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Csonka’s NXT Takeover Toronto Review 11.18.16

November 19, 2016 | Posted by Larry Csonka
NXT Samoa Joe
8
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Csonka’s NXT Takeover Toronto Review 11.18.16  

OFFICIAL RESULTS

– Bobby Roode vs. Tye Dillinger@ 16:05 via pin [***¼]
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: Authors of Pain (Rezar and Gzim)vs. TM61 (Shane Thorne and Nick Miller)@ 8:23 via pin [**½]
NXT Tag Team Title Match: DIY defeated Champions The Revival @ 22:10 [****¾]
NXT Women’s Title Match: Champion Asuka vs. Mickie James @ 13:03 via submission [***½]
NXT Title Match: Samoa Joe defeated Champion Shinsuke Nakamura @ 22:00 via pin [***½]


– They aired some great video packages for tonight’s matches.

– No Triple H Speech to open the show.

– 12,649 is the announced attendance.

OH MY GOD BOBBY ROODE HAS A CHOIR TO SING HIS THEME SONG!

Bobby Roode vs. Tye Dillinger: The crowd is insane for these guys, which was expected, but is still great to see. Dillinger was fired up and controlled early, nice work from both guys with the crowd adding a ton to the match. To the floor and Roode sent Dillinger to the barricade and took control. Good, but basic heat from Roode here, really letting the crowd tell the story. Good comeback by Dillinger, but Roode avoided the Tye Breaker and hit the spinebuster. Roode followed with the superplex for a near fall. Roode then mocked Dillinger, who hit the superkick for a near fall. Another superkick by Dillinger for a near fall, great crowd here. They traded rights center ring, and then a series of counters and Dillinger locked in the sharpshooter. They both tried rollups, and then Dillinger posted himself, and Roode hit the DDT for the win. Bobby Roode vs. Tye Dillinger@ 16:05 via pin [***¼] That was a good match to kick off the show, Roode constantly worked the head and neck throughout and the finish played well off of that. They also had an excellent crowd to work off of.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: Authors of Pain (Rezar and Gzim)vs. TM61 (Shane Thorne and Nick Miller): Paul Ellering is locked in small cage above the ring ala 1980s NWA to keep him out of the action. The Authors attacked at the bell, before being sent to the floor. They brawled on the floor, and Thorne climbed the rigging in the corner and then hit a dive onto the Authors. Thorne then got tripped up on the apron, landing on his head. This allowed the Authors to take the heat as Ellering gave instructions from his cage. Solid heat from the Authors on Thorne, but not much in the way of crowd interaction for this; this wasn’t bad, but just sort of existed. Miller finally tagged in, and started tossing around the hosses. The moonsault got the near fall. Ellering dropped a chair down to the Authors. TM-61 made a good comeback, providing a fun second half of the match, but the Authors hit the last Chapter for the win. Authors of Pain (Rezar and Gzim)vs. TM61 (Shane Thorne and Nick Miller)@ 8:23 via pin [**½] This was a fine match, but a flat ending to an overall disappointing tournament. I was really hoping that one of these teams would have a break out performance here.

– The Authors of Pain celebrated their victory.

Best of three falls match for the NXT Tag Team Championship: Champions The Revival (Dash & Dawson)vs. Gargano and Ciampa: Their last match was straight fucking fire. Nice back and forth by Gargano and Dawson to begin, the crowd loves Gargano. DIY then cut off Dawson, Dash distracted the ref allowing Dawson to rake Gargano’s eyes. The Revival thrives in their old school simplicity, taking the ref, isolating an opponent and keeping the action moving enough to where it never gets boring. It also helps that Gargano is a great/sympathetic babyface. The Revival hit shatter machine at 5:00 to win fall one. Gargano tried to fire up and get a roll up, but got cut off as the Revival continued to control. They completely grounded Gargano, cutting him off from Ciampa, and yelling at him to give up. Gargano had too much fire, escaped and hit a tornado DDT and then looked for the tag, but Dash pulled Ciampa to the floor. Ciampa got the phantom tag, the ref never saw it, allowing the Revival to score with the Hart attack for a near fall. Ciampa finally got the tag, hitting the missile dropkick and knee strike. Great hot tag for Ciampa, getting some momentum for his team. Ciampa then hit a trio of Germans to Dawson and a running knee strike, which got the near fall. Ciampa saved Gargano from the spike piledriver, Dawson then ate the superkick/knee strike combo and DIY tie it up as one fall apiece. Ciampa and Dash fire away center ring, trading big strikes and then Dawson back in and kicks Ciampa in the face. Gargano tagged himself in, managed a near fall, but the Revival fought him off, and scored a near fall off of the assisted German suplex. Gargano then got posted, but Gargano kept fighting back, there was no quit in him because he needed to prove himself because he blames himself for losing the last match. The Revival brought in a title belt and blocked a Gargano kick with it, they attacked the let right away, but Gargano survived. Dawson has a small cur by his eye, crowd wild for Gargano. The Revival tried DIY’s finish, but DIY hit Shatter Machine for the great near fall. Dawson got a near fall on the rollup up and the tights, but he again attacked the legs of Gargano. They went through several pinning combos, but Gargano locked in the Gargano escape, Ciampa then worked the arm bar and the champions had to tap! DIY defeated Champions The Revival @ 22:10 [****¾] This was an excellent tag match, with great near falls, a tremendous crowd and some beautiful call backs to their last match, The underlying tease of Gargano failing again and a possible Ciampa turn was also there, which I loved. This was exactly what it needed to be and I loved it, it checked all the right boxes. The action was great, the story was great, the villains fell and the heroes overcame.

