AEW, WCW, and dozens of other companies worldwide.
After Cody Rhodes received a 5-star rating for his main event match against AJ Styles at Backlash France in May 2024, his second since returning to WWE, I started wondering how many other matches were given a stellar rating by Meltzer over the years. Though he often gives a match, like the wild WrestleMania 40 main event, too low of a rating, the legendary wrestling historian has made the right call for some of the company’s most iconic matches.
Below is a breakdown of those matches, split up into decades, and how to watch them with a Peaco*ck subscription, whether you’re revisiting a classic from your childhood or just now getting into wrestling. Let’s take a trip down memory lane…
WWE 5-Star Matches From The 1990s
Dave Meltzer didn’t give any WWE matches a 5-star (or better) rating in the 1980s, though Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and “Macho Man” Randy Savage deserved one for their game-changing WrestleMania III classic. It was a different story in the 1990s, as Meltzer, according to ProFightDB, considered five matches from the decade 5-star affairs, including some of the most iconic matches of all time.
Razor Ramon Vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania X)
Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels both claimed to be the Intercontinental Champion heading in WrestleMania X in March 1994 and so WWE decided to settle this dispute with a ladder match. These two rivals pulled out all the stops to be the undisputed champion, creating a historic contest that ended with “The Bad Guy” standing atop a ladder with two belts held above his head.
Stream WrestleMania X on Peaco*ck.
Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart (SummerSlam '94)
In the highly anticipated rematch to their “Brother vs. Brother” match at WrestleMania X earlier that year, Bret Hart and Owen Hart competed in an even better SummerSlam ‘94 match that has become the stuff of legend. “The Hitman” not only got his win back in the brutal steel cage match, he also received one of the highest ratings of his career.
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Stream SummerSlam ‘94 on Peaco*ck.
Bret Hart Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (WrestleMania 13)
A contest that saw one of the greatest heel turns ever in professional wrestling, the no-disqualification submission match between Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 in March 1997 is one that helped usher in one of biggest boom periods in the sport’s history. These two rivals didn’t main event (they should have), but they did get a 5-star rating from Meltzer and legendary status for their efforts.
Stream WrestleMania 13 on Peaco*ck.
Shawn Michaels Vs. The Undertaker (In Your House 18: Badd Blood)
In Your House 18: Badd Blood saw the first Hell in a Cell match, the debut of Kane, and one of the greatest fights in WWE history when Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker squared off. All these years later, this match is still a banger.
Stream In Your House 18: Badd Blood on Peaco*ck.
WWE 5-Star Matches From The 2010s
Dave Meltzer didn’t give any WWE match a 5-star rating in the 2000s, which is crazy, considering Steve Austin vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X-7 and Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 both took place that decade. Anyway, Meltzer changed his tune in the 2010s, especially in the final few years of the decade when he sang the praises of NXT’s up-and-comers.
CM Punk Vs. John Cena (Money In The Bank '11)
Thoughthe Summer of Punkwent out with a whimper, the months-long program did give us one of the best WWE matches of all time: CM Punk vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship. The main event of 2011’s Money in the Bank PPV took place in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, and you can tell by the raucous crowd. Seriously, in terms of atmosphere, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Stream Money in the Bank ‘11 on Peaco*ck.
Andrade "Cien" Almas Vs. Johnny Gargano (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia)
Andrade "Cien" Almas, who lost his last name after WWE went crazy in the mid-to-late 2010s, put on a killer match against Johnny Gargano to defend his NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia in January 2018. A grueling back-and-forth affair with some killer hope spots, this is one of the black-and-gold brand’s best showings.
Stream NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on Peaco*ck.
Adam Cole Vs. EC3 Vs. Killian Dain Vs. Lars Sullivan Vs. Ricochet Vs. Velveteen Dream (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans)
Arguably the peak of the classic version of the brand, NXT TakeOver: New Orleans was the first event in WWE history to have two 5-star match ratings. The ladder match for the inaugural NXT North American Championship is one of the best in the gimmick’s history and one that every wrestling fan should watch.
Stream NXT TakeOver: New Orleans on Peaco*ck.
Johnny Gargano Vs. Tommaso Ciampa (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans)
Though the WrestleMania 34 main event the following night was nothing to write home about, it’s a different story for the final match at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. Former DIY tag team partners Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa concluded their year-long feud in one of the most emotional and hard-hitting contests in NXT history in this unsanctioned match.
Stream NXT TakeOver: New Orleans on Peaco*ck.
Moustache Mountain Vs. The Undisputed Era (NXT)
NXT tag teams Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven) and The Undisputed Era (Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly) proved that you don’t have to wait for a TakeOver event to put on a 5-star match in July 2018. During an episode of NXT’s weekly show, these four wrestlers put on an instant classic in a physical and emotional fight.
