8 Ups And 4 Downs From NXT TakeOver: Toronto

By Scott Carlson / August 11, 2019

Downs...

4. Pointless Hype Video

As TakeOver began, Mauro Renallo welcomed us, and the lights in the arena went out. Something big was in store… or so we thought.

The lights slowly came up as music built to a crescendo. Was this leading to another over-the-top Velveteen Dream entrance? Was a new NXT superstar debuting in a surprise moment? Then the answer came:

It was a PPV hype video playing on the big screen.

The video itself was fine, but the build-up led to the complete opposite of what you’d expect. A hype video could show on the full screen for the viewer, not from a bunch of camera angles inside the arena. (And besides that, who videos a hype video?)

It’s a minor point, but it was a misfire to start the show with an odd dodge like that.