The importance of pro wrestling 5-star match rating scales

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The 5-star scale from Dave Meltzer for matches is a controversial topic to be discussed in the wrestling community. There are several takes to Meltzer’s scale. Some people take his opinion too seriously and others consider the scale biased against WWE.

Thanks to his scale, I have discovered the beauty of wrestling outside of the WWE bubble. In my personal opinion, Meltzer’s scale should be seen in two ways: as an accomplishment for the wrestlers that get a 5 star rating and the other, a way to research and learn about wrestling throughout history.

If you think women’s wrestling blooming in the recent years, go back to the 90s and check some of the matches rated 5 stars in AJW (All Japan Women’s Wrestling), especially coming from Manami Toyota, who arguably one of the best wrestlers of all time. Her matches are incredible to watch and hold up well to the 2019 standard of a match.

Wrestlers have also taken advantage of receiving a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer like A-Kid. The young Spanish wrestler, thanks to 5-star match he had with Zack Sabre Jr. back in 2018, made him grow in popularity and the promotion of Triple W he works for. This made him a must seen talent in the wrestling world outside of the big promotions.

One of the main arguments on why people hate Meltzer’s scale, is because of the ”bias” claim he has for wrestling outside of WWE. This argument gave birth to the phrase: “It Would be 5 star, if it was in Tokyo Dome.” This phrase was born because of the amount of 5 star matches NJPW receives. People compare NJPW and WWE and don’t realize they are different products- NJPW is a promotion focused on in-ring work.

I would recommend checking out matches rated highly by Meltzer if you want to learn and get more insight on the pro wrestling world.

About Post Author

Juan Carlos Reneo

Juan Carlos Reneo is one of the original writers at The Scrap, contributing since the site’s inception. Hailing from Spain, he is a passionate professional wrestling enthusiast who primarily writes opinionated articles focused on AEW. With a large and devoted following on X, Juan brings unique insights and a dedicated perspective to his coverage of the wrestling world.

juan.thescrap@gmail.com