WWE’s NXT Takeover: Toronto 2019 aired live from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Here are 6 takeaways from the show:
Street Profits Retained The NXT Tag Team Championships
Street Profits defended their NXT Tag Team Championships against Undisputed Era to start TakeOver: Toronto. Angelo Dawkins shoved O’Reilly to the corner and mocked Kyle by patting him on the head.
The two locked up in the middle of the ring as dueling “Street Profits!” and “Undisputed!” chants broke out in the crowd. O’Reilly brought Dawkins to the corner of the ring and Bobby Fish tagged in. Dawkins greeted Fish with a shoulder tackle and Montez Ford tagged in.
Ford connected with a Dropkick and went for the cover but Fish kicked out at one. Dawkins tagged back in. Street Profits isolated Fish in the corner and took turns beating him down for the next couple of minutes.
Bobby Fish battled back with a flurry of shots and sent Ford out of the ring. O’Reilly tagged in and clubbed Montez in the back of the neck as he got back into the ring. Kyle beat Ford down in the corner as the dueling chants broke out once again. Ford hit O’Reilly with a Dropkick and tagged Angelo back in.
Street Profits hit Bobby Fish with a Double Flapjack as O’Reilly rolled out of the ring. Fish tagged back in and bounced Dawkin’s face off the top turnbuckle. Bobby connected with a Senton and went for the cover but Angelo kicked out at two.
O’Reilly tagged in and hit Dawkins with several punches and applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Dawkins escaped but O’Reilly sent him back to the canvas with a kick to the knee. Fish tagged in and walked into a Back Body Drop from Dawkins.
Montez tagged in and hit Fish with a leaping Clothesline. Ford hit a Belly to Back Suppler and then a Standing Moonsault for a near fall. Montez planted Fish with a Spinebuster and set up for the People’s Elbow but Kyle grabbed his feet from outside the ring.
Ford took out O’Reilly with a Penalty Kick and hit Fish with a Rock Bottom/ Uranage for a two count. O’Reilly booted Dawkins off the ring apron and Fish capitalized on the distraction with a chop block to Ford’s knee.
Undisputed Era hit a DDT/German Suplex and O’Reilly went for the cover but somehow Ford kicked out at the last moment. The crowd chanted “this is awesome!” as O’Reilly perched Ford up on the top turnbuckle.
Bobby Fish tagged in and went for a Superplex but Ford blocked it. Ford blasted Fish with a punch to the face but Bobby tripped him up and crotched Montez on the top turnbuckle. Bobby Fish connected with a Superplex and O’Reilly tagged in. Kyle locked in the Achilles Lock and Fish hit Ford with a Splash while the hold was applied.
Dawkins got into the ring and slammed Fish on top of O’Reilly to break up the hold as a thunderous “NXT!” chant echoed throughout the arena. Angelo tagged in and hit Fish with a Splash and then a Bulldog. Dawkins connected with an Overhead Belly to Belly Suplex but O’Reilly responded with a knee to the face.
Ford tagged in as Dawkins lifted O’Reilly up in the air. Montez connected with a Blockbuster to O’Reilly off the top rope and went for the cover but Bobby Fish broke it up. All four superstars slowly made their way to their feet and the two teams traded punches in the middle of the ring.
O’Reilly knocked Dawkins to the outside but was then Superkicked to the outside by Ford. Montez flipped onto Undisputed Era outside the ring and Dawkins rolled them back inside. Dawkins hit O’Reilly and Fish with a Spear as Montez climbed to the top rope. Ford connected with a Frog Splash onto O’Reilly for the pinfall victory. Street Profits retained the NXT Tag Team Championships.
NXT once again displayed how great tag team wrestling can be if done correctly. The crowd was electric throughout this entire match and TakeOver: Toronto was off to a great start.
Io Shirai Put Candice LeRae To Sleep
Candice LeRae battled Io Shirai tonight at NXT TakeOver: Toronto. Io turned heel recently after losing a title match against Shayna Baszler. Shirai brutally attacked Candice and slammed her on top of a steel chair. Io then told the crowd that she doesn’t need any friends and doesn’t need any of you (in reference to the NXT Universe).
