Results, Recap, Review of NXT Takeover Toronto 2019
Tonight was the second time that NXT has been in Toronto for a Takeover and the last time they were there it was pretty monumental. Every time that Takeover that rolls around we always question whether or not it can live up to the last. Before I get to whether or not it lived up the hype, here are the results of Takeover Toronto:
-Street Profits defeated Undisputed Era to retain the NXT Tag Team Championships
-Io Sharai defeated Candice LeRae
-Velveteen Dream defeated Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne to retain the NXT North American Championship
-Shayna Baszler defeated Mia Yim to retain the NXT Women’s Championship
-Adam Cole defeated Johnny Gargano in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match to retain the NXT Championship
The opening match of Takeover Toronto was for the NXT Tag Team Championships between the Street Profits and Undisputed Era’s Kyle Fish and Bobby O’Reilly. This match was one of the most incredible tag team matches I’ve seen in quite some time. I am honestly shock by the outcome because I thought for sure the Street Profits were going to lose due to being on Raw lately. They have been entertaining on Raw, but tonight they really came out their shell and proved just how great they can be in the ring. Speaking of being great in the ring, two of the best women on the roster went at it tonight in a non-title match. Io Sharai who recently turned heel had a tall task against Candice LeRae tonight. For a non-title women’s match at at a Takeover, this ranked up there with one of the best women’s matches in NXT’s history. I absolutely look forward to seeing where these two women go from here.
Before we could get to the North American Championship Match, Matt Riddle and Killian Dain brawled through out the arena and resulted in both men going through a table. Their feud will no doubt continue over the next few months. The North American Championship was a really interesting match to me because of all the different dynamics. You had Velveteen Dream, Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong. Their different styles made for one hell of a match. I love the fact that the North American Championship is just as important as the NXT Championship. In my opinion, tonight’s match really elevated the title more than what it was previously. The Velveteen Dream has been a great North American Champion so far and that is why I am curious as to who his next challenger is going to be.
Shayna Baszler has been an unstoppable champion since her second reign started. I am not sure why people weren’t into this match. I don’t mind a methodical story being played out in the ring. Not everything has to be fast paced, balls to the wall and high spot after high spot. These two didn’t get recognition they deserved from the crowd and it’s a shame. I didn’t have a problem with the match or the outcome and neither should anyone. The Main Event was another 2 out of 3 Falls Match between Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano for the NXT Championship. The first fall was a normal wrestling match, the second fall was a street fight and the third fall was a steel cage surrounded by barbwire and a lot of weapons. Johnny Gargano was disqualified in the first fall that set up the street fight that Gargano won. The third fall was the Steel Cage surrounded with barbwire and weapons on the panels of cage. This third fall was as creative and brutal as I’ve seen on WWE programming in quite sometime. I am shocked that there was no bloodshed and I am shocked by how it ended. Cole and Gargano both went crashing through a table, but Cole rolled on Gargano for the win.
With Adam Cole being the only member of Undisputed Era with gold and Gargano losing, I am really not sure what direction they go with either guy. NXT is in a interesting position right now with all the reports of them going to FS1 this fall. I don’t want to sit and speculate on what’s going to happen but the changing of networks does raise a lot of questions for the future of NXT. Even though there are a lot of unknowns for NXT coming up, the one thing I do know is that NXT delivered again tonight. They continue to raise the bar and they continue to takeover the four major weekends of the year.
