NXT TakeOver: Toronto (2016): DIY and The Revival Stole an Already Great Show

The Booking Verdict earns an A because nearly every result strengthens the next chapter. DIY finally beating The Revival gives the rivalry the championship payoff it had earned, and the simultaneous submissions in the deciding fall make the victory feel definitive without making the former champions look weak. Authors of Pain winning the Dusty Classic is the correct next step for a team WWE is positioning as a dominant force, while Bobby Roode beating Tye Dillinger keeps Roode's rise intact without erasing Dillinger's crowd support. Asuka retaining over Mickie James protects the undefeated champion while giving the returning veteran a credible showcase.

Samoa Joe defeating Shinsuke Nakamura is the boldest choice because Nakamura had only recently become champion, but it creates a historical first and extends the rivalry into the Osaka rematch where Nakamura wins the title back. The low blow and steel-step attack give Joe a ruthless path to the title without turning the finish into outside interference. Nothing on the card feels booked merely to fill time. TakeOver: Toronto consistently uses winners, losers, and finishes to change the status of its divisions, which is exactly what a major developmental-brand event should do.

Crowd and Presentation earns an A+ because Toronto gives the event one of the best sustained atmospheres of the TakeOver era. Tye Dillinger's entrance is treated like a hometown moment, Bobby Roode receives the enormous sing-along reaction his theme had already created, and the audience stays engaged for the Dusty Classic final even when the match is shorter and more developmental than the rest of the card. DIY and The Revival turn the building into a near-constant roar during the final fall, with every tag, submission, and escape drawing the reaction the story needs. The crowd makes the championship payoff feel massive.

The production supports that energy without overcomplicating it. The five-match structure gives the show a clean rhythm, the cage holding Paul Ellering adds a distinct visual to the tournament final, and the main-event entrances restore a sense of scale after the tag-title peak. Mickie James's return is presented as a special attraction rather than a nostalgia cameo, while Samoa Joe's title win is framed as a major historical result. The show never looks overproduced or stretched. Toronto's audience and NXT's compact presentation work together almost perfectly.

Historical Significance earns a B-plus because several outcomes became important reference points for NXT. DIY's victory over The Revival was later named WWE's Match of the Year for 2016 and remains one of the defining tag-team matches of the TakeOver era. Samoa Joe becomes the first man to hold the NXT Championship twice, establishing a milestone that later champions would chase. Authors of Pain win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic on the way to becoming NXT Tag Team Champions, while Bobby Roode continues the ascent that leads to his own NXT Championship reign in early 2017.

Mickie James's appearance also matters beyond the night itself. Her one-off NXT return becomes the bridge to her full WWE comeback, leading to her reappearance on SmackDown in January 2017 as the woman behind the La Luchadora disguise. TakeOver: Toronto is also the second TakeOver outside the United States and the first event in a Toronto subseries that returns in 2019. The show therefore matters not only because it is excellent, but because multiple careers, championships, and NXT traditions move forward in lasting ways.