LeRae went right after Io before the bell rang and unloaded a few strikes. The bell rang and Shirai scampered out of the ring. Candice hit a Dropkick and brought Io back inside. Io went for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb off the apron but LeRae was able to hang onto the ropes.
Shirai bounced Candice’s face off the apron and followed it up with a Suplex on the announce table. Shirai got up with a giant grin on her face as LeRae slowly rolled off the table. Io got back into the ring as the referee started counting. Candice got into the ring at the last second and Io mounted her and unloaded some more punches to Candice’s face.
Io connected with a Flapjack and followed it up with a Dropkick to the face. Shirai went for the cover but Candice was able to kick out at two. Candice battled back with a Back Body Drop and sent Io to the apron. Shirai went for a Dropkick off the top rope but Candice got out of the way and Io crashed to the canvas.
LeRae beat Io down in the corner and planted her with a Brainbuster for a near fall. Shirai went for a 619 but LeRae countered into a Neckbreaker for a two count. Shirai battled back and connected with the 619 to the back of Candice’s head. LeRae hit a Suicide Dive and then went right into a DDT outside the ring.
Back in the ring, LeRae hit a Double Stomp off the top rope for a near fall. Shirai ducked under a punch and locked in a Crossface in the middle of the ring. LeRae countered into a cover for a two count to break the hold. Io hit a forearm to the face and then a German Suplex. Candice connected with a German Suplex off her own but Shirai battled back with yet another German Suplex.
Shirai hit Double Knees in the corner and made her way to the top rope. Candice got up and Shirai flipped back down to the canvas and landed on her feet. Shirai lifted Candice up in the Fireman’s Carry but LeRae countered into a Reverse Hurricanrana. LeRae hit a Swinging Neckbreaker off the second rope for another near fall as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”.
Io connected with a Spanish Fly off the top rope and went for the cover but Candice somehow kicked out at two. Shirai screamed out of frustration as the crowd chanted “Mama Mia!”. LeRae rolled up Io for a two count and Io hit a Backbreaker. Shirai connected with a Moonsault off the top rope for another near fall. Io then choked out Candice with the Koji Clutch for the victory.
Shirai and LeRae put on an excellent match tonight at TakeOver: Toronto. I’ve enjoyed the build to this match and the two superstars delivered tonight. It will be interesting to see where Shirai goes from here. She lost her title matches as a babyface and I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to seeing her get another shot in the near future.
Matt Riddle & Killian Dain Brawled
Matt Riddle came down to the ring in street clothes and demanded that Killian Dainties get his hairy ass out here. Dain hopped over the barricade and traded punches with Riddle outside the ring.
Killian got the advantage as several referees ran down to the ring to break it up. Dain retreated up the entrance ramp but Riddle followed him up there. Riddle connected with a forearm to the face and followed it up with two knee strikes that dropped Dain on the ramp.
More WWE officials rushed the ramp and separated the two for a moment. Riddle started booting everyone in the face and once again escaped. Killian leveled Matt with a Crossbody and the two were separated once again.
Riddle went for a Sleeper Hold but Dain escaped after slamming Matt into the LED board. Riddle went for a Sleeper Hold again but Dain leaped off the stage and slammed Riddle through a couple of tables.
Velveteen Dream Retained The NXT North American Championship
Velveteen Dream defended his NXT North American Championship against Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong in a Triple Threat Match tonight at TakeOver: Toronto. Roderick sent Dream out of the ring to start things off and then hit Dunne with a chop to the chest.
Pete Dunne connected with a Clothesline and started bending Roderick’s fingers back. Dream got back inside and Clotheslined Strong out of the ring. Strong dragged Dunne out of the ring and slammed him into the ring apron. Back in the ring, Dream leveled Strong with a Dropkick. Pete Dunne stood to the side as Dream set up Roderick’s elbow on the ring. Dunne stomped on it and then sent Strong to the outside.
Dunne went for an Arm Bar but Dream was able to escape. Pete went for the Bitter End but Dream escaped again. Strong crotched Dream on the ring post and slammed Dunne on top of the champ. Roderick brought Dunne back into the ring and hit a Backbreaker for a two count.
Strong connected with a Dropkick to Dunne for another near fall. Dream got back into the ring and hit Strong with a Russian Leg Sweep for a two count. Velveteen connected with a Backbreaker and locked in a Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring. Dunne climbed up to the top rope and broke up the hold with a Double Stomp on Dream.
