NXT World Champion: Shinsuke Nakamura
NXT World Tag Team Champions: The Revival
NXT Woman's Champion: Asuka
NXT TakeOver: Toronto
November 19th, 2016
Air Canada Centre: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Roode gets a choir to sing "Glorious" for his entrance, must be nice to have Triple H as your brother.
Bobby Roode vs. Tye Dillinger
This gets like 17 minutes which is crazy, but it does deliver for the most part. Roode brings his big main event bumping coward heel act to start, and it also helps that both guys are super over so the crowd is with it the whole time. They do the hockey spot with Tye on the floor up against the barricades, and Roode leaves from one side of the ring and runs all around cross-checking him from behind into the rails <3 Roode's heat is fine, it's more cerebral and taking his time just beating on Tye than it is picking out a body part and softening it up, but when he does attack something to fill time he goes to he neck to set up the DDT, so at least he has logic. Tye's comeback is fine, but Roode does the cool heel thing where he feels Tye trying to end it so he suckers him into thinking he's leaving for Roode to actually attack him first when he rolls him back in, Double-A spinebuster, and a superplex only get two for Roode. Both men get near falls off roll-ups, and Tye hits a superkick for two. Solid near falls towards the end until Roode throws him shoulder first into the post and hits the Glorious DDT for the win. **1/2
In the back, Asuka is warming up.
Video package of the Dusty Classic II airs.
Finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic/Shark Cage Fuckery: The Authors of Pain (w/Paul Ellering) vs. TM-61
Them dimming the lights and having music for when the cage lowers to Paul getting in and having is ascend back into the air is such a wrestling thing
This is fine, the Dusty cup seems to be an afterthought here so they can sell the shark cage toy set. One of the TM guys hits a huge sunset flip off it whipping out AoP. But they come right back and do an apron clip with the TM guy taking an upside down bump on his head on the apron. AoP has one of their lengthy segments, it really doesn't do anything, and lacks heat. It also hurts when Miller gets the hot tag and just throws them around with ease like they're the same weight as him. The match breaks down, and TM hit Thunder Vally but that gets broken up. They hit dives and that distracts the ref which allows Paul to drop a chain from the cage. But lol Razar misses the punch and the chain goes into the crowd. But it doesn't matter the big guys recover and hit the last chapter for the win. **1/4
After the match; Dustin, GM Regal, and Triple H present AoP with the cup.
And here you have it, the 2016 Dusty Cup winners, it's probably the most predictable win way more than Finn/Joe last year. To Trips credit at least he booked two legit tag teams this year instead of super teams, but I'm gonna be honest this tournament sucked. There wasn't 1 standout match, per round, shit, this had no standout match at all which is nuts considering how the Tag Division carried NXT all year and will do later tonight. At least last year had some real bangers. And that's on trips' part 3/4 of the teams just seemed thrown together just for him to judge which guys he wants to keep long-term for the CWC.
Video package for the Tag Team Titles airs.
2 out of 3 falls match for the NXT World Tag Team Championships: #DIY vs. The Revival
MAIN EVENT TIME! Top Guys busting out the pink and black attire
Someone in the crowd has a "Hard For Revival" sign, he swears he's me. Real good Dawson/Gargano opening mat sequence, Dawson thinks it's gonna be a breeze but Gargano uses his speed and gets a close near fall off rip so he decides that's too close and goes more to the striking. Pretty even opening 5 minutes, which is shocking for Revival as they usually use this time to do their Tully/Arn bumping, but they use this time to isolate Ciampa for a bit. Gargano has a fun hot tag, but the numbers catch up to him. THEY BLOCK THE SLINGSHOT SPEAR AND HIT THE SHATTER MACHINE TO GO UP 1-0.
Revival iso Gargano now, it's really good as they're now working their style double teams hard hitting and great cutoff spots. Dawson again proves why he's amazing, is during a Mini-comeback Johnny fights off both men but Dawson instead of trying to attack Gargano he dives right in front of his path blocking him from tagging in Ciampa, that allows them to regain control off the heart attack double team. Another piece of good storytelling is Dash goes under the ring to pull Ciampa off the apron like he did in Brooklyn but Ciampa saw is coming and kicks him off, Gargano then blocks a back suplex off the top and Ciampa gets the hot tag. It rules, brutal knee strikes for near falls. The match breaks down, with both teams hitting a bunch of real believable real falls. But the dumbest thing of the match happens Dash distracts the ref, allowing DIY to hit the running knee/superkick combo and they cover to even it up. 1-1.
