Dave Meltzer Gives Match A Negative Rating, Calls It The Worst Match He's Ever Seen
Dave Meltzer calls Minoru Suzuki vs. Butterbean the worst match he's ever seen.
Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer didn't hold back in his review of a recent bout featuring Minoru Suzuki and Butterbean. Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, he called the match the worst he's ever seen.
Advertisement
At WrestleCon's Mark Hitchcock Memorial SuperShow, Minoru Suzuki faced Butterbean, which had Butterbean, recovering from a leg injury. He struggled to move, the match also had Dan Severn as referee, who was also limited by age.
Reacting to the match, Dave Meltzer said, 'The match was brutally bad. It was said that it would have been the worst match anyone had seen this year except the next match happened. Minoru Suzuki wrestled Butterbean do a double count out. This was, in fact, the worst pro wrestling match I've ever seen. Unlike the last match, at least this one the crowd was so sympathetic to Butterbean that they made a lot of noise, chanted 'Fight Forever,' and after the double count out chanted 'one more round.'
'Dan Severn was referee. Severn, who is almost 67, was not moving well. Butterbean couldn't move at all. There was a story that he was recovering from a broken leg. He had been wheelchair bound and terribly overweight, and worked with DDP to where he's out of the wheelchair and can kind of move, but not move in the sense to do a pro wrestling match. They were filming a documentary so he wasn't allowed to lose. In the condition he was in, Suzuki couldn't possibly lose to him. Plus if he was on his back it would have been hard for him to get back up. They did the double count out and announced a double count out. People booed that heavily.'
Dave Meltzer gives -459.7 star rating to Minoru Suzuki vs. Butterbean match
'They wanted another round (they were doing two minute rounds, it ended late second round) or at least chanted that way. I do get this was so awful it was perversely entertaining unlike the prior match which just seemed like the crowd was stunned watching how bad it was. Then Severn talked to the ring announcer and I figured they were going to give the crowd one more round, and the ring announcer again said it was a double count out. I have no idea why you'd announce that a second time, and the second time people booed louder because they actually wanted it to continue. This was -459.7 stars, like the worst match ever (-273.15 if you live outside the U.S.). Worse that the Sheik & Volkoff match on Heroes of Wrestling.'
Advertisement
'I was told Suzuki was very upset backstage because he had never had a match this bad. The reality is none of this was Suzuki's fault. Butterbean had no business in the ring. The thing is, people were really into the idea of the match and thought it was awesome when it was announced, and nobody had any hopes for it to be good match. But I can't imagine anyone expected anything this bad. The main event was Zack Sabre Jr. & Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito over Flip Gordon & Hechicero & Michael Oku in a ***½ match when Sabre tapped out Gordon.'
Meltzer mentioned that Suzuki was reportedly upset backstage following his match. As he never experienced a match of such low quality match.
