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Dave Meltzer: Strong Style Mark?

Hi Scott

I was looking over Meltzer's 5* match listings and was shocked by the matches left off the list (HBK/UT WM, Bret/Owen WM, Austin/Rock, Foley/HHH etc.) I get that it's subjective and all but to go from that list, from '97 to now, nothing was better than Punk/Cena MitB. I'm a huge fan of that match but can name 5 in that time period that are better off the top of my head.

Meanwhile, over in Japan, especially in the 90s, Meltzer was giving out 5*s left and right. What gives? Was Meltzer just a huge fan of the strong style? Was it an snob thing where people like to say, "US matches are nothing compared to what goes on overseas..." I'll readily admit to being bred on WWE style and not quite getting Japan, but come on, wasn't Meltzer being a bit biased?

​I think Dave would readily admit to being biased towards Japanese strong style.  And it's not like his star ratings are word of law or anything.  That's what I'm here for.  ​

Comments

  1. If someone said that Punk/Cena was the best match since 97, I honestly wouldn't argue that too much.

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  2. I have trusted Scott's ratings a lot more than meltzer because meltzer is way too harsh on us wrestling

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  3. Scott used to generally go higher in star ratings than meltzer when it came to WWE but that has changed recently

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  4. Well technically Dave would be a King's Road/Royal Road Mark, since the vast majority of his 5***** matches are from AJPW during the time that Misawa, Kawada, Kobashi, Taue (The Four Heavenly Kings), Akiyama and also starring Jumbo, Hansen, Williams and even Ace, were having great fun in the ring.

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  5. Guys have certain tastes. It's no big deal and I don't get why people get so angry about it. Going by his star ratings, Meltzer also seems to be really fond of McMahon beatdowns and the ladder match trainwreck spotfests (even the lesser MITB matches have gotten ****+ from him).

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  6. I don't think there's any question Meltzer favors whatever the All-Japan style is called. Nothing inherently wrong with that. Some people would rather watch a 1-0 or 2-1 baseball game, while others want a lot of runs. I will say, though, that a couple of matches he's given ****3/4, I've been like, "Oh, come on."

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  7. TJ: Anybody else see Michelle Beadle being a drama queen on Twitter about HHH being friends with Mayweather? I mean, I kinda see where she's coming from but she's acting pretty childish and, as usual, making an issue all about herself.

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  8. Doesn't every media person do that regarding making the issue about themself?

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  9. She's a tool but most are correct about Mayweather being an abusive prima donna. It's not 1 or 2 incidents that were mistakes--he has like TWO DOZEN incidents documented for domestic violence. I think WWE is kinda hypocritical in that regard.

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  10. I think the media is making her and Nichols far more relevant than they really are.

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  11. Rachel Nichols is awesome

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  12. Tj: where is the Sunday thread. It's already 1:20 eastern time. Lazy millenials

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  13. Did Adam Wright steal your account?

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  14. I will say Nichols is far more tolerable and handled all this very professionally.

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  15. I loved watching her own Goodell. And I have a soft spot for Beadle from watching Nets games on YES

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  16. Beadle being Beadle

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  17. Still waiting for an Avengers spoiler thread too. Was hoping the Free Comic Day thread would be it but didn't want to be the first to start spoiler talk

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  18. Burt Macklin, Man Without FearMay 3, 2015 at 11:34 AM

    Bayless said today or tomorrow would be the Avengers thread. I'm getting a little ancy.

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  19. "Can't someone else do it?"

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  20. Hoping this afternoon or during Raw. usually miss all the daily thread fun (insanity).

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  21. I really can't think of a match I've felt was next-level great since Michaels/Undertaker WM 25. There've been plenty of really good ones, but not one I'd pull out to try and show someone what a great match looks like.

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  22. Burt Macklin, Man Without FearMay 3, 2015 at 11:37 AM

    Someone lit off an incredibly loud firework last night that set off car alarms around the block. It was the loudest firework I've personally ever heard. It felt like it was right outside my damn window. I had JUST fallen asleep too.

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  23. Burt Macklin, Man Without FearMay 3, 2015 at 11:38 AM

    For WWE? I have quite a few that have been "next level great"(which I'm just taking to mean as ****1/2 or above wow!! Type good)since 2009.

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  24. Burt Macklin, Man Without FearMay 3, 2015 at 11:38 AM

    I usually skip those Daily Update threads. Not my scene.

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  25. Somewhere on my Nixon-psychotic level list of enemies? People that shoot off fireworks when it's not around the Fourth.

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  26. The garbage man can.

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  27. Adam "Colorado" CurryMay 3, 2015 at 11:40 AM

    That's not America. That's not even Mexico!


    I'll post the daily thread.

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  28. My Punk mark might be showing but I'd even say his and Cena's last Raw match was the best match on tv in years.


    (though that's probably for the piledriver mostly)

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  29. I've noticed that, yeah. He was much easier on Extreme Rules than me.

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  30. Cena vs Bryan, Punk vs Lesnar, Lesnar vs Brock at ER 2012, Cena v Punk on that Raw, the Bryan vs Punk ppv one on one and maybe the Shield debut I think hit that level.

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  31. Burt Macklin, Man Without FearMay 3, 2015 at 11:42 AM

    I'm no prude. Fireworks are cool with me anywhere from July 2-4. But dammit it's May 2 at 11 at night! They are definitely high on my list.

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  32. 11pm on saturday is only like 830 on a Wednesday though...

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  33. He should be harsh on us wrestling. Very few of us have ever even been in a ring (my one experience of a bump left me with a bad back for days) so it's not like the BoD crew are gonna churn out five star classics.

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  34. Sorry it was me. I was just so excited about being up north today.

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  35. Burt Macklin, Man Without FearMay 3, 2015 at 11:43 AM

    8:30 on a Wednesday is much too early.

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  36. Burt Macklin, Man Without FearMay 3, 2015 at 11:44 AM

    You going to a playoff game this series!? I forgot to ask if you went to a game last series but probably not because the damn series was so short! 4-0 WHAT

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  37. Look guys, can we finally admit Cena vs. Punk at MITB isn't anywhere near five stars? It's sloppy and loose, and the pacing is kind of weird. Three stars? Sure. But not five.

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  38. I didn't go to any for that series because I had some shit to do for work but I'm up here for the game today and I'm coming back for game 2. My dad actually subleased an apartment in SF and is staying there for the playoff run. He went to game one and two and he's actually going to Memphis for game 4.

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  39. Burt Macklin, Man Without FearMay 3, 2015 at 11:46 AM

    No we can't finally admit to such an audacious claim. If anything 5 stars was underrating it.

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  40. Bullshit. Punk was awful in that match.

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  41. I think the sloppiness adds to the match

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