FanPost

Cageside star ratings 2017-18: Top ten performers

WWE.com

We’re finally here.

From last year’s Survivor Series to Crown Jewel, Cagesiders and Dave Meltzer have been applying ratings on a five star scale to 145 matches over the last 12 months. Within this period, 149 different wrestlers have competed in at least one match. Of those 74 superstars wrestled on at least 25% of shows they were eligible for.

We already know that Universal champion Brock Lesnar finished at the bottom of the table (check out the full "Hall of Shame" for 2017-18 here). He’s not the only champion to miss out on the top ten. Also failing to make the cut are:

RAW tag team champions - AOP - Didn't wrestle on PPV during this 12 month span

WWE Cruiserweight Champion - Buddy Murphy - Didn’t wrestle enough matches

WWE Champion - Daniel Bryan - 58th - Average rating - 2.90

Raw women’s champion - Ronda Rousey - 36th - Average rating - 3.27

SmackDown Live Tag Team champions - The Bar - =27th - Average rating - 3.32

United States Champion - Shinsuke Nakamura - 16th - Average rating - 3.49

SmackDown Live Women’s champion - Becky Lynch - 13th - Average rating - 3.54

So who will join Shane McMahon in the Cageside Rankings Hall of Fame? Read on to find out!

Top ten 2017/18

10th - Samoa Joe

Appearances: 8 - Average: 3.578 - Meltzer average: 3.31 - Last year’s average: 3.93

Highest rated match - 4.28 v AJ Styles at Super Show-Down

Lowest rated match - 1.93 v Roman Reigns at Backlash

Number of 4 star plus matches: 4

4.28 v AJ Styles - Super Show-Down
4.24 v AJ Styles - Summerslam
4.08 v Seth Rollins/Finn Balor/The Miz - Greatest Royal Rumble
4.08 v AJ Styles - Hell in a Cell

9th - Rey Mysterio

Appearances: 4 - Average: 3.58 - Meltzer average: 3.13 - Last year’s average: N/A

Highest rated match - 4.21 - Men’s Royal Rumble

Lowest rated match - 3.08 - Greatest Royal Rumble

Number of 4 star plus matches: 1

4.21 - Men’s Royal Rumble match

8th - Finn Balor

Appearances: 8 - Average: 3.581 - Meltzer average: 3.03 - Last year’s average: 3.83

Highest rated match - 4.22 v Seth Rollins/The Miz - WrestleMania

Lowest rated match - 2.71 - (w) Triple H/Braun Strowman/Kurt Angle/Samoa Joe v Shane McMahon/Randy Orton/Shinsuke Nakamura/Bobby Roode/John Cena - Survivor Series

Number of 4 star plus matches: 3

4.22 - v Seth Rollins/The Miz - WrestleMania
4.21 - Men’s Royal Rumble match
4.08 v Seth Rollins/Samoa Joe/The Miz - Greatest Royal Rumble

7th - Xavier Woods

Appearances: 7 - Average: 3.60 - Meltzer average: 3.29 - Last year’s average: 4.15

Highest rated match - 4.21 - Men’s Royal Rumble

Lowest rated match - 3.08 - Greatest Royal Rumble

Number of 4 star plus matches: 2

4.21 - Men’s Royal Rumble match
4.13 - (w) Kofi Kingston/Big E v The Shield - Survivor Series

6th - Aiden English

Appearances: 4 - Average: 3.63 - Meltzer average: 3.31 - Last year’s average: 2.68

Highest rated match - 4.21 - Men’s Royal Rumble match

Lowest rated match - 3.08 - Greatest Royal Rumble

Number of 4 star plus matches: 2

4.21 - Men’s Royal Rumble match
4.08- (w) Rusev v New Day - Gable & Benjamin - Usos - Clash of Champions

5th - Charlotte Flair

Appearances: 10 - Average: 3.64 - Meltzer average: 3.08 - Last year’s average: 2.93

Highest rated match - 4.70 - v Becky Lynch - Evolution

Lowest rated match - 2.09 v Carmella - Backlash

Number of 4 star plus matches: 3

4.70 - v Becky Lynch - Evolution
4.41 - v Asuka - WrestleMania
4.06 - v Becky Lynch - Hell in a Cell

4th - Dolph Ziggler

Appearances: 12 - Average: 3.74 - Meltzer average: 3.25 - Last year’s average: 3.08

Highest rated match - 4.49 - (w) Drew McIntyre v Dean Ambrose/Seth Rollins - Hell in a Cell

Lowest rated match - 1.60 - v Shane McMahon - Crown Jewel

Number of 4 star plus matches: 3

4.49 - (w) Drew McIntyre v Dean Ambrose/Seth Rollins - Hell in a Cell
4.29 - v Seth Rollins - Summerslam
4.21 - Men’s Royal Rumble match

