Welcome to the Mastermind Analysis review of NXT TakeOver: Toronto. The thoughts and opinions expressed below are those of The Mastermind only, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of the entire F4R team. Let us know what you think in the comments, or by getting involved on Facebook! But for now, on with the show...
Pre-PPV Thoughts
It’s about time we had another TakeOver! And I must say, I am buzzing for this one! NXT has hit the reset button with the whole product after losing so many top names to the main roster, and since the reset, they have gone back to basics (the same basics which built half the current main roster) and slowly built up the talent. Although saying that, there is one very obvious reason why I am buzzing for this TakeOver, and that is the prospect of Bobby Roode being on home soil. His entrance at Brooklyn was spine tingling, the crowd went berserk for him. Now times that by 100, and you might be close to the level of hype for his appearance in Toronto. I am itching to hear the crowd sing his theme song as he makes his slow walk down the aisle…!!!
Tye Dillinger vs Bobby Roode
Prediction: Oh boy! I am foaming at the mouth with excitement for this one…!!! I just hope and pray they don’t do something stupid like have Bobby Roode but a heel promo on Toronto to try and put the heat on him. I want the powers-that-be to let Bobby shine in Canada and have fun with this one. I want to see cocky swagger, a #glorious entrance, and hopefully a decent fucking finisher for the guy. No doubt that Tye is doing the job in this one. Poor guy, deserves better…
Match Analysis: That was confusing... Roode's entrance just felt a little bit flat. I don't know if it's the audio levels, or the crowd not being as hot as I was expecting, but it didn't meet my expectations. I'm also not sure if this was the right match to open the show. Roode works at a slower, more methodical pace but the opener needed to be a a match with a bit more speed to it. That said, the match was fine, the crowd were big on both guys, and Roode won. The floating DDT is better than the pump handle slam, but still not the finisher he deserves. I think I built this one up in my mind too much, to a point it was never going to reach expectations though. Whoops.
[***]
The Authors of Pain vs TM61
Prediction: In the reset, the Authors of Pain have really established themselves. If you cast your mind back, they were the ones who kayfabe ended American Alpha in NXT, and since then they have steamrolled through everyone in their path. They have a similar feel to early-Baron Corbin, in that their matches aren’t long, they aren’t overly technical in the ring… but damn are they a force to be reckoned with! On the other hand, TM61 are a team that are yet to click with me. In all honesty, I don’t see them as a good match together. Nick Miller is a very Malenko-esque ground and matt based wrestler, who looks like a bruiser; Shane Thorne is a pretty boy high flyer in the same veign as Evan Bourne… They just don’t go together for me. I’m waiting the day that Miller turns heel and pushes Thorne as a strong singles competitor. For this match though, it’s an obvious win for the Authors of Pain. And I got a kick out of Paul Ellering being suspended above the ring in a cage – a great throwback to his early managerial career!!
Match Analysis: Now if you ask me, that match should have been the opener. Some good offence by TM61 (Miller dived off the crane struture about 30 seconds after I said "that looks far too ominious to not be used in the match in some way"...!), but the result was never in doubt for me. The end scenes with HHH, Goldust and Regal shaking AoP's hands and congratulating them felt a little weird as they are all babyfaces and congratulating the heels seemed odd. But the match was good for what it was, TM61 looked strong by getting in more offence than anyone else has managed on AoP, but the right team went over.
[***]
The Revival © vs Johnny Gargano & Tomasso Ciampa
Prediction: Since rebranding themselves as DIY, Gargano and Ciampa have taken huge strides forward in NXT (and their match in the CWC didn’t do them any harm either!). That said, I just don’t feel that they are quite ready for the titles yet. Personally, I’d have had them push on in the Tag tournament, and given TM61 the title shot… but I guess there’s more heat between these 2 teams. I expect the match to be highly entertaining, with the result being dependent on the plans for The Revival. If they are staying in NXT then they are 100% getting the win; if NXT is being drained of talent and The Revival are getting their call up, then maybe – just maybe – DIY could get the win…
Match Analysis: I take it back... THAT should have been the opener!! The Revival are just so damn good in coming up with false finishes, building hot tags... I also loved their numerous call backs to the Hart Foundation - dressed in pink & black, hitting the Hart Attack, and taking the sternum-first bump into the turnbuckles. The near falls were the best of the night so far, the innovative spots were fresh and exciting, it was a brilliant match. Not quite up there with Revival/American Alpha matches, but pretty damn close!
[****]
Asuka © vs Mickie James
Prediction: Mickie James being announced is a double edged sword. On one hand, Mickie is a big name and should get a big welcome back (although this is a very obvious one-off match for her if you ask me…). The flip side to that, is it is NXT showing that they are fresh out of big-name female contenders for Asuka. With the main roster draining NXT of all it’s big-name women (and some of its not-so-big names), there’s really nobody fit to step into a big main event match against the Empress of Tomorrow. And Mickie James being announced just hammers that point home. I’m expecting a short-ish match, with Mickie getting in a bit of offence but ultimately Asuka to remain unbeaten.
