8 Predictions For NXT TakeOver: Toronto
Who'll steal the show on Saturday night?
WWE have a huge weekend ahead of them, but while Survivor Series hogs most of the hype, NXT’s upstarts are primed and ready to steal the spotlight. WWE’s developmental squad have made a habit of upstaging the main roster ever since the company started hosting TakeOver the night before a PPV, and there’s every chance it’ll happen again this weekend.
TakeOver: Toronto lost a potentially fantastic Hideo Itami vs. Austin Aries match when both men fell to injury, but it’s still a stacked card. Each match comes with significant implications, and not only are all three NXT titles on the line, but The Authors of Pain and TM-61 will compete in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament final.
Bobby Roode vs. Tye Dillinger is the only match without a tangible prize, but there’s plenty of pride at stake. Elsewhere, TakeOver: Toronto will play host to Mickie James’ WWE return as she challenges for Asuka’s NXT Women’s Championship, and DIY will once again attempt to wrest the Tag Team Championships from The Revival’s devious clutches. Oh yeah, then there’s the small matter of Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe in the main event…
It’s hard to tell how the action’s going to go down. Regular viewers can take an educated guess at the outcomes, but NXT’s writing team do a far better job of creating unpredictability than their colleagues on Raw and SmackDown.
With that in mind, here are 8 predictions for NXT TakeOver: Toronto.
8. Tag Team Action Steals The Show
DIY and The Revival produced a Match of the Year contender in Brooklyn. Their NXT Tag Team Title match stole the show from Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe, and will likely appear on a number of ballots as we reach year-end awards season. Dramatic, thrilling, and highly emotional, it was a near-perfect tag team match, and there’s no reason to believe they won’t do the same in Toronto.
It’s a two-out-of-three falls match this time, and they’ll only benefit from the increased time awarded by such a stipulation. Gargano & Ciampa vs. Dash & Dawson isn’t the only great tag match on the card, however, and while The Authors of Pain vs. TM-61 may fly under the radar, fans shouldn’t be surprised if they produce one of the night’s better matches.
TM-61 haven’t quite taken off since moving from Japan, but this is their big chance. The Authors are a tremendously effectively monster heel unit, and while it’s easy to write such wrestlers off as slow, lumbering brutes, Akam and Rezar are far from dull. Both bring a surprising level of athleticism to the table, and their systematic destruction of NXT’s tag division has been a joy to watch.
Each of Toronto’s three singles matches looks excellent, but a huge part of this show has been built around the Dusty Classic and the Tag Team Championships. Don’t be surprised if the night belongs to them.