NXT TakeOver: Toronto

Background

The NXT TakeOver series of professional wrestling shows started on May 29, 2014, as the WWE developmental league NXT held their second WWE Network exclusive live broadcast billed as NXT TakeOver. In subsequent months, the "TakeOver" moniker became the brand used by NXT and WWE for all of their NXT live specials including NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way, NXT TakeOver: R Evolution, NXT TakeOver: Rival, NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, and NXT TakeOver: Respect. NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn was the first TakeOver show held outside of Full Sail University. NXT TakeOver: London was the first TakeOver show held outside of the United States. NXT TakeOver: Toronto was the twelfth overall show held under the NXT TakeOver banner, the fourth held in 2016, and the second held outside of the United States.

On the September 28 episode of NXT, William Regal scheduled the second annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, culminating with the finals at NXT TakeOver: Toronto. The tournament started on the October 5, 2016 episode of NXT.

Preliminary matches

In the first match, Bobby Roode faced Tye Dillinger. The match ended when Roode executed a Lifting DDT on Dillinger to win the match.

Next, The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) faced TM-61 (Nick Miller and Shane Thorne) in the final of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, with Paul Ellering suspended above the ring inside a cage. In the end, The Authors of Pain performed The Last Chapter on Thorne to win the tournament.

In the third match, The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson) defended the NXT Tag Team Championship against #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) in a two-out-of-three falls tag team match. The Revival won the first fall after performing the Shatter Machine on Gargano. #DIY won the second fall after performing a running knee/superkick combination on Dawson. #DIY won the third fall after Dash submitted to the Gargano Escape by Gargano and Dawson submitted to an armbar by Ciampa simultaneously, thus #DIY won the title.

After that, Asuka defended the NXT Women's Championship against Mickie James. During the match, Mickie executed a Mick Kick on Asuka, but Asuka placed her foot on the bottom rope, voiding the pinfall. Asuka forced Mickie to submit to the Asuka Lock to win the match.

Main event

In the main event, Shinsuke Nakamura defended the NXT Championship against Samoa Joe. During the match, Joe attempted a Muscle Buster on Nakamura, but Nakamura countered and executed a Kinshasa on Joe for a near-fall. Nakamura attempted another Kinshasa, but Joe avoided the attempt and applied the Coquina Clutch. Nakamura attempted to escape the submission hold, but Joe performed a German Suplex followed by a Dragon Suplex and an X-Plex for a near-fall. Nakamura executed another Kinshasa on Joe, but Joe rolled out of the ring. Nakamura attempted a third Kinshasa, but Joe avoided the attempt, hit a low blow on Nakamura and attacked Nakamura with a Side Slam onto the steel steps. Joe performed a Muscle Buster on Nakamura to win the title for a second time.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic bracket

¹ Ibushi's original partner, Hideo Itami, was injured before the tournament began, and was replaced by T.J. Perkins.
² Aries could not compete due to injury. William Regal decided that the winners would be determined by a singles match pitting Thorne against Strong.
³ The Revival withdrew from the tournament, asserting that Dawson was injured.

Aftermath

14 days after the event, on December 3, Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Samoa Joe to win back the NXT Championship in Osaka, Japan.

On December 29, WWE.com named The Revival vs. #DIY the WWE match of the Year.