Match Analysis: Wow, I was not expecting that! Mickie James looked amazing and showed no signs of ring rust. Social Media is buzzing over the Tag Title match, but if you ask me, from a psychological standpoint, this match was better. In fact, psychologically the match was flawless. Neither woman had met before hand, so there was a solid feeling out process, Asuka showed signs of frustration when things didn't go as easily for her as she's used to... There was a number of sublte touches in the match that I found extremely enjoyable. I won't go as far to say it was better than the tag match, but in my view, that was on par!
[****]
Shinsuke Nakamura © vs Samoa Joe
Prediction: The booking of Shinsuke’s championship run has been a very smart one in my opinion. On the ‘WWE Draft Update’ podcast I spoke about how the NXT Championship has generally been booked and held very smartly, so that the belt will mean something, and the list of champions is a short one, but one full of the very best of the best. If you also go right back to the ‘F4R Draft’ podcast, I actually picked both Nakamura and Samoa Joe, and booked them in a feud straight away, so seeing this play out is literally my fantasy booking come true. Although I had them in a Last Man Standing match (which I still think would be brutal!!). Nakamura’s style is one that the WWE Universe isn’t very used to, and I feel that seeing Shinsuke on NXT TV every week would slowly diminish the strong style of wrestling. By keeping his matches further apart, it doesn’t de-sensitize the audience to the shock factor of the hard hitting style. I’m going for a Nakamura win, although saying that… that’s 3 successful title defences which may render the night un-newsworthy… I still think I’m right, but at the same time I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the title matches goes the other way from my predictions…
Match Analysis: So much for an un-newsworthy night! 2 title changes, both slightly unexpected. I was a little disappointed with Nakamura early on in the ma, tch... After Joe spent the opening section of the match working the leg, Nakamura basically no sold the entire opening minutes of the match as soon as he regained offensive control. The match was the usual from these 2 guys, nothing special other than the outcome, with Nakamura finally being beaten. I'm not massively big on Samoa Joe, but I hope he starts to put some work in to change my mind.
[***1/2]
Overall Show
It was a good show, but not the best TakeOver we've ever seen. I really thought the Womens match stood out as being very well executed, and the DIY win was a brilliant match as well. A few confusing things for me: Bobby Roode's flat entrance (I don't think the choir worked in his favour, especially when they struggled to lip-sync to his song...), The babyface authority figures kayfabe breaking treatment of the Authors of Pain (or should it be the other way round... the AoP shouldnt have shaken hands?), and Nakamura's entrance was also a bit weird - the violinists were just randomly waving around, it didn't seem they were playing the music at all, so what was the point? I'm fully expecting this to have been better than Survivor Series tonight, but I've been wrong a few times so who knows what could happen...
It’s about time we had another TakeOver! And I must say, I am buzzing for this one! NXT has hit the reset button with the whole product after losing so many top names to the main roster, and since the reset, they have gone back to basics (the same basics which built half the current main roster) and slowly built up the talent. Although saying that, there is one very obvious reason why I am buzzing for this TakeOver, and that is the prospect of Bobby Roode being on home soil. His entrance at Brooklyn was spine tingling, the crowd went berserk for him. Now times that by 100, and you might be close to the level of hype for his appearance in Toronto. I am itching to hear the crowd sing his theme song as he makes his slow walk down the aisle…!!!
Tye Dillinger vs Bobby Roode
Prediction: Oh boy! I am foaming at the mouth with excitement for this one…!!! I just hope and pray they don’t do something stupid like have Bobby Roode but a heel promo on Toronto to try and put the heat on him. I want the powers-that-be to let Bobby shine in Canada and have fun with this one. I want to see cocky swagger, a #glorious entrance, and hopefully a decent fucking finisher for the guy. No doubt that Tye is doing the job in this one. Poor guy, deserves better…
Match Analysis: That was confusing... Roode's entrance just felt a little bit flat. I don't know if it's the audio levels, or the crowd not being as hot as I was expecting, but it didn't meet my expectations. I'm also not sure if this was the right match to open the show. Roode works at a slower, more methodical pace but the opener needed to be a a match with a bit more speed to it. That said, the match was fine, the crowd were big on both guys, and Roode won. The floating DDT is better than the pump handle slam, but still not the finisher he deserves. I think I built this one up in my mind too much, to a point it was never going to reach expectations though. Whoops.
[***]
The Authors of Pain vs TM61
Prediction: In the reset, the Authors of Pain have really established themselves. If you cast your mind back, they were the ones who kayfabe ended American Alpha in NXT, and since then they have steamrolled through everyone in their path. They have a similar feel to early-Baron Corbin, in that their matches aren’t long, they aren’t overly technical in the ring… but damn are they a force to be reckoned with! On the other hand, TM61 are a team that are yet to click with me. In all honesty, I don’t see them as a good match together. Nick Miller is a very Malenko-esque ground and matt based wrestler, who looks like a bruiser; Shane Thorne is a pretty boy high flyer in the same veign as Evan Bourne… They just don’t go together for me. I’m waiting the day that Miller turns heel and pushes Thorne as a strong singles competitor. For this match though, it’s an obvious win for the Authors of Pain. And I got a kick out of Paul Ellering being suspended above the ring in a cage – a great throwback to his early managerial career!!
