WWE Hall Of Famer Bully Ray Blasts Dave Meltzer Rating System, Five-Star Match Concept

In 1983, veteran journalist Dave Meltzer created a narrative that is still prominent in his weekly "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" today: the five-star match ratings. Whether it's a large corporate company or a mid-sized independent promotion, Meltzer consistently observes to rate matches, sparking debates within the squared circle about which matches or wrestlers are worth watching. For someone like WWE and TNA Hall of Famer Bully Ray, who has had his share of must-watch matches, he does not find Meltzer's five-star system helpful or significant.

"Absolutely zero importance," Ray replied sternly when asked how critical five-star ratings are to him on "Busted Open Radio: The Masterclass." "When it comes to the star rating, the five-star rating pro wrestling match, a star rating on a wrestling match would mean something to me if somebody like Ric Flair was giving out the five-star rating. If somebody like Hulk Hogan was giving out the five-star rating. If somebody like Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, or Ricky Morton, or Robert Gibson, I think you get the point.

"If the top, top workers, the top money earners in our business want to put a star rating on a match, I'm more apt to listen to what they have to say than anybody else who's come up with a star rating just to manipulate wrestling fans more than the wrestling business."

In Ray's opinion, a five-star match is defined by the crowd's emotionality and how the characters in the ring convey the story. During the interview, he mentioned examples of matches like The Rock versus Hulk Hogan. While he praises Meltzer for carving out his niche in this crowded industry filled with reporters seeking recognition, he encourages fans to determine their favorite matches instead of relying on critics to make those choices for them.

"I've said it before: I have nothing against Dave Meltzer. He's come up with a way to make money in the wrestling business by manipulating wrestling fans," Ray noted. "Here's my issue: My issue is people putting so much stock into whether or not he thinks a match is good or not. People won't watch a wrestling match if Meltzer says he gave a match two stars. They're probably not apt to watch it. I don't encourage that. Watch the match on your own. Determine if you like it or not."

 Flair versus Steamboat in 1989 was the first match to earn a five-star rating from Meltzer. Decades later, the fierce rivalry between Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega culminated in the first-ever seven-star rated match, marked by their intense slugfest at NJPW Dominion on June 9, 2018, where Omega ended Okada's historic reign with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in a two out of three falls match. Among individual wrestlers, "The Billy G.O.A.T" Will Ospreay is notable as the only wrestler in Meltzer's rating history to accumulate the most matches rated five stars or higher, totaling 48.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.