10 Lowest Rated WWE Matches Of All Time (According To Dave Meltzer)
Are these the worst matches in WWE history? Judge for yourself...
Dave Meltzer is professional wrestling's biggest tastemaker. As the sport's most esteemed journalist, his influence is undeniable, and there's always a clamour for his latest set of ratings. The recent Kenny Omega/Kazuchika Okada "six star" affair show's that he's still as relevant as ever, and for better or worse, his reviews will continue to shape how these bouts are viewed.
His scale usually runs from DUD (zero) to *****, with quarter-star increments in between, but just as Meltzer has infrequently broken his scale for outstanding bouts like Omega vs. Okada, he has gone in the opposite direction plenty of times, too.
The numbers aren't the be all/end all, of course, and they're nothing more than one man's opinion. Dave determines his ratings solely on his own enjoyment in the moment, and he makes no adjustments for historical significance, so there's always room for debate, despite his influence.
Negative star ratings are reserved only for the worst matches Meltzer has ever seen, and unsurprisingly, a number have taken place in WWE.
Some are considered among the biggest bouts in company history, while others were buried on pay-per-view undercards, but each was deemed a bell-to-bell stinker regardless...
10. The Royal Family Vs. Clowns R' Us (Survivor Series 1994)
Rating: -2.5 stars
Survivor Series 1994 was an oddball pay-per-view. Not only did it feature the absurdity of Bob Backlund defeating Bret Hart to become WWE Champion, but it also presented a bizarre elimination bout with Jerry 'The King' Lawler and Doink The Clown each captaining a team of miniature sidekicks.
On one side was The Royal Family (Lawler, Sleazy, Cheesy, and Queasy), and on the other, Clowns R' Us (Doink, Dink, Pink, and Wink). It came about that September, when 'The King' riled Doink by popping a bunch of balloons belonging to Dink. Queasy was introduced alongside Lawler shortly after, and the vertically challenged groups expanded until they reached their final forms at Survivor Series.
The match itself was a whitewash. Doink was the first to be eliminated, which technically knocked Lawler out too, as he wasn't legally allowed to compete against the minis. Clowns R' Us were then whittled down one by one, resulting in a flawless victory for The Royal Family, after which Doink's posse chased Jerry around the ring before their leader splattered a pie in his face. A stinker of a match, and one of the lamest comedy bouts in history.