Dave Meltzer Rates 2026 Match as the Greatest WWE-Produced Match Ever

Over the years, there have been a handful of matches that have become staples of the debates about the best WWE bout of all time. Some examples include Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker, CM Punk vs. John Cena, Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock, and Macho Man vs. Ricky Steamboat. Amazingly enough, arguably the most famous wrestling journalist of all time, Dave Meltzer, just rated a 2026 match higher than all of those iconic bouts.

What Did Dave Meltzer Just Rate as the Greatest WWE-Produced Match of All Time?

As an August 2018 Sports Illustrated article noted, Dave Meltzer has been giving every major wrestling match star ratings since 1982. That means he has rated every major WWE match since before the first WrestleMania and before Hulk Hogan first became WWE Champion. Over that time period, the founder and editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has also become famous among fans as a wrestling expert. As the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's website notes, he was even given the Jim Melby Award for excellence in journalism in 2016.

Cageside Seats reported that Meltzer recently gave El Grande Americano vs. "The Original" El Grande from AAA Noche de Los Grandesa 5.75 star rating. Importantly, WWE announced that it had acquired AAA in April 2025, which is why the event and match were both produced by WWE. Additionally, El Grande Americano and "The Original" El Grande are characters portrayed by wrestlers under contract to WWE, Ludwig Kaiser and Chad Gable respectively.

As an X post from NoDQ.com noted, 5.75 stars is the highest rating Meltzer has ever given to a match produced by WWE. Before that, 5.5 stars had been the highest rating he'd ever given to a match under the company's umbrella. That was awarded to Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole's Two Out of Three Falls match for the vacant NXT Championship from 2019's NXT TakeOver: New York.

Any wrestling fans who haven't been able to watch the El Grande Americano vs. "The Original" El Grande match yet can still do so completely for free. Since AAA Noche de Los Grandes was streamed to WWE's YouTube channel live, it can be watched in the video below. The entrances for the bout begin at roughly the one-hour, 19-minute mark.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 8:00 AM.