NXT TakeOver: Toronto results

No titles changed hands, but that didn’t matter as NXT TakeOver: Toronto delivered in its five matches on Saturday night.

NXT TakeOvers are typically steal the weekend during major WWE event weekends, and Saturday’s iteration in Toronto was no different. Though there were only five matches on the card, it made it easier for each to stand out; also, the night’s main event went nearly an hour, making for a satisfying night of professional wrestling. Plus, with all titles on the line, the stakes were high.

As is typically the case, tag team action opened the night, with NXT Tag Team Champions The Street Profits facing The Undisputed Era’s Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish. The goal for The Era was to claim all of NXT’s gold; Adam Cole was already NXT Champion headed into the night, and alongside the faction vying for the tag titles, Roderick Strong also challenged for Velveteen Dream’s NXT North American Championship in a triple threat match later in the night.

The Era’s dreams to control NXT’s title picture were dashed, however, with The Street Profits retaining via Montez Ford’s frog splash.

The second match of the evening served to settle the grudge between Candice LeRae and Io Shirai, after Shirai ditched their burgeoning friendship and attacked LaRae after Shirai’s most recent failure to capture the NXT Women’s Championship. What could have been a squash instead proved to be one of the night’s best matches.

Shirai picked up the victory via Koji Clutch, which required the referee to break the submission after LeRae was knocked out by the hold. “Settle” the grudge may not be the right terminology here, as LeRae isn’t likely to take the loss and move on. Don’t expect this to be the end of the feud but rather just one point along the ride.

While not a match, we did get Matt Riddle showing up to call out Killian Dane, who has had it in for the King of Bros since he returned to NXT. Said call-out led to another brawl between the two, which also counted a number of referees and officials as collateral damage. Dane crushed Riddle through a table on the floor as their rivalry rolls on.

Match No. 3 featured a triple threat match for Velveteen Dream’s NXT North American Championship, with Pete Dunne and The Undisputed Era’s Roderick Strong as challengers. Dream, in typical style, made a grand entrance featuring dancers, a tribute to The Mountie and a celebration of the Toronto Raptors’ NBA Championship.

Dream retained his title by taking the pin away from Strong via a pair of Purple Rainmakers to both he and Dunne, ultimately pinning Dunne.

Shayna Baszler continued her reign of dominance over the NXT women’s division, retaining her title against challenger Mia Yim. Yim spent the match working Baszler’s arm to prevent her from effectively using the Kirafuda Clutch. No matter, though; Baszler powered through enough to put Yim in a triangle choke, forcing Yim to tap out.

Finally, the main event, which featured Johnny Gargano challenging for Adam Cole’s NXT Championship in a two-out-of-three falls match. The first fall featured Cole’s stipulation, a straightforward wrestling match, which Gargano lost by disqualification by attacking Cole with a steel chair.

That led us into the second fall, with a street fight stipulation chosen by Gargano. Gargano won this one, tapping out Cole via Gargano escape. The third fall’s stipulation was thus chosen by NXT general manager William Regal and was revealed to be an “extreme” steel cage match — the cage was littered with weaponry and topped with barbed wire — with a win coming only via submission or pinfall within the cage.

This became intense quickly, with numerous near-falls and dozens of superkicks. Ultimately, the end came when Cole and Gargano crashed through two tables in the ring after brawling on a third table atop the cage. Cole was able to roll over atop Gargano, getting the pin and retaining his championship.

Most notably, Gargano had a post-show curtain call, thanking the NXT Universe, with wife Candice LeRae. While he didn’t address it in his interviews, it’s quite possible that this may have been Gargano’s last match in NXT and that he could be called up to the main roster as soon as Monday or Tuesday night. That will be something to keep an eye on in the post-SummerSlam fallout.

What were your thoughts on NXT TakeOver: Toronto? Are you ready to see Johnny Wrestling become Johnny Main Roster? Let us know in the comments below.