Shawn Valentino's column originally published on Monday morning, February 25 before the John Cena vs. C.M. Punk classic Monday night on Raw. Did Cena-Punk meet the criteria for a five-star match? Read Valentino's break down below...

By Shawn Valentino, PWTorch specialist

Bret Hart recently gave an interview with some surprisingly candid comments on Triple H’s skills as a wrestler. Although I am sometimes critical of Hunter myself, in the past few years, he has really earned my respect after an incredible series of WrestleMania epics against Undertaker. Most surprising of Hart’s comments were his critiques on last year’s classic End of an Era confrontation. He observed that he thought they did nothing new in the match, and he could have predicted what took place in the ring.

Perhaps he was just stating these opinions for shock value, but it is surprising coming from a veteran ring general such as Hart. The Excellence of Execution, while known for his brilliant storytelling, was hardly known for his innovative moveset in the ring. Even if the Taker-Hunter showdown was predictable, it was still a dramatic contest that captivated the emotions of the audience.

To use a movie analogy, the battles between Luke Skywalker versus Darth Vader and Batman versus the Joker were not intricately choreographed athletic masterpieces. The powerful impact came from seeing two larger-than-life characters facing off after a spectacular narrative leading to their clash.

Even at the conclusion of 2012, when so many analysts were reviewing the top matches of the year, it often befuddled me how so many experts would rate matches that had little to no storyline context as the best of the year. Today, I will break down what I believe are five major elements that constitute the proverbial Five-Star Wrestling Match.

(1) Two well-defined characters perceived as stars

In theory, I can have a thrilling aerobatic fight for the ages with my next door neighbor in a backyard match. No matter how sensational of a display we can put forth, it would not arise to the level of a Five-Star Match because we are not established characters with gravitas facing off in a contest that an audience can emotionally invest in. Wrestling, above all, is a sport that exhibits charismatic performers with larger-than-life personalities. There is a reason that the smaller independent promotions are not growing at a rapid pace despite often having superior athleticism featured in their matches. Without established characters marketed as super-heroic icons, the excitement of seeing two stars battling it out over the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat does not generate the same visceral impact.

To illustrate an example, The Ultimate Warrior was not a great “wrestler” in terms of wrestling moves, but his dynamic presence created an enthusiasm in an audience that a far better athlete like Kofi Kingston or Evan Bourne cannot arouse. What has made the ongoing episodic saga that started with Ric Flair versus Shawn Michaels and concluded with Triple H versus Undertaker last Mania so powerful was that all of the characters were established Legends with an internal constitution that guided their actions in and out of the ring. Without two competitors that have strongly defined personalities, you cannot have a classic match.

(2) A dramatic narrative leading to the match

What would Skywalker versus Vader be if George Lucas just paraded them out at the start of the film without any back-story? With that in mind, it amazes me how often that wrestling promoters feature potentially huge matches as if they are disposable. A classic match has to have a strong storyline building up to it because otherwise it is difficult to tell a compelling story inside the ring.

Some excellent examples of matches strengthened by emotional episodic plotlines were the Hart-Steve Austin rivalry, Michaels-Chris Jericho series in 2008, and the Hogan-Savage feud of the late '80s. When you put two captivating characters in an absorbing narrative, magic can happen, and the truly great matches have this element. When done well, the wrestling ring is one of the most fascinating storytelling platforms in entertainment, and if only companies would study their own history of what made bouts successful, perhaps Five-Star Matches would happen more regularly.

(3) The actual work in the ring

Some matches are so incredibly choreographed and/or exhibited in the ring that the moves and the internal story in the match create a classic confrontation. Perfect examples of those types of in-ring clinics would be the Kurt Angle versus Shawn Michaels series in 2005 and the highly regarded Triple Threat Matches between Chris Benoit, Michaels, and The Game in 2004. Of course, the intangible factors and the strong characters were there as well, but the mere technical display itself was above and beyond extraordinary. Although I place a high emphasis on balancing the various factors in this article, the story and execution of a match has to be strong.

(4) Intangibles such as audience, atmosphere, commentary, event, etc.

Not only does the work in the ring have to be solid, the external factors such as audience reaction, big match atmosphere, and magnitude of an event can heighten an otherwise above-average match to an unforgettable memory. The perfect examples of these intangibles heightening a good match into a classic moment would be The Rock and Hogan’s Icon versus Icon showcase at WrestleMania 18 and the Michaels vs. Flair Retirement Bout at WrestleMania 24. The electric atmosphere and the emotional crowd reactions in matches such as those can compensate for what may be less than perfect execution in the ring.

Even commentary can add star ratings by emphasizing the story and actions in the ring. Look no further than Bobby Heenan’s masterful work during the 1992 Royal Rumble or WrestleMania 8 or Jesse Ventura’s heel perspective in the Mega Powers Explode saga. More recently, Jim Ross's call of The Undertaker vs. Michaels at WrestleMania 25 in 2009.

In contrast, horrible commentating like we regularly suffer through from Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler can detract from a match. The recent Rock versus Punk match at the Rumble and John Cena at WrestleMania had some of these intangibles, although I do not feel the overall package added up to any of those being Five-Star Matches.

(5) Historical context of the match

Finally, once a compelling storyline between two well-defined characters is contested in front of a big-event stage, the historical context and impact of the battle can take it to the next level. When you saw Austin struggling to escape Hart’s Sharpshooter, you knew you were watching a star being born. When Flair cried in the center of the ring and urged Michaels to finish him, we realized we were witnessing history being made. When Hogan slammed Andre at WMIII in a seminal event in wrestling’s history, it generated chills in all who saw it. Although wrestling is a simulated sport, these types of historic moments cannot be contrived but have to arise organically out of years of great writing and character development.

A brutal battle between Brock Lesnar and Cena at Extreme Rules 2012 may have been visually stimulating, but the goofy ending and Cena's bizarre speech after the match that led nowhere detract from its historical significance. In contrast, The Undertaker’s streak, which was originally unplanned, but has now been carefully preserved, has assured that all of his recent Mania matches become meaningful contests that have historical value.

***

I wanted to conclude by giving some examples of what I feel are Five-Star Matches. As you will notice, some were spectacularly wrestled athletic showcases with strong storylines and dramatic atmosphere. Others may not have been traditional mat-classics, but were elevated by the various intangible elements that elevated the bout into a theatrical masterwork. Of course, remember that match ratings are always subjective, but these are a few of the contests that I feel are timeless classics that I can watch over and over.

(1) Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker: WrestleMania 25

(2) Triple H vs. Undertaker: WrestleMania 27 and 28

(3) Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat: WrestleMania 3

(4) Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior: WrestleMania 7

(5) The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan: WrestleMania 18

(6) Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair: WrestleMania 24

(7) Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart: WrestleMania 13

(8) Bret Hart vs. Davey Boy Smith: Summerslam 1992

(9) Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H: WrestleMania 20 and Backlash 2004

(10) Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior: WrestleMania 6

Please send questions, comments, and feedback to valentino.torch@gmail.com and check out my book The Showstopper Lifestyle on Amazon. Feel free to add Shawn Valentino on Facebook.

[Torch art credit Travis Beaven (c) PWTorch.com]

We suggest these recent related articles...

VALENTINO'S MAGIC, MEMORIES & MANIA: Live at WrestleMania 31 - A Mania With No Great Matches But Many Great Moments

VALENTINO'S MAGIC, MEMORIES & MANIA: WrestleMania Weekend Log - The Afterparty

VALENTINO'S MAGIC, MEMORIES & MANIA: Why C.M. Punk Should Have Been Fired