10 Most Shocking Things WWE Have Done In 2018 (So Far)
9. 5-Star Classics
Dave Meltzer has become known worldwide for his critical opinions on matches due to his star rating system. Before 2018, Meltzer last awarded WWE a five star contest in July 2011. Six months later, and WWE have received three already, albeit all of them coming from NXT.
Gargano/Almas from TakeOver: Philadelphia, and Gargano/Ciampa and the North American Championship ladder match, both from TakeOver: New Orleans, all received the prestigious five stars from Meltzer. The storytelling in the three matches - particularly Gargano/Ciampa - was superb, and each match had plenty of insane spots that you wouldn't typically associate with a WWE show. When taking a look at the current crop of stars signed to NXT, be it from the indies or homegrown WWE Performance Centre talent, it should come as no surprise to see the company finally getting five star matches once again.
In recent years, many fans have labelled Dave as being biased towards NJPW. For instance, the series of matches John Cena and AJ Styles had in the middle of 2016 were phenomenal, yet Meltzer refused to rank them up higher. His spate of five stars sprinkled on NXT rather suggests accusations of bias are misplaced.
Assuming the brand continues to put on these phenomenal bouts week in and week out, there could be more five star contests coming WWE's way in the near future...