WILLIAMS CORNER #1: THE STAR RATING SYSTEM
The Star rating system given to matches by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is one of the biggest most respected cons in the history of Pro Wrestling. Not only are the ratings completely biased, but completely ridiculous. What are they looking for? Pro Wrestling, Stunts, Gimmicks or MMA?
The fact that not ONE of Eddie Guerrero's, Dean Malenko's, Chris Benoit's matches, or even the Bret Hart Vs. Shawn Michaels Iron Man match is not given the Five star treatment completely shows that the rating system is based purely on everything bar actual WRESTLING abilities!
The 60 plus minute spectacular between Michaels and Hart was a non-stop display that takes more than just a few matches to prepare for, it was a true rasslin' match, not a sports entertainment match, which the Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart WrestleMania 13 match was, and ironically was rated five stars by the Observer due to some camera angles and some face and heel turns. This is no knock to Bret Hart, Who in my opinion carried the match, yet Austin was given the merit for making the match a classic? Just to note, Bret Hart Is in my top four of all time, which I'll get into in a future article.
I used to be a huge Stone Cold mark, I will admit it, Infact, I still love his sctick, but ever since I began to respect those who worked so damned hard to make the best matches that they could and put on something different everytime for us fans, I would see things alot differently. When I now watch the Austin matches, I wonder how the hell he even had a job in WWF to be frank, before he got all the catchphrases and the no f***'s gimmick, the crowd was dead during his matches, same with Triple H, The same old handful of moves mixed into a brawling slugfest in every match, But as soon as they got 'Gimmicked' they suddenly became amazing wrestlers... coinsidence?
Austin or Triple H for that matter couldn't keep a chain of wrestling moves going to save their lives, yet they are called the best wrestlers and get five star ratings?... Something isn't right...
The Wrestling Observer is only looking for personalities and gimmicks, not wrestling, Yes they may have granted some technical matches the gold star, The majority is going to gimmicked matches or slugfests over beautifully worked wrestling matches like the Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart match at WrestleMania 10, which should have been ranked 5 stars, yet the Owen vs. Bret inside a cage that wan't a technical display was ranked 5 stars by the Wrestling Observer...coinsidence?
The matches between Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko in ECW were truly some of the most technically sound matches of all time, anyone one of their clashes was worthy of a 5 star, but they weren't what the wrestling Observer was looking for...Same with Shawn Michaels vs. British Bulldog, and many of the Intercontinental title defences in the 1990's, yet a gimmick or gimmick match is given the praise instead.
The Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada match at WrestleKingdom was given the first ever SIX STARS rating by the Wrestling Observer, Six Stars for what was to me a very boring match that was stretched out for far to long. It's opinion as to whether it deserved a 5 star or not, but it completely messed up the system [that in my opinion was useless anyway] by making every 5 star rated match, no longer the best by including a new tier in the system that wasn't there prior to the rating system being created. By rating a match greater than the scale it is measured by, those matches that were given a 5 star rating are no longer the matches to go by, and they mean about as much as a four star now.
One last example of the poor execution of the system would be the Will Ospreay Vs. Ricochet match at NJPW Battle of the Super Juniors [which many legends including Vader, William Regal and others have criticised], was almost a 5 star match according to the Wrestling Observer, yet it was a spot fest, a stunt match and not a wrestling match...Even Hart vs. Austin was better and you know how I feel about that!
The Rating system is a complete sham, and I don't ever rate matches using the scale.What do you think?
NOTE: NO disrespect is intended to Dave Meltzer, Figure4Online or the Wrestling Observer.
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