Dave Meltzer is the most prestigious wrestling journalist out there; he has seen countless matches and he has rated thousands of them. Certainly fans sometimes disagree with his opinion, but most of the time he rates the matches as professionally and objectively as possible, and that's why his opinion is so valuable, even to the wrestlers themselves.
The last 10 matches Meltzer gave five or more stars to were indeed masterpieces, which will surely live in fans' memories for a long time to come. Below, we will review each of those truly exceptional matches.
10 The Young Bucks Vs. Death Triangle - AEW Dynamite (5 Stars)
Obviously, this match was too epic to be on free TV, but of the last 10 matches Dave Meltzer gave at least five stars, this is somehow the least memorable.
The Young Bucks always deliver, as they proved once again, why they are one of the greatest tag teams in the world. On this occasion they defeated PAC and Rey Fenix to retain the AEW World Tag Team Titles. Each performer did their job to perfection and, as a result, the match turned out to be excellent. It wasn't an all-time classic, though.
9 Will Ospreay Vs. Zack Sabre Jr - NJPW New Japan Cup 2021 (5 Stars)
On March 14, 2021 Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre Jr. faced each other in the second round of the New Japan Cup. They have loads of chemistry, and that's precisely why their encounters are always epic, and this time was no exception.
This was a perfectly paced 21-minute affair, and it was really intense and dramatic. Violence, excellent spots, brilliant storytelling and great character work, this match had it all. The match ended with a Stormbreaker by Will Ospreay, which was enough for the 1-2-3.
8 Shingo Takagi Vs. Will Ospreay - NJPW New Japan Cup 2021 (5 ½ Stars)
Shingo Takagi and Will Ospreay are two of the best wrestlers in the world in 2021, and watching this match leaves no doubt about it. This was the New Japan Cup 2021 final, and what an amazing final it was.
The match was electrifying and captivating, with back-and-forth action, spectacular spots and several epic sequences. Both gave their best effort and both deserved to win. But in the end, it was Will Ospreay who took the win and the cup after a brutal offensive.
7 Shingo Takagi Vs. Tomohiro Ishii - NJPW G1 Climax 31 (5 ½ Stars)
Shingo Takagi and Tomohiro Ishii put on a memorable show at G1 Climax 31. For fans of hard-hitting matches, this bout would undoubtedly top the list of most.
It was an extremely intense match, with both wanting to destroy the other with their hard-hitting offense. But at the same time, they didn't sell their opponent's attacks, clearly driven by pure adrenaline. The storytelling and psychology of the match could not have been better. Unfortunately, there was a big botch that prevented this match from being perfect.
6 Shingo Takagi Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome 2021 (5 Stars)
Once again, Shingo Takagi is one of the protagonists of a match of at least five stars, and rightly so, as he is a truly phenomenal performer. Obviously, Hiroshi Tanahashi is also an exceptional wrestler, so it's no wonder they delivered a flawless match at Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome.
These two made the match feel like a real battle royal, they made every spot look fluid and impactful. In the end, Takagi defeated Tanahashi and retained the IWGP World Heavyweight Title.
5 Utami Hayashishita Vs. Syuri - Stardom Tokyo Dream Cinderella (5 ½ Stars)
This is the only women's match in history to be rated over five stars by Dave Meltzer. It looked like Utami Hayashishita and Syuri battled not only for the World Of Stardom Title, but also for their honor. Both fought with momentum and passion, and the match turned out to be very compelling and even emotional.
The match should have ended with a time limit draw, but Syuri asked to continue the match and Utami accepted. In total there were 43 minutes of insane in-ring action, before it all ended with an unbelievable double KO.
4 Bryan Danielson Vs. Kenny Omega - AEW Dynamite (5 Stars)
This has been the last match Dave Meltzer gave five stars. Believe or not, this was Bryan Danielson’s first five-star match in his entire career. On the other hand, this was the 18th match of at least five stars in Kenny Omega’s career. Insane, right?
This dream match lived up to expectations, it had everything one could ask for and it deserves the praise it is receiving. Danielson and Omega put on a wrestling clinic, with perfect storytelling. Danielson has arguably had better bouts in the past, but this is still a match that wrestling fans will never forget.
3 Will Ospreay Vs. Shingo Takagi - NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2021 (6 Stars)
On the second day of Wrestling Dontaku 2021, Will Ospreay defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Title against Shingo Takagi. Once again, they delivered an all-time classic.
The bout was exciting from start to finish, especially the final stretch, which was like a thriller. Ospreay and Takagi told the story perfectly, the in-ring action was amazing and the selling was excellent. There were mind-blowing spots and spectacular sequences. It was a wonderful 45-minute affair.
2 WALTER Vs. Ilja Dragunov - NXT Takeover: 36 (5 ¼ Stars)
WALTER and Ilja Dragunov had a fantastic rivalry, and this was their best match. Ilja Dragunov did the unthinkable, as he defeated WALTER to end his 870-day NXT UK Title reign.
Dragunov put on an admirable performance, enduring a tremendous amount of pain, taking WALTER's brutal attacks and emerging victorious in epic fashion. This was a masterpiece, and arguably one of the best matches in WWE history.
1 The Lucha Bros Vs. The Young Bucks - AEW All Out 2021 (5 ¾ Stars)
The Lucha Bros and The Young Bucks are arguably the best tag teams in the world today, and they made their case at All Out 2021. This Steel Cage match was absolutely mind-blowing, the spots were flawless and the sequences were incredible.
Each performer did their job to perfection, working on even the smallest details. The crowd, drama and blood also added a lot to the match. They have a lot of chemistry and they took full advantage of it to deliver arguably the best tag team Steel Cage match of all time. In the end, The Lucha Bros managed to become Tag Team Champions.