Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins Break 11 Year WWE Drought

Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins in Hell In A Cell was an instant classic. What was easily the match of the year floored everyone with Cody’s tremendous perseverance through unimaginable pain. 

It was the most emotional wrestling match I’ve watched in years. And many people, including Dave Meltzer, agreed.

The match was so “good” that it broke a nearly 11-year drought. It was the first WWE main roster match to achieve five stars from The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer since Punk vs. Cena at Money in the Bank in 2011.

While this is an excellent accomplishment in the eyes of hardcore wrestling fans, I wonder how I should feel? 

On the one hand, I usually disregard everything Meltzer says, yet I am still looking for his validation. Is Meltzer like the father who never loved me? 

Do Five Stars Even Matter Anymore?

It used to be that getting a five-star match from Meltzer was such a rarity that it was treated as a big deal. But in the last few years, Meltzer has inflated and devalued his rating system by hanging 6-star matches around anything Japanese or AEW adjacent.

It is hard to take this rating system seriously when Meltzer, in the same week, gives a five-star rating to a forgettable spot-fest between the Lucha Bros and the Young Bucks. 

But, there was a time when Meltzer ratings mattered. But, now? I don’t know if they do. Or frankly, if they ever did.

It Should Be Harder To Get Five Stars

Between 2000-2006 there were only seven 5-star matches total. But as the years have gone on, Meltzer has devalued the system by adding more and more 5+ matches. There have already been nine 5+ star matches this year. But does that mean the system should change?

You could argue that wrestling is as good as it’s ever been. I agree, but shouldn’t that make it harder to get five stars? 

In Olympic events, the judges don’t add numbers to the perfect 10s. They make it harder to achieve the perfect scores based on how good the competition is. 

But again, why do I find myself caring so much? 

For too long, we’ve let the whims of one man dictate what is good wrestling. We all use his rating system whether we like it or not. Can I break free of caring about one man’s opinion on wrestling? Probably not. 

But still, congrats to Cody & Seth. Their match will go down in history, regardless of what Meltzer thought. 

What did you think of the match? Do you care about ratings? Let us know in the comments below.