The action spilled out of the ring and Dunne took out Strong and Dream with a Moonsault off the second rope as an “NXT!” chant broke. Back in the ring, Dunne hit Strong with an Enziguri and delivered a German Suplex on Dream. Dunne hit Strong with a German Suplex that sent him flying on top of Dream. Dunne went for the cover but Velveteen Dream kicked out at two.
Strong and Dream worked together for a moment to beat Dunne down. The two took a look at each other and started to trade punches. Dunne got back up and everyone wound up on their ass after a series of kicks to the head. Dunne was the first superstar up and stomped on Dream’s hand. Velveteen hit Dunne with the Dream Valley Driver but turned around into an Olympic Slam from Strong. Dunne hit Strong with the X-Plex and once again all three superstars were on the canvas.
The crowd chanted “this is awesome!” as Dream stumbled his way to the ring apron. The champ climbed to the top rope but Dunne hit him with a forearm to the face. All three superstars battled on the top rope and eventually, all crashed to the mat after Strong connected with an Olympic Slam.
Strong sent Dream to the outside and planted Dunne with a Backbreaker. Roderick went for a Powerbomb but Dunne countered into a Triangle submission. Dream climbed up to the top rope and hit a coast-to-coast Elbow Drop onto Pete Dunne as the crowd erupted.
Roderick hit Dream and Dunne with a couple of knee strikes and forearms to the face while they were caught up in the ropes. Strong Powerbombed Dunne on top of Dream and put them both in the Strong Hold in the middle of the ring. Roderick couldn’t hold on for too long and all three superstars fell to the mat.
Dunne grabbed Roderick’s fingers and Dream Superkicked Strong in the back of the head. Strong battled back with a knee strike and then Pete Dunne snapped both of their fingers back. Dunne hit Strong with the Bitter End but Dream broke it up. Pete Dunne got pissed off and started stomping away on Velveteen Dream.
Pete Dunne stomped Dream’s face into the mat and went for a kick to Strong. Roderick avoided it and went for a German Suplex but Dunne landed on his feet. Roderick locked in the Strong Hold but Dream broke it up and sent Strong out of the ring. Velveteen hit Dunne with the Dream Valley Driver but Roderick sent him to the outside. Roderick then hit the End of Heartache but Velveteen came out of nowhere with the Purple Rainmaker Elbow Drop and pinned Dunne to retain the NXT North American Championship.
Every match on NXT TakeOver: Toronto has been great so far. I really enjoyed this match and am glad that Dream’s title reign will continue. The only criticism I can think of is that Dream was out of place during Dunne’s Moonsault off the second rope and to the outside. He had to awkwardly run into position at the last moment so Dunne could hit him and Strong.
The rest of the match was fantastic. My favorite sequence was when Strong had Dream and Dunne tangled up in the ropes. He hit a series of forearms and knees to the face in a ridiculously short amount of time. Roderick Strong might not be the best promo in the world but is an insanely talented in-ring performer.
Shayna Baszler Tapped Out Mia Yim
Shayna Baszler put her NXT Women’s Championship on the line against Mia Yim tonight at TakeOver: Toronto. Shayna and Mia locked up to start off the match. Yim knocked Shayna to the mat but Baszler quickly applied and Arm Bar. Mia grabbed Shayna’s hair and then reached the bottom rope to break the hold.
Yim connected with an Arm Drag and locked in an Arm Bar of her own. Shayna escaped but Mia hit her with a Hurricanrana. Yim followed it up with a Cannonball that sent Baszler to the outside. Mia went for a Suicide Dive but Baszler caught her with a punch to the face.
Mia sent Baszler into the steel steps and then slammed her arm into them. Yim trapped Shayna’s arm between the post and the steps and hit it with a Dropkick. Back in the ring, Baszler hit a boot to the head but stopped to grab her arm in pain. Shayna hit a knee to the face in the corner and continued to sell her arm injury.
Shayna connected with a boot to the back of Mia’s head for a two count. Baszler tried to throw a punch but grabbed her arm in pain. Shayna stomped on Mia’s left arm and Yim retreated to the corner of the ring. Baszler went after her and went to work on Mia’s left arm.
