21 WWE Matches That Almost Got 5 Stars

Here's where we really start to get into the area of controversy when it comes to Dave Meltzer's star ratings. This match came weeks after Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega broke the system and earned 6 stars for the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 11. John Cena and AJ Styles, who already had two great singles bouts under their belts, sought to take the world by storm with a clinic of their own. And to most WWE fans, they did just that, not only surpassing their previous encounters, but topping many peoples' match of the year lists for 2017. Meltzer himself loved the match, awarding it 4.75 stars.

Of course, ranking a whole star and a half below Okada and Omega meant WWE fans got angry, and where there's anger, there's controversy. But if you were to distance yourself from the noise and fury and look at the match itself, you'd see Cena/Styles III doesn't need to compare itself to other matches. It is, simply, a showcase of what two veterans who have perfect chemistry can do in the right circumstance in front of the right crowd. It is, in this author's opinion, both men's finest hour, and you should definitely watch it again.