Match Analysis: Now if you ask me, that match should have been the opener. Some good offence by TM61 (Miller dived off the crane struture about 30 seconds after I said "that looks far too ominious to not be used in the match in some way"...!), but the result was never in doubt for me. The end scenes with HHH, Goldust and Regal shaking AoP's hands and congratulating them felt a little weird as they are all babyfaces and congratulating the heels seemed odd. But the match was good for what it was, TM61 looked strong by getting in more offence than anyone else has managed on AoP, but the right team went over.
[***]
The Revival © vs Johnny Gargano & Tomasso Ciampa
Prediction: Since rebranding themselves as DIY, Gargano and Ciampa have taken huge strides forward in NXT (and their match in the CWC didn’t do them any harm either!). That said, I just don’t feel that they are quite ready for the titles yet. Personally, I’d have had them push on in the Tag tournament, and given TM61 the title shot… but I guess there’s more heat between these 2 teams. I expect the match to be highly entertaining, with the result being dependent on the plans for The Revival. If they are staying in NXT then they are 100% getting the win; if NXT is being drained of talent and The Revival are getting their call up, then maybe – just maybe – DIY could get the win…
Match Analysis: I take it back... THAT should have been the opener!! The Revival are just so damn good in coming up with false finishes, building hot tags... I also loved their numerous call backs to the Hart Foundation - dressed in pink & black, hitting the Hart Attack, and taking the sternum-first bump into the turnbuckles. The near falls were the best of the night so far, the innovative spots were fresh and exciting, it was a brilliant match. Not quite up there with Revival/American Alpha matches, but pretty damn close!
[****]
Asuka © vs Mickie James
Prediction: Mickie James being announced is a double edged sword. On one hand, Mickie is a big name and should get a big welcome back (although this is a very obvious one-off match for her if you ask me…). The flip side to that, is it is NXT showing that they are fresh out of big-name female contenders for Asuka. With the main roster draining NXT of all it’s big-name women (and some of its not-so-big names), there’s really nobody fit to step into a big main event match against the Empress of Tomorrow. And Mickie James being announced just hammers that point home. I’m expecting a short-ish match, with Mickie getting in a bit of offence but ultimately Asuka to remain unbeaten.
Match Analysis: Wow, I was not expecting that! Mickie James looked amazing and showed no signs of ring rust. Social Media is buzzing over the Tag Title match, but if you ask me, from a psychological standpoint, this match was better. In fact, psychologically the match was flawless. Neither woman had met before hand, so there was a solid feeling out process, Asuka showed signs of frustration when things didn't go as easily for her as she's used to... There was a number of sublte touches in the match that I found extremely enjoyable. I won't go as far to say it was better than the tag match, but in my view, that was on par!
[****]
Shinsuke Nakamura © vs Samoa Joe
Prediction: The booking of Shinsuke’s championship run has been a very smart one in my opinion. On the ‘WWE Draft Update’ podcast I spoke about how the NXT Championship has generally been booked and held very smartly, so that the belt will mean something, and the list of champions is a short one, but one full of the very best of the best. If you also go right back to the ‘F4R Draft’ podcast, I actually picked both Nakamura and Samoa Joe, and booked them in a feud straight away, so seeing this play out is literally my fantasy booking come true. Although I had them in a Last Man Standing match (which I still think would be brutal!!). Nakamura’s style is one that the WWE Universe isn’t very used to, and I feel that seeing Shinsuke on NXT TV every week would slowly diminish the strong style of wrestling. By keeping his matches further apart, it doesn’t de-sensitize the audience to the shock factor of the hard hitting style. I’m going for a Nakamura win, although saying that… that’s 3 successful title defences which may render the night un-newsworthy… I still think I’m right, but at the same time I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the title matches goes the other way from my predictions…
Match Analysis: So much for an un-newsworthy night! 2 title changes, both slightly unexpected. I was a little disappointed with Nakamura early on in the ma, tch... After Joe spent the opening section of the match working the leg, Nakamura basically no sold the entire opening minutes of the match as soon as he regained offensive control. The match was the usual from these 2 guys, nothing special other than the outcome, with Nakamura finally being beaten. I'm not massively big on Samoa Joe, but I hope he starts to put some work in to change my mind.
[***1/2]
Overall Show
It was a good show, but not the best TakeOver we've ever seen. I really thought the Womens match stood out as being very well executed, and the DIY win was a brilliant match as well. A few confusing things for me: Bobby Roode's flat entrance (I don't think the choir worked in his favour, especially when they struggled to lip-sync to his song...), The babyface authority figures kayfabe breaking treatment of the Authors of Pain (or should it be the other way round... the AoP shouldnt have shaken hands?), and Nakamura's entrance was also a bit weird - the violinists were just randomly waving around, it didn't seem they were playing the music at all, so what was the point? I'm fully expecting this to have been better than Survivor Series tonight, but I've been wrong a few times so who knows what could happen...