There’s been a lot of talk this year about Dave Meltzer’s match ratings ever since he controversially gave the Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega match from New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom XI a 6-star rating.
Meltzer hit the headlines again earlier this month when he gave Okada and Omega’s rematch at NJPW Dominion a 6.25 rating.
Despite being subjective, Meltzer’s ratings are taken seriously by fans and pro-wrestlers alike. Many fans decide which wrestling matches from around the world they will check out based on Meltzer’s opinion, while a number of wrestlers have admitted that they see it as a feather in their cap when they get a highly rated match in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Many of Dave Meltzer’s highest rated matches from 2017 come from New Japan Pro Wrestling, and anybody who subscribes to the Wrestling Observer will know that he is a big fan of the Japanese style.
But which matches has he enjoyed from WWE this year?
Here are the 5 highest rated WWE matches of 2017 so far, according to the Wrestling Observer…
#5 The Authors of Pain vs. DIY vs. The Revival - NXT Takeover: Orlando (4.5 stars)
At NXT Takeover: Orlando, the Authors of Pain defended their NXT Tag Team Championships against The Revival and DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tomasso Ciampa) in a triple threat tag team elimination match.
DIY and The Revival had two match of the year candidates in 2016, and their feud was reignited earlier this year during WrestleMania weekend. The addition of the Authors of Pain to this program added a new dimension and led to some shocking twists. In particular, the unthinkable happening, when long-term rivals would work together in an attempt to eliminate Akam and Rezar.
The unlikely alignments of DIY and The Revival, in various combinations, sent the Orlando crowd into a frenzy and told arguably the most compelling story of the two tag teams lengthy rivalry.
Both teams would ultimately fail in dethroning the Authors of Pain, but the story told throughout this match, and the incredible in-ring action led to this bout being Dave Meltzer’s fifth highest rated WWE bout of 2017 so far.
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#4 Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - NXT Takeover: Orlando (4.5 stars)
Another match from NXT Takeover: Orlando also cracks the top 5 WWE matches of 2017 so far, according to Dave Meltzer. Coming in at number four is the NXT Championship from this event, which saw Bobby Roode defend his title against Shinsuke Nakamura.
This is arguably the most surprising entry on this list, as I don’t think it is a match that particularly stood out to many fans. In my opinion, it was a decent bout, but I believe there have been better matches put out by WWE this year and wouldn’t make my top five matches of the year so far.
I think this match will largely be remembered for being Nakamura’s final NXT match before his main roster call-up, rather than being looked back on as a particularly great encounter.
However, Dave Meltzer enjoyed the storytelling and selling in this contest enough to give it a 4.5-star rating and rank it in his top 5 WWE matches of 2017 so far.
#3 Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe - Extreme Rules 2017 (4.5 stars)
The most recent entrant on this list comes from earlier this month in the form of the fatal-5-way Extreme Rules main event, which determined the new number 1 contender for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship.
Although it wasn’t the most ‘extreme’ extreme rules match that WWE has ever produced, the action was fast paced and exciting for it’s near half-hour duration. The outcome was also unpredictable with Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt all having a realistic chance of winning, which kept the audience invested throughout.
The final minutes were fantastic with Reigns spearing Balor and Joe through a barricade while Rollins hit a frogsplash from the ring onto a prone Bray Wyatt, who was lying on the announce table. The finish saw Balor look strong, but just as he was about to cover Reigns for the win, Samoa Joe re-emerged and locked Finn in the ‘Coquina Clutch’ until he passed out, thus giving Joe the victory.
Therefore, Joe is now set to face Lesnar for the Universal Championship at Great Balls of Fire, in what has the potential to be another match of the year candidate.
#2 AJ Styles vs. John Cena - Royal Rumble 2017 (4.75 stars)
John Cena and AJ Styles have had arguably the best feud in WWE over the last 12 months or so. Ever since they first came face to face, before their first match at Money In The Bank 2016, they have had a certain magic that is hard to find between two competitors in this day and age.
Their third bout at this year’s Royal Rumble was arguably the best of the trilogy, although last year’s Summerslam match was also an incredible encounter.
Dave Meltzer has argued that the Cena vs. Styles match from January 29, 2017, was better than their previous battles as it told a better story. I think this is a fair argument as the SummerSlam bout, in particular, was a match full of big moves rather than intricate storytelling, whereas their Rumble encounter told a better story of Cena fighting to claim his 16th World Title.
People can debate over which match they prefer, but as for Meltzer, he believes that the most recent Cena vs. Styles bout was the best of the lot and it is one of his highest rated WWE matches of 2017 thus far.
#1 Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne - NXT Takeover: Chicago (4.75 stars)
Unsurprisingly, the United Kingdom Championship match between Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne from NXT Takeover: Chicago is one of Meltzer’s favourite WWE matches of 2017, receiving a 4.75-star rating.
I think a lot of WWE fans would classify this bout as a match of the year candidate, if not the match of the year. The in-ring action was incredible and expertly paced, but what sets this match above the rest, at least for me, was the intense enthusiasm from the Chicago crowd.
Dunne and Bate received multiple standing ovations during the match as the audience were worked up into a frenzy a number of times during the bout between the two Brits. I believe that this style of match is exactly what modern wrestling fans want to see and WWE needs to allow its main roster talents to work similar matches.
Whether people value Dave Meltzer’s opinion or not, although many fans do, I don’t think many people would disagree with Cena vs. Styles from Royal Rumble 2017 and Bate vs. Dunne from Takeover: Chicago, which both received a 4.75-star rating, being the best WWE matches of 2017 so far.
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