NXT: Takeover Toronto was LIVE from the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on 11/19/2016!
Bobby Roode defeats Tye Dillinger with the Glorious DDT. Wow! What an opening bout! The Toronto crowd was heavily invested in this well built contest and we witnessed everything from a sharpshooter application from Tye to a good old fashioned slugfest. Tye gained the upper hand on several occasions, but Roode used his traditional wrestling style and his intense acumen to pull out the victory over the “Perfect Ten” in a “Glorious” fashion. Great way to start the broadcast! Tye looked good in a losing effort and it seems as if Roode will be the next challenger to Nakamura’s world title.
The Authors Of Pain defeat TM61 to win the second annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. “Precious” Paul Ellering was locked in a shark cage and he was suspended from the ring. A slugfest ensued early, but the crowd came unglued as Shane Thorne climbed up on the scaffolding supporting the cage and he nailed a somersault plancha onto The Authors of Pain. The Authors came back using their brute strength, but after a hot tag to Nick Miller, TM61 came back strong. The Authors were about to nail a double powerbomb spot, but TM61 countered into a double hurricanrana counter that saw the Authors bumps heads. Ellering drops the chain from the suspended cage as the action takes away the attention of the ref. The chain is quickly disposed of, but as predicted, the Authors eventually hit the Last Chapter and they take the victory, capturing the Dusty Cup. What a great effort by these two teams and a good heel tandem, led by a wily veteran presence could make for an interesting challenger to the expected #DIY title reign.
#DIY defeated The Revival in a two out of three falls match to win the NXT tag team titles. This match started off as brilliantly as one would expect. The crowd was lit for #DIY with plenty of “Johnny Wrestling” and “Psycho Killer” chants. The first fall came after Johnny Gargano tried the slingshot spear and was countered by the Revival into the Shatter Machine for the three count. Unreal. That spot was breathtaking. The second fall comes after a good several minutes of non-stop and exhilarating action when Scott Dawson finds himself right in the middle of the superkick/kneestrike combo which leads to #DIY getting the second fall. This match is really something to see. Unbelievable. It is stealing the show already and I can’t say I’m surprised. The third fall was something else. You saw #DIY hit a shatter machine, which looked like it was about to end it, but then Dawson and Wilder fought back and destroyed Johnny’s legs and that seemed like it was gonna be it. Gargano got the ropes and then it led to Ciampa putting the armbar on Dawson and Gargano slapping the crossface on Dash for the tapout. We have new NXT world tag team champions! An instant classic!
Asuka defeated Mickie James via submission with the Asuka Lock to retain the NXT Women’s Title. Mickie hasn’t lost a step. This was something else. Mickie went toe to toe with Asuka and gave as well as she got. Asuka hit a german suplex on the outside at one point that was incredible. Mickie hit the Mick Kick and the DDT and both resulted in near falls, but finally, after a short struggle, Asuka was able to clamp on the Asuka Lock and Mickie tapped out. As the champion celebrated, Mickie began getting a standing ovation, but the crowd fell quiet as Asuka literally put the belt right in her face, cutting the moment short. Asuka is a beast and someone to be appreciated for years to come. Easily my favorite woman on the roster for some time. This pay per view has been stellar so far.
Samoa Joe defeats Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall to become the new NXT World Champion. This would have to be the shock of shockers for a multitude of reasons. First of all, the match was stellar. It was twice as hard hitting and as fast paced as their first contest and these two ring generals beat the holy hell out of each other. The shocker though lies in the fact that everyone expected Nakamura to retain and Joe to head to the main roster, possibly debuting as early as the Royal Rumble match. Now I’m perplexed. Does Nakamura move up? Do they continue to feud for several months, with Nakamura taking the strap back? Nakamura nailed several Kinshasas, Joe hit several urinages and vicious strikes, and ultimately Joe hit a urinage on the steps outside the ring, he brought Shinsuke back into the ring, and he nailed the muscle buster for the three count.