The post Dave Meltzer Gives Match A Negative Rating, Calls It The Worst Match He's Ever Seen appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Newsweek
WWE Star Set To Return After Year-Long Injury: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. WWE Raw superstar Kiana James is close to returning to the ring after being out for a year. The report comes from Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The update on James's status indicates her long absence from WWE programming is nearing its end. Meltzer stated, "Kiana James is close to returning." This news signals that her recovery process is in its final stages. WWE fans can expect to see her back on television soon. Kiana James Nears WWE Return James has been out of action since June 2024 following a leg injury. Her last match was on the June 17, 2024, episode of Monday Night Raw. She competed in a Triple Threat Money in the Bank qualifier against IYO SKY and Zelina Vega. The injury, which occurred shortly after, required surgery and an extensive rehabilitation period. COLOGNE, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 07: A WWE Logo at the WWE Live Tryout at the Motorworld on November 7, 2018 in Cologne, Germany. COLOGNE, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 07: A WWE Logo at the WWE Live Tryout at the Motorworld on November 7, 2018 in Cologne, Abrupt Halt to Her WWE Main Roster Push The timing of the injury stalled her career momentum. She was drafted from NXT to Raw just two months earlier in the April 2024 WWE Draft. Before being sidelined, James made her main roster debut with a victory over Natalya. The win positioned her for a solid push on the Raw brand before the injury stopped her progress. Kiana James' Road to Recovery By September 2024, reports confirmed she was dealing with a leg injury. WWE then moved her to its internal miscellaneous roster list, which is standard for injured talent. The initial recovery was expected to take at least six months. More recently, James was reportedly on the verge of being medically cleared and was seen training with Charlotte Flair. During her time in NXT, James made a name for herself with her businesswoman character. She had a notable run as a heel and captured the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship alongside Fallon Henley. Throughout her time away, it has been reported that James has impressed many within WWE with her strong work ethic and dedication to her recovery. In May 2025, reports suggested she was on the verge of being medically cleared. Recently, James was seen training with former champion Charlotte Flair, further fueling speculation that her return is imminent. During her tenure in NXT, James made a name for herself with a businesswoman gimmick. She had a notable run as a heel, which included capturing the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship alongside Fallon Henley, who would later become a rival. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Report: Reason Jey Uso Dropped The Title Back To Gunther Revealed
After a 51-day reign as World Heavyweight Champion, Jey Uso dropped the title back to Gunther earlier this week on WWE RAW. The title change came as a shock to many, as Uso has been one of WWE's top merchandise movers for quite some time. So why was the decision made to flip the title back to The Ring General? Advertisement According to Dave Meltzer in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Triple H made the call to take the title off Jey Uso so Gunther's match with Goldberg next month at Saturday Night's Main Event can be for the title. On the surface, this seems like a terrible decision as it erases a lot of doubt as to who will win the match next month in Atlanta. Without a title on the line, you could debate who would walk out with the victory. However, the match being for a title allows you to know Goldberg is going out with a loss. Stay tuned to WrestleZone for more on Goldberg's upcoming match with Gunther as it becomes available. READ MORE: Mystery Participant In WWE King Of The Ring Tournament Revealed Advertisement What do you make of this report? Do you think taking the title off Jey Uso so Goldberg could have a title match next month was a good idea? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below. The post Report: Reason Jey Uso Dropped The Title Back To Gunther Revealed appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Rumor Roundup: Rollins replacing Punk, Bronson Reed plan, Chelsea Green injury, more!
Speculating on the rumors surrounding pro wrestling is a favored pastime of many fans, perhaps second only to actually watching the matches. In this daily column, we take a look at the latest rumors being churned out by the pro wrestling rumor mill. Important reminder: Rumors are just that — rumors. None of this has been confirmed as fact, it's just circulating around the pro wrestling rumor mill. We track rumor accuracy in a weekly feature called Rumor Look Back you can find here. Remember, take it all with a grain of salt. Rumors for the Day: Regarding Seth Rollins replacing CM Punk in a promotional video for WWE Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter claims it 'wasn't a significant change or anything.' Bronson Reed joining Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and Paul Heyman's faction was a late decision, per Fightful, as original plans didn't include anyone else joining the group. Fightful Select has confirmed Chelsea Green's broken nose is legitimate. The Daily Update says they don't expect her off TV at all, however, as it was a 'clean break.' They also say Liv Morgan is being factored into creative plans for Raw already and she could be back as soon as this week's show. The WON says there was talk of using 'JC Matanza' for Jeff Cobb's new name in WWE as an inside reference to Lucha Underground but he apparently didn't like the name so they went with JC Mateo instead. The Observer says Ace Austin, whose TNA contract is expiring, was offered a new deal but turned it down to 'get into a larger company.' Advertisement If you have heard of any interesting rumors that you'd like to add, feel free to post them in the comments section below. Just remember they are rumors and not confirmed as fact, so please take them as such. And check our weekly Rumor Look Back here to keep track of how often rumors turn out to be correct. More from