Baszler hit a kick to the face and went for the cover but Yim kicked out at two. Shayna bent Mia’s fingers back while applying an Arm Bar in the center of the ring. Yim grabbed a handful of hair to break the hold but Shayna responded with a Clothesline. Baszler once again grabbed her arm in pain before going for the cover.
Yim kicked out at two and once again grabbed Shayna’s hair. Mia rolled up Baszler for a two count and then booted her injured arm. Shayna connected with a Dropkick and went for the cover but Yim kicked out at two. Mia raked Shayna’s eyes and hit a Belly to Back Suplex.
Mia hit a Belly to Belly Suplex that sent Shayna to the outside. Yim followed it up with a Suicide Dive and rolled Baszler back inside. Yim connected with a DDT and went for the cover but Shayna kicked out at two. Baszler hit a knee to the face for another near fall.
Yim bounced Baszler’s face off the turnbuckle and locked in the Tarantula on the ropes. The referee broke it up and Mia climbed to the top rope. Baszler booted Yim in the face and joined her on the turnbuckle. Baszler went for a Superplex but her injured arm wouldn’t allow her to. Mia hit Code Blue off the top rope for a near fall.
Shayna locked in the Kirifuda Clutch out of nowhere in the middle of the ring. Yim grabbed Shayna’s injured arm and broke the hold with a couple of headbutts. Mia shouted “this is karma!” and stomped on Shayna’s arm. Yim went for an Arm Bar but Shayna was able to counter into the Kirifuda Clutch. Mia escaped but Shayna locked in a Triangle with her legs for the submission victory.
Baszler and Yim were put in a tough spot trying to follow the excellent Triple Threat Match. While this match was slow, I still enjoyed it. Baszler’s arm injury was the focal point of the match and she was able to overcome it and win with her legs. NXT has built up Baszler as a true champion and she has completely dominated the women’s division. Mia Yim is a great talent, but I don’t see any reason to take the title off Baszler until she is going to the main roster.
Adam Cole Retained The NXT Championship In A Great Match Against Johnny Gargano
Adam Cole defended the NXT Championship against Johnny Gargano in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match. Gargano picked a Street Fight as his stipulation and Cole chose a standard wrestling match as his. NXT GM William Regal announced that if the match were to reach a 3rd fall, the two will battle in a steel cage with barbed wire and weapons on the structure in the final fall.
The first fall was a classic wrestling match and Gargano started off in control. Johnny drove Cole to the corner and hit him with an elbow to the face. Johnny hit a Hurricanrana off the second rope and then Clotheslined Cole to the outside.
Gargano brought Cole back inside as dueling “Johnny Wrestling!” and “Adam Cole!” chants broke out. The action quickly spilled back to the outside and Gargano drove Cole’s knee into the ring apron.
Back in the ring, Johnny stomped on Cole’s knee and hit an Enziguri. Cole brought Gargan out of the ring and slammed his back into the ring apron. Adam rolled Gargano back into the ring and hit him with a Neckbreaker.
Gargano applied an Ankle Lock but Cole escaped and sent Gargano face-fist into the turnbuckle. Johnny hit an Overhead Belly to Belly Suplex that sent Cole flying into the turnbuckle. Gargano hit a chop to the chest and a boot to the side of Cole’s head.
Johnny went for the Slingshot Spear but Cole caught him. Gargano hit a Falcon Arrow and went for the cover but Cole kicked out. Gargano applied the Figure Four in the middle of the ring but Cole was able to reach the ropes to break the hold.
Cole hit a German Suplex and bridged into the cover for a near fall. Adam went for Panama Sunrise but Gargano countered into a Sunset Driver for a two count. Cole hit a Superkick and then a Neckbreaker for a two count.
Adam Cole grabbed a steel chair and slid it into the ring. The referee grabbed the chair and threw it out of the ring. Cole took advantage and Gargano with a low blow for a near fall. Cole brought the chair in the ring again and took a seat. The referee told Cole that he will disqualify him if he uses the chair.
Johnny hit a Superkick and then grabbed the steel chair. Gargano hit Cole with the chair and Adam Cole won the first fall via disqualification. Johnny beat the hell out Cole with the steel chair and took a seat as the 2nd fall was announced as a Street Fight.
