Takeover Toronto was a really good show with a main event that delivered big time. Once again, the show was packed with great matches that told sound and effective stories.
The NXT Tag Team title match was a good opener, though the ending could’ve been better. It just felt a bit anticlimactic even though the nearfalls were built up well enough. The ending also surprised me, as I thought for sure that O’Reilly and Fish would win due to The Profits basically being main roster bound.
Honestly, I feel this was a mistake. If the Profits are going to keep being on the main roster, then they have to wrestle. The fans need to see who they are inside the squared circle.
Characters are important, but we’re not getting rich segments on the main roster that makes us understand what makes Ford and Dawkins tick, we’re just getting random backstage moments that don’t develop their characters or make me intrigued for their eventual in-ring debut.
Like I said previously, a good opener and I’m curious to see what team takes the title from the Street Profits.
Io Sharai vs. Candice LaRae was great. Coming in, you knew that Sharai was going over due to her character going through an important change. She needed to win. However, these girls worked their asses off and had some great sequences such as the reverse hurracarana transition from the TKO.
Though Sharai won, the match-up was also a strong showcase for LaRae. Character wise, she showed heart by kicking out of Io’s best maneuvers and she never tapped out. LaRae also proved that she’s more than just Johnny’s wife, as the female talent is a strong worker and if they build her up following this bout, she’ll have no trouble getting over as a never-say-die babyface.
Io is awesome. Her mannerisms and expressions. Once Baszler leaves NXT, then she can easily slide into the top women’s position on the developmental brand.
The brawl between Matt Riddle and Killian Dain was a good way to escalate the personal feud between the two NXT stars. However, it would be nice if Riddle scaled back on the “bro” phase. It rarely feels natural when he says it every sentence and more so feels like a corporate catchphrase.
The triple Threat match between Dream, Dunne, and Strong was a really fun and well-paced match. While I wish this bout got a little bit more time, these guys never failed to disappoint and provided a great bout with some strong nearfalls.
Yim/Baszler was a solid effort, but it just didn’t really click with me. The match felt a bit off and the two styles never meshed well in my view. I did like the story that was being told and certain moments like the Code Red from the top rope was cool, but the bout just never gelled. The ending sequence was nice though.
Honestly, I feel it’s time that Baszler is called up. There’s just nothing else for her to do in NXT unless they decide to turn her babyface. It’s getting to the point where her reign is becoming stale. Baszler is doing nothing wrong. She continues to shine in the situations she’s put in, but her current reign isn’t much different from her first one. It should be interesting to see who steps up and challenges Baszler next.
And last but not least, the Three Stages of Hell match between Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano. These guys continue to deliver top notch performances in their match-ups.
I found it interesting that Gargano simply took the DQ loss for no reason. Usually, this is a strategic move designed for the wrestler to get the quick win in the second fall; however, the move never played a deciding factor, thus making him a bit of a dope as Cole had an equal chance of winning the Street Fight.
Nevertheless, both falls were strong even though it was obvious that Gargano was going to win the Street Fight portion.
The Barbed Wire Steel Cage surprised me in a good way; however, it did feel like the guys wasted more time climbing and grabbing weapons, which did take away from the match a bit. The big spot in the end was cool, but it felt more about the spectacle then dramatically building up to a compelling and suspenseful climax. Despite my nitpicks, an excellent match to cap off a great evening.
While not the greatest Takeover this year, this was still a strong show. Recommended match is the Three Stages of Hell NXT Championship bout, with the North American Triple Threat, and Io Sharai vs. Candice LaRae as runner-ups.