NXT Women’s Title Match : Champion Asuka vs. Mickie James: I thought James looked good during her run in CHIKARA’s King of Trios and was hoping she’d get another chance on a big stage. Nice back and forth at the beginning; James tried to slow things down, but Asuka’s speed was a bit too much for the challenger. They both tried to play mind games, opening the ropes for each other, thy traded kicks and Asuka landed a pair of hip attacks. Asuka blocked a kick on the floor, Asuka looked for an ankle lock and then hit a German suplex on the floor. James made it back into the ring, but Asuka kept on the attack, hitting a corner dropkick and then following with mounted strikes. Asuka would miss the hip attack, but then connect with a series of kicks. James then worked the single leg crab, and then locked in the Muta lock center ring. Asuka survived, sent James to the corner, and then they traded forearm strikes. This pissed off Asuka, James hit a neck breaker and then a series of clotheslines. Asuka missed a high cross and James followed with the flapjack. Thesz press off the ropes by James got 2. Asuka countered The DDT into the rolling arm bar, but James escaped and hit the spin kick for a near fall. Asuka again countered the DDT, Asuka went for the Asuka lock, and finally got it, and James had to tap. Champion Asuka vs. Mickie James @ 13:03 via submission [***½] Ithought that this was a very good match, with the company playing well off of James’ history and laying out a match that made her more than competitive with Asuka. James looked in great shape and put in a strong performance, I would have no objections to the company signing her up again.

– They had a group of violinists for Nakamura’s entrance this time.

NXT Title Match: Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe: Nakamura worked kicks to begin, Joe answered with some of his own. They worked the clinch and tried to establish a real fight feel. I liked the early vibe they established. They brawled to the floor, Nakamura booted Joe over the barricade. Back in the ring, enziguri by Joe and then the face wash; Nakamura then cut off the running boot with the knee strike. Joe kept control, hitting a back elbow and then the kick to the back. Nakamura would fight back with knees, but Joe then attacked the knees of Nakamura working leg kicks and a rolling knee bar. The knee work by Joe was good, and he had great aggression during the heat. They again bawled to the floor for a bit, it actually lost some steam when they did that. Nakamura battled back, running around and not really selling the knee work at all as he hit a running knee strike. He then laid in more knee strikes, and then worked front facelock. Joe hit the atomic drop, boot and senton for a near fall. Powerbomb by Joe gets a near fall and then transitioned into the Boston crab and then the crossface. Nakamura escaped, but ate an enziguri as he went up top. Nakamura pulled Joe to the apron, hit another running knee and took control back. Back in the ring, Nakamura hit a knee strike off the second rope. Joe back to his feet, they traded strikes, more knees from Nakamura (come on dude), and then Joe fought off a suplex and Nakamura then managed a German suplex. Joe attacked the knees again, went for thru muscle buster, but Nakamura escaped and hit Kinshasa for a near fall. Joe avoided another Kinshasa and locked in the clutch. The crowd sang Nakamura’s music to try and bring him back to life. Joe then killed Nakamura with a German, Dragon and straightjacket suplexes for a near fall. Joe is cut by his left eye now, he fires up but Nakamura sends him to the floor with another Kinshasa. On the floor Joe hits a low blow, and then plants Nakamura on the steps. Back in, muscle buster by Joe and we have a new champion.
Samoa Joe defeated Champion Shinsuke Nakamura @ 22:00 via pin [***½] Overall I felt this came across better than the Brooklyn match, with a better vibe, but I loathe the work the knees forever and then just ignore it for a large majority of the homestretch. Don’t ask me to invest in limb work and then do next to nothing to pay it off.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

 photo fe36ffd0-0da4-4e3b-a2d3-b026b341dd87_zps41ef5d61.jpg
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

8.0
The final score: review Very Good
The 411
I enjoyed the show and felt that it flew by, the tag title match stole the show, Mickie James did very well in her return and I had fun. Thr crowd was great and there was nothing close to bring bad on the show.
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