Dave Meltzer’s top-rated matches of 2025
Image: Ring of Honor
With the year officially wrapped up and with the posting of last week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, we now have Dave Meltzer’s complete set of match ratings for the entirety of 2025.
Of the thousands of matches that took place over the year, Dave rated 40 of them as either five stars or above — the full list of which can be found below. From AEW to NJPW to Ring of Honor to WWE, you’ll find them all here. (Big thanks to Cagematch for making them very sortable for exercises like this.)
And, as a personal editor’s note, ratings and reviews are subjective and shouldn’t affect your ability to enjoy what you like from wherever you like. Keep that in mind the next time you log into your social media platform of choice.
And now, Dave Meltzer’s top-rated pro wrestling matches of 2025:
5 stars:
40) Jon Moxley vs. Kyle Fletcher Continental Classic finals | AEW Worlds End | December 27
39) Komander vs. World Historic Welterweight Champion Mascara Dorada | CMLL Domingo Familiar | November 23
38) TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher vs. Mark Briscoe no DQ | AEW Full Gear | November 22
37) AEW World Tag Team Champions Brodido vs. FTR | AEW Full Gear | November 22
36) Men’s Blood & Guts match | AEW Dynamite | November 12
35) AEW World Tag Team Champions Brodido vs. Kazuchika Okada & Konosuke Takeshita | AEW WrestleDream | October 18
34) Torneo Cibernetico | CMLL Grand Prix International | August 29
33) Death Riders & Young Bucks vs. Darby Allin, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay & Kota Ibushi Lights Out cage match | AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door | August 24
32) Cody Rhodes vs. WWE Champion John Cena street fight | WWE SummerSlam | August 3
31) TNT Champion Dustin Rhodes vs. Kyle Fletcher street fight | AEW Collision | July 31
30) Mascara Dorada vs. Neon Torneo La Leyenda De Plata finals | CMLL Viernes Espectacular | July 25
29) Bandido & Hologram vs. Mascara Dorada & Mistico | CMLL Fantastica Mania | June 20
28) ROH World Champion Bandido vs. Mascara Dorada | CMLL Martes Populares | June 17
27) Anarchy in the Arena | AEW Double or Nothing | May 25
26) Motor City Machine Guns vs. WWE Tag Team Champions Street Profits vs. DIY TLC match | WWE SmackDown | April 25
25) WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair | WWE WrestleMania 41 | April 20
24) Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher steel cage match | AEW Revolution | March 9
23) AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kenny Omega | AEW Revolution | March 9
22) AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm vs. Mariah May Hollywood Ending match | AEW Revolution | March 9
21) Saya Kamitani vs. Tam Nakano loser leaves town | Stardom Nighter in Korakuen | March 3
20) Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn unsanctioned match | WWE Elimination Chamber | March 1
19) Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher | AEW Grand Slam Australia | February 15
18) IWGP Global Champion Yota Tsuji vs. Gabe Kidd | NJPW New Beginning in Osaka | February 11
17) AZM, Miyu Amasaki & Starlight Kid vs. Natsupoi, Saori Anou & Tam Nakano | Stardom 14th Anniversary Supreme Fight | February 2 | *****
More than 5 stars:
16) Kyle Fletcher vs. Mike Bailey | AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming | December 10 | ***** 1/4
15) AEW World Champion Hangman Page vs. Kyle Fletcher | AEW All Out | September 20 | ***** 1/4
14) AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mascara Dorada | AEW All Out | September 20 | ***** 1/4
13) Sareee vs. IWGP Women’s Champion Syuri | Stardom The Conversion | June 21 | ***** 1/4
12) Swerve Strickland vs. Will Ospreay | AEW Dynamite: Summer Blockbuster | June 11 | ***** 1/4
11) Kosei Fujita vs. YOH | NJPW Best of the Super Juniors finals | June 1 | ***** 1/4
10) Saya Kamitani vs. Tam Nakano career vs. career | Stardom All-Star Grand Queendom | April 27 | ***** 1/4
9) Kenny Omega vs. Gabe Kidd | NJPW Wrestle Dynasty | January 5 | ***** 1/4
8) IWGP World Champion Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Konosuke Takeshita | NJPW King of Pro Wrestling | October 13 | ***** 1/2
7) Mistico vs. MJF mask vs. title | CMLL 92nd Anniversario | September 19 | ***** 1/2
6) ROH World Champion Bandido vs. Hechicero | ROH Death Before Dishonor | August 29 | ***** 1/2
5) AEW World Champion Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page Texas Death Match | AEW All In | July 12 | ***** 1/2
4) Young Bucks vs. Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay | AEW All In | July 12 | ***** 1/2
3) Hangman Page vs. Will Ospreay Owen Hart tournament finals | AEW Double or Nothing | May 25 | ***** 1/2
2) Konosuke Takeshita vs. Will Ospreay Owen Hart tournament semifinals | AEW Dynamite: Spring BreakThru | April 16 | ***** 1/2
And Dave Meltzer’s top-rated match of 2025 is…
ROH World Champion Bandido vs. Konosuke Takeshita | July 11 | ROH Supercard of Honor | ***** 3/4
From that week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
“With all the great wrestling from this past weekend in the U.S., which had two other very legit match of the year contenders, the match of the weekend was Bandido retaining his ROH title over Konosuke Takeshita on the 7/11 Supercard of Honor show.
The show wasn’t going to have a lot of impact given all the other higher profile events, but that match was among the best bouts I’ve ever seen. Takeshita is always great and the two showed excellent chemistry in their television tag match. I do worry about Takeshita working a harder schedule than most, especially with G-1 coming, and with all the stuff he does at his size. Bandido clearly got his confidence back working as a headliner in Mexico and it’s transferred to the U.S. He lost prime years of his career with a broken wrist that required two surgeries, and then got a concussion as soon as he was cleared.
It was great from start-to-finish, built well and the last few minutes were unreal. This was basically the ultimate in the modern style with everything fans who like that style love and everything people who hate the style complain about.”
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.