Stream the July 11, 2018 episode of NXT on Peaco*ck.
Adam Cole Vs. Johnny Gargano (NXT TakeOver: New York)
Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano, who had history going back to their time in PWG, put on the highest-rated match in WWE history (5.5 stars) with their phenomenal two-out-of-three-falls contest for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: New York in April 2019.
Stream NXT TakeOver: New York on Peaco*ck.
Johnny Gargano Vs. Adam Cole (NXT TakeOver: XXV)
Gargano and Cole would meet again at NXT TakeOver: XXV in a highly anticipated rematch that was right up there with their previous fight. Though it only received 5.25 stars, it’s still one of the best NXT and WWE matches of all time.
Stream NXT TakeOver: XXV on Peaco*ck.
Walter Vs. Tyler Bate (NXT UK: TakeOver: Cardiff)
Walter, the man who would be renamed Gunther, put on some outstanding fights in NXT UK before being called up to the main roster, including his August 2019 main event match against Tyler Bate. With a 5.25-star rating, it's one of the highest-rated in WWE history.
Stream NXT UK: TakeOver: Cardiff on Peaco*ck.
WWE 5-Star Matches From The 2020s
We are currently living through one of professional wrestling’s boom periods, and it seems like WWE is not only getting more popular but also getting much better from an in-ring standpoint. We’re not even halfway through the decade, and Dave Meltzer has already given out nearly as many 5-star ratings as in the 2010s. Let’s take a look at those decorated matches, even those not involving King of the Ring Gunther.
Walter Vs. Ilja Dragunov (NXT UK)
Who would have thought that a random episode of NXT UK would produce one of the best matches of the past five years, but that’s what happened on October 29, 2020, when Walter and Ilja Dragunov put on an outstanding fight. But this wouldn’t be the only time…
Stream the October 29, 2020 episode of NXT UK on Peaco*ck.
Ilja Dragunov Vs. Walter (NXT TakeOver 36)
NXT TakeOver 36, the final installment in the PLE series, saw Walter earn another 5.25-star rating when he unsuccessfully defended his NXT United Kingdom Championship against Ilja Dragunov. Taking what made their previous bout so damn good and expanding upon it, these two created a legendary match for the ages.
Stream NXT TakeOver 36 on Peaco*ck.
Cody Rhodes Vs. Seth "Freakin" Rollins (Hell In A Cell '22)
Cody Rhodes had a series of stellar matches against Seth “Freakin” Rollins upon his April 2022 return to WWE, including the iconic Hell in a Cell match that June.Wrestling with a torn pectoral muscle, which took him out of action for seven months, Rhodes put on a clinic with his rival, and they were rewarded with a 5-star match rating from Meltzer.
Stream Hell in a Cell ‘22 on Peaco*ck.
Gunther Vs. Sheamus (Clash At The Castle '22)
Gunther and Sheamus didn’t main event Clash at the Castle in September 2022, but these two meat-slamming brawlers did put on what could be one of the best WWE matches of the past decade. Slaps, chops, kicks to the head, and old-fashioned ass-kicking were all on full display.
Stream Clash at the Castle ‘22 on Peaco*ck.
Kevin Owens And Sami Zayn Vs. The Usos (WrestleMania 39)
One of thebest matches of WrestleMania 39, the Night 1 main event featuring Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn challenging The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship is one of those matches that checks all the boxes. Story, wrestling, emotion, and pure energy make this a 5-star showing we all can agree on.
Stream WrestleMania 39 Night 1 on Peaco*ck.
Gunther Vs. Drew McIntyre Vs. Sheamus (WrestleMania 39)
Gunther, Drew McIntyre, and Sheamus weren’t the main attractions at WrestleMania 39 Night 2, but they did tell one hell of a story in the ring that night. This triple-threat match for the Intercontinental Championship was all killer and no filler from start to finish. Everyone came out looking better than they did going in, especially the “Ring General.”
Stream WrestleMania 39 Night 2 on Peaco*ck.
Cody Rhodes Vs. AJ Styles (Backlash France)
Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles, wrestling one another for the first time, put on one hell of a match in front of a lively crowd at Backlash France in May 2024. The former Bullet Club members tore the house down with their Undisputed WWE Championship match that saw both competitors pull out some hellacious offense.
Stream Backlash France on Peaco*ck.
With so many promising upcoming WWE events on the horizon, there will surely be more 5-star ratings in the coming months. When that happens, we’ll make sure to keep this list updated with all the pertinent information.
