NXT TakeOver: Toronto: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Nov. 19

The Superstars of NXT once again delivered another extraordinary TakeOver special, this one headlined by the rematch between Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Championship.

The two all-time greats waged war in an intense and physical match with a surprise finish that no one saw coming.

Mickie James returned to the ring to challenge Asuka for the NXT Women's Championship, a title The Empress of Tomorrow had no intentions of letting go.

Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano sought the tag team titles in a 2-out-of-3-Falls match. To achieve them, they would have to dethrone the gold standard for tag team wrestling in 2016: The Revival.

With those three huge main events at the top of the card, NXT TakeOver: Toronto featured a stacked lineup and action that left fans confident in the future of the brand.

Find out what happened Saturday night with this recap.

Tye Dillinger vs. Bobby Roode

Chants of "This is awesome!" emanated from the stands as Tye Dillinger stood across the squared circle from former TNA champion Bobby Roode.

The two Canadian competitors battled for 16 minutes, both looking to score major bragging rights as they chase championship gold in WWE. Roode stalled when necessary, slowing Dillinger's momentum and using his frustration against him.

The Perfect 10 would recover late, trapping Roode in a Sharpshooter that drew a huge ovation. An ill-fated charge into the corner, though, led to Dillinger crashing into the ring post and Roode finishing him off with an Impaler DDT.

Result

Bobby Roode defeated Tye Dillinger.

Grade

C+

Analysis

The most notable thing about this match was the crowd response.

The action itself was good but unspectacular. Both men are technically sound workers, and the last few minutes featured some solid sequences, but the match never featured the intensity or sense of intrigue TakeOver bouts typically do.

There was never any doubt as to who would emerge victorious, and nether of the competitors did a particularly great job of changing that perception.

Roode's performance, like his showing against Andrade Almas in Brooklyn, was fine, but he is in need of a defining NXT showing further up the card.

His entrance was sweet, though. 

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: TM61 vs. The Authors of Pain

The finals of the fairly mediocre 2016 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic occurred Saturday night, as TM61, the upstart Australian team who upset its way to Saturday's show, battled the unstoppable Authors of Pain.

Shane Thorne and Nick Miller kept their much larger opponents off-guard throughout the early portion of the match, soaring through the air and throwing caution to the wind as they sought the coveted trophy.

Unfortunately, Paul Ellering proved integral to the outcome of the match.

Suspended high above the ring in a shark cage, he dropped a chain to the mat below. That weapon provided just enough distraction for The Authors to catch Thorne with The Last Chapter for the win.

Akam and Rezar celebrated with Ellering after the match.

Result

The Authors of Pain defeated TM61.

Grade

C-

Analysis

The match was good but never reached the level one would expect from a major tournament final.

So much of the booking of the match was reminiscent of a bygone era that it never felt like it clicked with audiences the way it should have.

The storytelling was fine and the finish fit, but one could not help but wonder about the decision to use the cage to house Ellering. It felt antiquated and did nothing to add to the match.

The Authors' victory sets them up for an NXT Tag Team Championship shot. Given the title change that went down in the next match, that could make for a fun program.

Tag Team Championship Match: DIY vs. The Revival

After months of feuding over the NXT Tag Team Championships, The Revival defended the belts against DIY's Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match.

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder scored the first fall, using their trademark Shatter Machine to put down Gargano.

The resilient babyfaces stared the deficit down and shot it the middle finger, coming back to even the score with a headshot combination.

With the score tied at one fall apiece, the action broke down, and the pace accelerated. On multiple occasions, Dawson and Wilder had to interfere on behalf of the other, breaking up pins.

Ultimately, it was a submission that doomed them to defeat.

Gargano trapped Wilder in the Gargano Escape, and Ciampa trapped Dawson in a bridging armbar for the tapout and titles.

Result

DIY defeated The Revival.

Grade

A+

Analysis

John Cena vs. AJ Styles from SummerSlam may have been the higher-profile bout, but this was the best match of 2016 so far.

The build, the pacing, the storytelling...everything came together to create a beautiful piece of professional wrestling art Saturday night. The action was seamless, and the psychology was on point, leading to the closest thing to a five-star classic the WWE Universe has seen in 11 months.

How the new champions move on to The Authors of Painand what kind of matches they have—will determine how successful an act they become.

Women's Championship Match: Asuka vs. Mickie James

Mickie James returned to a WWE ring for the first time in six years Saturday night, seeking to become the first woman to defeat Asuka and take the NXT Women's Championship at the same time.

Throughout the bout, it appeared as though she may make good on that promise. A future Hall of Famer, she outclassed the champion early, frustrating The Empress of Tomorrow by playing mind games with her.

Everywhere Asuka turned, James was there, waiting to cut her off with something new.

The frustration was evident on the part of the champion, who struggled for the first time in her stint with the brand. That did not change the expected outcome, though.

Asuka trapped James in The Asuka Lock and scored the submission win before refusing a sign of respect and taunting her opponent with the title.

Result

Asuka defeated Mickie James.

Grade

B

Analysis

This was a match whose story was equally as important as the actual in-ring content.

James looked phenomenal, coming right off the sidelines and out of local indy shows to deliver the type of performance she did here. She looked good, she traded those stiff forearms with Asuka and she never looked out of place.

Asuka's story is a difficult one for NXT officials because she is perceived as being so high above the other women that finding one to eventually dethrone her is nearly impossible.

NXT Championship Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe

Credit: WWE.com

Shinsuke Nakamura may have made his way to the ring flanked by violinists, but by night's end, it was Samoa Joe who proved himself worthy of the pomp and circumstance, as he defeated The King of Strong Style to become the first two-time NXT champion.

The pace of the match was entirely different from the original. There was no slow build. Instead, the two approached the bout as two legitimate, heated rivals would: beating the unholy hell out of each other.

Both men spilled blood, even through the slightest of cuts, but the fans in Toronto ate it up.

Nakamura delivered a Kinshasa, but Joe was able to shoot his shoulder off the mat, robbing Nakamura of a successful title defense.

Late in the bout, Joe capitalized on poor positioning by the referee and blasted Nakamura with a low blow. He spiked him on the ring steps and then delivered a Muscle Buster to regain the championship.

Result

Samoa Joe defeated Shinsuke Nakamura.

Grade

B+

Analysis

A vast improvement over the Brooklyn match, this one did not attempt to be an epic showdown between two of the best of their generation. With that pressure off them, the Superstars cut a faster pace, and the result was a more engaging wrestling match.

The brutality and stiffness of the performers helped lend credibility to it. Rather than two guys putting on a choreographed match, this felt like two guys attempting to beat each other into molasses. It worked and added pure emotion to the bout.

The outcome was a shocking one, given the fact that Nakamura only won the title back in August and had not defended it to this point. The win cements Joe's place in NXT, while Nakamura is now free to move to SmackDown, where he would thrive as the most charismatic star on the roster.