WWE kicks off four straight nights at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Saturday evening, as the black-and-gold brand presents their NXT TakeOver: Toronto II live special on the WWE Network.
The NXT TakeOver: Toronto II is the 26th event under the “TakeOver” chronology, and the second billed as “TakeOver: Toronto.” The inaugural show emanating from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on November 19, 2016 as part of WWE Survivor Series 2016 Weekend.
Saturday night’s live special, which takes place as part of WWE SummerSlam 2019 Weekend, features a five-match card — four of which will be contested for NXT Championships.
In the headline spot will be NXT World Champion Adam Cole defending his title against former title-holder Johnny Gargano in a 2-Out-Of-3 Falls Match, with each fall featuring a special stipulation. The first fall, which was selected by Gargano, will be a “Street Fight.” The second, chosen by Cole, will be a Traditional Pro Wrestling match. If the bout should go to a third and final fall, NXT General Manager William Regal will reveal the yet-to-be-announced stipulation.
Supporting Saturday night’s main event will be “The Queen of Spades,” as Shayna Baszler puts her NXT Women’s Championship on-the-line against Mia Yim.
Also on tap for NXT TakeOver: Toronto II is Velveteen Dream vs. Pete Dunne vs. Roderick Strong in a Triple-Threat match for Dream’s NXT North American Championship, The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) vs. The Undisputed ERA (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) for the NXT Tag-Team Championships and a one-on-one Grudge Match pitting Candice LeRae against Io Shirai.
As is the case before every major pay-per-view event, SEScoops.com compiles a handful of pro wrestling journalists to provide their in-depth insight and analysis into each match scheduled on the card in our SEScoops.com Predictions Roundtable feature. Joining us for this NXT TakeOver: Toronto II installment will be veteran staff writers Ian Carey, Andrew Ravens and Jeff Moss.
Without further adieu, let’s take a look at the SEScoops.com predictions for NXT TakeOver: Toronto II.
Candice LeRae vs. Io Shirai
Ian Carey: Io Shirai’s first match as a heel will be at TakeOver going up against Candice LeRae. Having Shirai lose in her first big match after going heel just seems like a poor way to get her heel turn over so I’m expecting her to come away with the win in this match. Perhaps Shirai will show her hardcore side again and go at LeRae with a kendo stick. (Prediction: Io Shirai)
Andrew Ravens: While this is being built upon LeRae getting her revenge on Io, I don’t see that happening despite what conventional pro wrestling booking would have. Io is someone that will be an NXT Women’s Champion and while LeRae is extremely talented, it would feel more like a back step for Io to lose here when the real money in a feud with Shayna Baszler down the line. (Prediction: Io Shirai)
Jeff Moss: Oh, Candice LeRae, we hardly knew ye. I’m a big fan of CLR, but she is in way over her head here. So much so that I worry this might actually be part of some kind of human sacrifice that someone needs done. Io Shirai is going to annihilate Candice in what should be a crazy-rough, hard-hitting and hopefully (for Candice’s sake) short battle. (Prediction: Io Shirai)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Io Shirai
Velveteen Dream (C) vs. Pete Dunne vs. Roderick Strong (NXT North American Title)
Ian: This triple threat match for the NXT North American title is likely to favor Velveteen Dream in the end. It just seems too quickly put together of a program for it to result in a title change. Plus, Velveteen Dream scored a win over Matt Riddle to retain the title at TakeOver 25. It seems as though if they had him beat Riddle, they don’t want him losing the title anytime soon. (Prediction: Velveteen Dream)
Andrew: With this contest being under the triple threat umbrella, a title change has a good chance of happening, although I’m not sure what could be done to make Strong look like a worthy champion considering that he’s already lost to Dunne. Thus, I have him ruled out as a possibility. I find Dream to be a fun champion and unless WWE just wants to have a title change for the sake of it, I’m not sure why Dunne would become the champion. (Prediction: Velveteen Dream)
Jeff: I couldn’t be more stoked for the Undisputed Era matches on the card, because I think that tonight could be a real turning point for the UE. I know a WWE loves a faction with all the belts, but I’d like to see it go the other route. This match (which will RULE, by the way) should end with Velveteen Dream and Pete Dunne doing something brilliantly violent to each other, taking themselves out of the match and Roderick Strong sneaking away with the belt, bringing new Gold to the Undisputed Era. (Prediction: Roderick Strong)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Velveteen Dream
Street Profits (C) vs. The Undisputed ERA (NXT Tag-Team Titles)