3rd - Cedric Alexander

Appearances: 4 - Average: 3.94 - Meltzer average: 3.5 - Last year’s average: N/A

Highest rated match - 4.43 v Buddy Murphy - Super Show-Down

Lowest rated match - 3.63 v Drew Gulak - Summerslam

Number of 4 star plus matches: 1

4.43 v Buddy Murphy - Super Show-Down

2nd - AJ Styles

Appearances: 13 - Average: 3.95 - Meltzer average: 3.79 - Last year’s average: 4.07

Highest rated match - 4.46 v Brock Lesnar - Survivor Series

Lowest rated match - 3.33 v Shinsuke Nakamura - Backlash

Number of 4 star plus matches: 6

4.46 v Brock Lesnar - Survivor Series
4.41 v Shinsuke Nakamura - Money in the Bank
4.28 v Samoa Joe - Super Show-Down
4.24 v Samoa Joe - Summerslam
4.08 v Samoa Joe - Hell in a Cell
4.00 v Rusev - Extreme Rules

1st - Seth Rollins

Appearances: 14 - Average: 3.96 - Meltzer average: 3.57 - Last year’s average: 3.90

Highest rated match - 4.49 - (w) Dean Ambrose v Drew McIntrye/Dolph Ziggler - Hell in a Cell

Lowest rated match - 2.34 - (w) Jason Jordan v The Bar - Royal Rumble

Number of 4 star plus matches: 6

4.49 - (w) Dean Ambrose v Drew McIntrye/Dolph Ziggler - Hell in a Cell
4.29 - v Dolph Ziggler - Summerslam
4.22 - v Finn Balor/The Miz - WrestleMania
4.21 - Men’s Royal Rumble match
4.13 - (w) Dean Ambrose/Seth Rollins v New Day - Survivor Series
4.08 v Samoa Joe/Finn Balor/The Miz - Greatest Royal Rumble

Congratulations to the Architect, who held off the determined challenge of AJ Styles to take this year's crown. Woods, Joe and Balor have managed to get their second successive top ten placing.

Come this time next year, will we have more than one woman in the top ten? With the success of Evolution and possible future dream matches involving Charlotte Flair,Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch, it is extremely likely. Cedric Alexander and Rey Mysterio will hope to appear on more PPV cards in order to maintain their position, whilst Aiden English is likely to drop down the rankings now Rusev Day have split.

SmackDown have dominated the table, with six wrestlers compared to Raw's three. The next Raw wrestler in the rankings is the 17th paced Sasha Banks. The Blue brand has 14 representatives in the top 20.

Top 10 matches:

Match

Event

Rating

Votes

Meltzer

Becky Lynch v Charlotte Flair

Evolution

4.7

1380

4.75

Drew McIntyre/Dolph Ziggler v Seth Rollins/Dean Ambrose

Hell in a Cell 18

4.49

309

4.5

AJ Styles v Brock Lesnar

Survivor Series

4.46

973

4.25

Seth Rollins v The Miz

Backlash

4.46

562

4.25

Cedric Alexander v Buddy Murphy

Super Show Down

4.43

296

4.25

Charlotte Flair v Asuka

WrestleMania 34

4.41

1106

4

AJ Styles v Shinsuke Nakamura

Money in the Bank 18

4.41

881

4

Ronda Rousey/Kurt Angle v Stephanie McMahon/Triple H

WrestleMania 34

4.29

1293

4.25

Dolph Ziggler v Seth Rollins

Summerslam 18

4.29

316

3.75

AJ Styles v Samoa Joe

Super Show Down

4.28

735

4.25

Unsurprisingly, Rollins and Styles dominate the top ten matches list appearing in six of the matches. Table toppers Flair and Lynch Evolution match up is the highest rated in the two years of Cageside rankings, pipping the 4.69 rating John Cena and AJ received at Royal Rumble 2017. Ronda Rousey's debut match is the only one on the list which doesn't involve any of the top ten wrestlers.

Highest number of votes:

Match

Event

Rating

Votes

Meltzer

Brock Lesnar v Roman Reigns

WrestleMania 34

2.28

2494

3

AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura

WrestleMania 34

3.62

2321

3.75

Brock Lesnar v Braun Strowman

Crown Jewel

0.91

1511

1

Undertaker v Triple H

Super Show Down

2.98

1419

1.25

Becky Lynch v Charlotte Flair

Evolution

4.70

1380

4.75

Ronda Rousey/Kurt Angle v Stephanie McMahon/Triple H

WrestleMania 34

4.29

1293

4.25

Charlotte Flair v Asuka

WrestleMania 34

4.41

1106

4

AJ Styles v Brock Lesnar

Survivor Series

4.46

973

4.25

DX v Brothers of Destruction

Crown Jewel

2.71

947

1.75

Brock Lesnar v Roman Reigns

Greatest Royal Rumble

2.60

911

1

The list is dominated by WrestleMania, which takes 40% of the placing. Whilst his matches have been poorly scored, Brock Lesnar is always a big discussion point. Four of his six matches appearing in the list. Three matches from WWE's controversial tours of Saudi Arabia also made the table.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Cageside Seats readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cageside Seats editors or staff.