10 Worst Ever NXT TakeOver Matches
3. Authors Of Pain Vs TM-61 (Toronto)
A tacked-on stipulation in order to sell toys hamstrung what could have been a passable match between two teams still desperately in need of seasoning.
The Australian high flyers and Paul Ellering's bruisers already had the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Invitational trophy to fight over, having made the finals over vastly superior sides, including #DIY and The Revival on the evening they would stake a claim for Match-Of-The-Year honours.
However, the late addition of the Shark Cage (hung from a unwieldy and ugly structure at ringside rather than the ceiling as is traditionally the case) to restrict Ellering when he'd barely made an impact on the outside for the Authors during their entire run irreversibly damaged the match.
Shane Thorne climbed the scaffold almost immediately to dive off, which appeared to justify the point of the cage but unfortunately also gave fans a moment the four weren't able to top for the remainder of the match.
Even the usual spot of a heel passing a foreign object from the cage was blown, when a chain-assisted punch completely missed, sending the weapon dangerously hurtling into the crowd.
With both duos' shortcomings recklessly laid bare in the match, The Authors wrapped things up seconds later with their clothesline/legsweep finisher to an indifferent crowd response.