AEW EVP Kenny Omega believes that Dave Meltzer was never quite the same after the Cleaner 'broke' the wrestling reporter's much-discussed match ratings system.

For years, Meltzer used a standard five-star ranking, with one representing a terrible encounter and five representing the absolute best a match could be. For Omega's Wrestle Kingdom 2017 showdown with Kazuchika Okada, Meltzer broke his ratings system and awarded the bout six stars. That same year, Meltzer would go against his own system again, awarding Omega Vs. Okada at Dominion 6.25 stars.

Ever since then, Meltzer has gone beyond his standard five-star rating, which has spawned a debate as to whether his previous five-star matches are now seen as less than perfect. Speaking on his Twitch stream, Omega took the blame (or credit) for breaking the ratings system.

“He’s jumped the f*cking shark so it doesn’t count for much anymore. He has jumped the motherf*cking shark, and guess who is to blame for that? Me. I’m the guy.

"I broke the scale, it f*cked up something in his brain where he doesn’t even know what good match is anymore... I think he just doesn’t understand it anymore, he cant comprehend what’s going on."



Omega went on to describe his situation as akin to Pandora's Box; which once opened, cannot be re-sealed. Meltzer's highest-rated match stands at seven stars and saw Omega defeat Okada in a 'No time limit two out of three falls' match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Dominion 6.9 in 2018.

As for when Omega's next five-star (or more) match will be, that remains to be seen. The Cleaner has been out of action since late 2023 due to a battle with diverticulitis. Despite recently appearing on AEW programming, there's no timeframe for when fans can expect the former AEW World Champion back in the ring.