Cole tried to roll out of the ring but Gargano threw it off of his face outside the ring. Gargano hit a Suicide Dive and the action spilled into the crowd. Gargano beat the hell out of Cole and took a selfie with a fan’s phone. Johnny leveled Cole with a Superkick and and then put Cole on a computer chair. Gargano rolled Cole into a barricade as the crowd chanted “we want tables!”.
Gargano then hit Cole with a Crossbody that sent both superstars through the barricade and back to the ringside area. Gargano cleared off the announce table but Cole raked his eyes. Johnny hit Cole with a Back Body Drop that sent him crashing through the Spanish announce table.
Johnny brought two tables into the ring as the NXT Universe chanted “Johnny Tables!”. Gargano threw a couple of chairs into the ring but Cole hit him with a Shining Wizard out of nowhere for a two count. Cole set up a chair in between the top and middle rope in the corner of the ring. Gargano lifted up Cole onto his shoulders and launched him face-first into the steel chair. Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape for the submission victory in the 2nd fall.
The crowd chanted “thank you Regal!” as the steel cage lowered to the ring. There was barbed wire across the top of the structure with various weapons on the cage. The crowd then transitioned into an “ECW!” chant as Gargano started trash talking. It was announced that there is no escape from the cage and the only way to win is via pinfall or submission.
Gargano and Cole exchanged strikes in the middle of the ring. Johnny connected with a Clothesline and grabbed a kendo stick off the cage. Cole hit a Superkick and grabbed a kendo stick of his own. The two just starting beating the hell out of each other with kendo sticks and then took each other out with Superkicks as the crowd got on their feet and loudly chanted “NXT!”.
Johnny hit a Reverse Hurricanrana and then a Superkick for a near fall. The crowd chanted “fight forever!” as Gargano set up a table. Cole hit Gargano with a chair and slammed him into the cage. Adam connected with a Backstabber and went for the cover but Johnny kicked out at two.
Gargano sprayed Cole with the fire extinguisher and hit him with a Tornado DDT on top of the steel chair for a near fall. Both superstars climbed and tried to grab the sledgehammer at the top of the cage. Gargano leaped down and planted Cole with a Powerbomb for a two count.
Johnny grabbed the sledgehammer and brought it down to the ring. Gargano went to hit with the sledgehammer but Cole connected with a Superkick out of nowhere. Cole climbed to the top turnbuckle and grabbed the ladder. Cole launched the ladder at Johnny but he missed. Cole then hit the Panama Sunrise for another near fall.
Cole climbed up the ladder and hit another Panama Sunrise for a two count. Adam Cole hit Gargano with the kendo stick as the crowd chanted “yowie wowie!”. Cole took down his knee pad and set up Johnny’s face against a chair. Cole went for the Last Shot but Gargano got out of the way and Adam’s knee hit the chair. Gargano went for an STO with the kendo stick but Cole broke it up by biting Johnny’s hand.
Gargano hit Cole in the ribs with the sledgehammer and set up two tables by the ladder in the corner of the ring. Johnny placed Cole on top of the tables and started climbing the ladder. Adam Cole rolled off the table and retreated to the opposite corner. Johnny climbed back down and hit Cole in the back with a kendo stick. Johnny hit a Canadian Destroyer (Panama Sunrise) of his own off the second rope for another near fall as the crowd chanted “fight forever”.
Johnny grabbed pliers and cut a piece of barbed wire off the top of the cage. Cole climbed to the top of the cage to try and escape as Gargano climbed up the ladder. They then battled on the top of the cage as the crowd chanted “please don’t die!”. Gargano tried to rake Cole’s face with the barbed wire but Adam blocked it. Cole grabbed Gargano and the two superstars went crashing through the tables in the ring. Adam Cole landed on top of Gargano for the pinfall victory. Adam Cole is still the NXT Champion.
What an epic match this was and it capped off another terrific TakeOver event. NXT continues to be the best product WWE has to offer at the moment and SummerSlam has a tough task following this event. There weren’t any title changes tonight, just incredible wrestling matches featuring some of the best performers in the world. Every single match had something to offer, and the 2-out-of-3 Falls Match between Gargano and Cole will likely be one of the best matches of the year in any promotion.