The third fall is a fucking blast, there are so many callbacks and counters, they all have something of the others scouted. Like Ciampa having Dawsons Arn fake punch into the DDT scouted and Dawson using the escape and roll up out of the Ciampa Armbar that Gargano used in the CWC. The near falls in this are still amazing like Gargano running up and kicking Dash off the apron then small packaging Dawson for two, Dash gets desperate and brings the title in but Ciampa cuts him off before he can use it. DAWSON ALSO HAS GARGANO'S ROLLING KICK SCOUTED AND HITS HIM WITH THE TITLE BELT! He then locks in the reverse Indian deathlock, but this time Gargano makes it to the ropes. THE REVIVAL GET COCKY AND TRY TO DO THE DIY SUPERKICK/KNEE FINISHER BUT Gargano avoids and Dash superkicks Dawson, DIY then comeback and hit Shatter Machine for an awesome near fall. Dash takes Ciampa out on the floor, and Gargano takes Dawson out. BUT DASH THEN FUCKING CHOP BLOCKS THE SHIT OUT OF GARGANO'S KNEE. They then trade roll-ups, which isn't Dash's strong suit and it leads to Gargano locking him in the Gargano Escape. Ciampa cuts off the save and locks Dash in the armbar. The Revival try to hand on, and even grab one another hand to stop from tapping but in the end, they both tap out. WOW! Still holds up, as a fucking classic. ****1/2
Looking forward to the 3rd match
Video package for the Woman's title match airs.
NXT Woman's Championship Match: Mickie James vs. Asuka
Tough break here with them having to follow the greatest match in NXT history, but they do their best. They base the match around head games and the vet vs. the present. Mickie wins more of the mat wrestling battles than Asuka, so, Asuka has to resort to her superior striking. She takes over after hitting a German on the floor and gets into her cocky, having fun offense. Mickie has a decent comeback, she goes to holds to stop Asuka from striking her, but nothing sticks so she decides fuck it and goes toe-to-toe with her, I guess she didn't watch the Brooklyn match, as she does the same open hand slap to her. Mickie hits the seated senton for two, then busts out the kick to the knee and have Asuka fall with her face hitting her knee the same move she hit at Mania 22
MickKick gets two, Asuka then blocks the DDT into Asuka Lock attempt but Mickie has it countered, she does the Bret roll up but Asuka kicks out with her hands still in the hold and switches her hips into locking in the hold and Mickie taps. **1/2
After the match; Mickie offers the hand, BUT ASUKA RAISES THE TITLE IN HER FACE AND LEAVES. FUCK YEAH!
Video package for Joe/Nakamura airs
Nakamura again gets the violin entrance, but this time it's like 10 people and I don't think any of them are even playing, 100% sure those are props. I guess the black guy couldn't get into Canada.
NXT World Champion Championship: Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
This is Nakamura's first TV defense since winning the title back in August, lol this roster. This again starts off really well with both men just laying in the knees, kicks, and punches, good brawling as they just lay into one another, everything looks like it hurts. Joe's heat is pretty much the exact same, from Brooklyn, he works the knee again and again Nakamura sells pretty much none of it. Nakamura makes a comeback, but this just isn't clicking, all the moves, striking and holds are fine but I'm just not feeling it. Naka hits a jumping knee off the middle rope and Joe takes that thing right in the face, he follows up with a German but Joe avoids Kinshasa by clipping the knee. He sets up for the Muscle Buster, but Nakamura slides out and nails Kinshasa for two. Nakamura sets up for it again, but Joe evades and locks in the choke but Nakamura won't stay down so JOE HITS A GERMAN, FOLLOWED BY A DRAGON SUPLEX FOLLOWED BY THE CHIMERAPLEX FOR TWO. Naka blocks a big slap and hits Joe with a Kinshasa to the floor, he goes to the floor and goes charging in, but Joe shoves the ref and low blows him. He then hits the STJoe on the steps again, and rolls him back inside and hits the Muscle Buster for the win. Not only the first two-time NXT Champion, but the only man to beat Demon Finn and the first to beat Nakamura. Oh and he ended Dan Matha. This one is slightly better than Brooklyn as they just beat the shit out of one another for the majority. **1/2