Ian: The Street Profits will take on Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly at TakeOver and I have to imagine the champs will drop the titles paving the way for them to move to Raw permanently. The Street Profits have really found themselves as of late in both NXT and on Raw, and I don’t expect that trend to change anytime soon. Expect the Street Profits to move up the WWE main roster tag team rankings quickly while Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish continue to dominate in NXT. (Prediction: Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly)
Andrew: With The Street Profits now on the main roster, I smell a title change here. Yes, the champions don’t do much on Monday Night RAW right now aside from backstage promos but they’re on the main roster for a reason and WWE sees some value in booking them there. It’s time for The Undisputed Era to be back on top of the tag team division, which makes the most sense right now. (Prediction: Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly)
Jeff: This is arguably the weak point in my Undisputed Era Fantasy Booking as this match could go either way, largely due to WWE being really weird about the Street Profits. They are loved in NXT, but RAW could use their swag. I don’t want them to go to RAW anytime soon, but it’s not impossible. What I’d really like to see here is Street Profits win, making Fish and O”Reily the first of the Undisputed Era to fail to capture a title. So that’s what I’m going with. Street Profits retain, and hopefully stay in NXT to defend the belts occasionally. (Prediction: Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly
Shayna Baszler (C) vs. Mia Yim (NXT Women’s Title)
Ian: Shayna Baszler and Mia Yim will go at it at TakeOver and I have to expect Baszler will come out with the win and still the NXT women’s champion. Baszler seems like someone Triple H is hesitant to give up to the main roster and it feels as though she’s still got a lot of time left on this title reign. Until Rousey is back, I don’t expect Baszler to leave NXT. (Prediction: Shayna Baszler)
Andrew: Personally, I don’t feel that WWE has done a great job in building up Yim as a worthy contender. It could be due to the fact that Baszler has been seen as the most dominant talent in the women’s division for the entirety of her time in NXT. This match just seems like a bridge between now and getting to November or even later to have Io Shirai be the star to dethrone her. This match should be kept short to secure that future program. (Prediction: Shayna Baszler)
Jeff: This is going to be a BRAWL and I’m all for it. I’ve enjoyed the build for this, Mia taking out the Horsewomen and Shayna being her usual awesome self have set the stage for a great match. There’s a rumoured Wild Ronda Rousey appearing at SummerSlam (maybe, possibly) so if that were to happen, I bet her old pals would join her for the fabled Horsewomen Vs Horsewomen Story we’ve been hearing about forever. However, I think it’s still a bit early for that to happen with a Wrestlemania payoff, so I think this match will be amazing, but Baszler wins and holds onto the belt until the next Takeover. (Prediction: Shayna Baszler)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Shayna Baszler
Adam Cole (C) vs. Johnny Gargano (2-Out-Of-3 Falls For NXT Title)
Ian: I’m quite certain this will go down as one of the all-time classic matches in Takeover history. The best two of three falls stipulation including a mystery stipulation for the last match provides an intriguing backdrop in the blowoff to this angle. In the end, I expect Adam Cole to walk away with the title. Gargano might be everyone’s favorite but in the end, I feel Triple H sees more value in Gargano chasing the title rather than holding it. I expect Cole to have a fairly lengthy run with the belt. (Prediction: Adam Cole)
Andrew: This match could see either man win here and I wouldn’t be shocked either way. We’ve seen both stars be the champion in this feud that has taken up the majority of this year. This has to be the blowoff contest, which I expect it to be. Unless WWE went against what they do with NXT and giving away automatic rematches, I find it hard to believe that Gargano wins the title here. There are also more babyfaces that could challenge for the top title in NXT right now. Cole wins it in the third fall. (Prediction: Adam Cole)
Jeff: Unless this is the first 2-out-of-3-falls match to only go two falls, I think the first fall in the match, the Wrestling Match, should be won by Cole. He’s the more technically proficient of the two, and he owns it. The Street Fight fall should go to Gargano. He’ll be fired up at this point and looking to throw himself at something. The last fall is where it gets tricky. Without knowing the stipulation, it’s hard to predict the fall, but I think it’s Johnny that wins the title. If Ciampa returns, all the better. Because the next step for Adam Cole should be the whole UE coming to the ring to console him, but Strong hangs back, looking at this newly won North American title. Being the only one with Gold, maybe he should lead the team… Boom! (Prediction: Johnny Gargano)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Adam Cole
Join us at SEScoops.com on Saturday for live NXT TakeOver: Toronto II results.
