A recent match got a six-star rating from the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, which is actually saying a lot. The wrestling cognoscenti had never given anything higher than five prior to Kenny Omega’s bout with Kazuchika Okada in 2017. A few other matches have received ratings higher than five since then but not many of them have reached the heights Omega and Kazuchika’s did.
Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi is now the latest six-star match, as Meltzer would have it. The match, which took place during night two of Wrestling Donkatu, seems to have really impressed him.
Meltzer's report could be read below:
“It started slower than you’d expect which I guess was a sign they were going long. Takagi clotheslined Ospreay over the top. Ospreay whipped Takagi into the barricade. Takagi used a drop toe hold leading to Ospreay catching his throat on the barricade and then dropped Ospreay face-first on the apron. Ospreay backdropped Takagi on the apron. Ospreay then walked to the timekeepers table and kissed the IWGP belt. Takagi set up two tables together. Ospreay suplexed Takagi back in the ring and hit the phenomenal forearm for a near fall. Ospreay started working on Takagi’s left arm. He wrapped the arm around the post. Ospreay delivered hard kicks to the left shoulder and used a reverse Bloody Sunday for a near fall. Ospreay then worked on the arm with a Kimura.
“Takagi came back with noshigame and a wheelbarrow German suplex, Ospreay landed on his feet, Takagi tried a pumping bomber and Ospreay flipped over and landed on his feet and went for a power bomb but Takagi hit a sliding lariat. That was amazing. Ospreay used the cheeky nandos kick, then jumped to the top rope and hit the Spanish fly for a near fall. Ospreay draped Takagi on the top rope and hit a shooting star press on him twice for a near fall. Takagi used Made in Japan through two tables. Ospreay was bleeding from the back. They teased Ospreay losing the title via count out but he barely got in at 19. Takagi used Made in Japan right on his head for a near fall. Takagi set up a pumping bomber but Ospreay collapsed. He whipped Ospreay to the ropes but Ospreay collapsed again. Takagi climbed to the middle rope with Ospreay on his back, but Ospreay escaped and went for a top rope huracanrana. Takagi held on and then came off the top rope into an Oscutter. Ospreay went for the hidden blade but Takagi ducked.
“Ospreay landed a high kick and did an Oscutter off the top rope but Takagi blocked and hit a GTR, a left arm lariat, went for a pumping bomber, Ospreay landed on his feet and Takagi hit an Oscutter and then finally hit the pumping bomber. Ospreay got a near fall with a crucifix, then used a spinning forearm, a hook kick and set up stormbreaker but Takagi turned it into last of the dragon. Ospreay used a poison rana and Takagi came back with a poison rana of his own. Ospreay hit the hidden blade and went for the pin but Takagi’s arm was under the plane of the ropes. Ospreay couldn’t get him up for stormbreaker and Takagi came back with all kinds of elbows, a pop up Death Valley bomb. Takagi went for another pumping bomber but Ospreay turned it into a Spanish fly. Takagi went for another clothesline but Ospreay landed a knee. Ospreay landed elbow after elbow and Takagi came back with elbows. They traded head-butts. Ospreay hit the rainmaker, hidden blade and stormbreaker for the pin.”
Very Rare Company
This match is only the eighth to be given a six-star rating. Wrestling fans who haven’t seen it should definitely give it a look simply based on that.
Meltzer recently handed a 4.7 to an AEW women’s match, which is now the joint most highly rated U.S wrestling match ever fought by females.
Source: WrestlingNews.com