NXT continues to produce fun TakeOver specials. This was no exception. TakeOver: Toronto was a very good show. I enjoyed it. 8/10
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Bobby Roode vs Tye Dillinger was a good show opener. ★★★¼
They couldn't have kicked things off in a better way than by putting these two in the opening slot. As anticipated, the battle of two Canadians made the crowd hot and invested throughout the match. Bobby Roode's entrance was GLORIOUS! He played his role well, working the head and neck area of Dillinger, which played well into the finish. Tye looked like a star. I marked for him stomping on Roode's fingers and doing his 10 chant. Anyways, the match was good and told a simple story of revenge. Roode got the win, as he should. Also, Roode should eventually use
this as his finisher.
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The Authors of Pain vs TM-61 was solid. ★★½
So, Paul Ellering was locked in a shark cage to promote a toy set? Okay. As for the match itself, well... TM-61 did a fine job of carrying it and the match was as good as anyone could've hoped for. That's all I can say, really. Thorne jumping off that structure was sick, as was that bump he took on his head on the apron. Ultimately, the AoP won, as expected and they'll probably be the next title contenders.
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#DIY vs The Revival was amazing, MOTN and MOTYC. ★★★★¾
I loved this match! This is the 4th time The Revival have put on a MOTY-caliber match this year. And on top of that, this has to be the best tag team match I've seen this year. Simply amazing!
I was considering going for the full 5-star rating, but I felt like there were a few spots that weren't executed smoothly enough to say it was PERFECT. But, nevertheless, the match was amazing, dramatic, had zero wasted motion, had great near falls, a super hot crowd, and some beautiful callbacks to their previous match, which I loved. I also loved how the first fall happened, that Shatter Machine out of nowhere was great, as was DIY's own Shatter Machine later on. Loved DIY's double submission finish, too! And, DIY winning was a feel-good moment. All in all, the match was amazing and stole the show.
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Asuka vs Mickie James was a pretty good match. ★★★½
Well... This match was better than I was expecting it to be. They told a good story and I liked the back-and-forth action. Mickie looked good in her return and put on a good performance. She actually looked strong and competetive against Asuka. LOL at the crowd chanting "YOU STILL GOT IT!". She is 37, not 57. Also, I would've preferred if there was a bit more fighting on Mickie's part before the finish, it felt abrupt in a way, but oh well. Asuka retained as she absolutely should. I liked the post-match stuff where Asuka refused to shake Mickie's hand and simply raised the title. I hope this whole overconfidence thing leads to a heel turn for Asuka. She'd be good in that role and it would create a nice dynamic once Ember Moon (the next top babyface) challenges her for the title.
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Samoa Joe vs Shinsuke Nakamura was a very good ME. ★★★¾
I felt this was better and that it had better pacing than their match in Brooklyn. This match was physical and then some. I liked Joe being hellbent on taking away Nakamura's knees, but what I liked even more was Joe hitting a trio of Suplexes. Now, what took away from the match for me was Nakamura's inconsistent selling of the knee. The ending was cool, with Joe slamming Nakamura onto the steps, followed by the Muscle Buster. The title change was surprising, but I am totally fine with it. Now, I guess the obligatory rematch is in order, they'll do it in Japan and/or maybe at the next TakeOver (which takes place the night before the Rumble), so with that said, I guess Nakamura will debut at the Royal Rumble.
