TORONTO — Bobby Roode’s night could not have begun in a more glorious fashion when he entered NXT TakeOver: Toronto to the amazing sight of a full choir singing his infectious entrance theme. However, the mood would shift serious very quickly, as he opposed Tye Dillinger in the opening contest in front of a hot Toronto crowd.

The two did not hold back, putting forth an incredibly exciting contest that saw momentum shift several times over. It seemed as though The Perfect 10 had Roode on the brink of defeat in the match’s final stages, until Roode was able to smash Dillinger into the post, then follow that up with a DDT to clinch a glorious victory and ruin Dillinger’s homecoming.

With WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering suspended above the ring in the Crash Cage as a means to make sure he would not interfere, The Authors of Pain took on the dynamic tandem TM61 in the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

The bruisers, Rezar and Akam, were aggressive in the early goings, seemingly not deterred by Ellering’s lingering presence above the ring. However, Shane Thorne and Nick Miller fought back ferociously, showing no fear in the face of the far larger Superstars, including Thorne taking a death-defying leap off the structure that held the Crash Cage into place onto The Authors of Pain.

However, in the end, Ellering, still attempting to bend the rules even while being held captive above the ring, dropped Rezar a chain from above behind the referee’s back, ultimately leading the terrifying tandem to connect with The Last Chapter on Thorne with for the win to secure the prestigious Dusty Rhodes Cup.

They say difficult roads often lead to beautiful places … especially when you Do It Yourself.

Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa’s year-long journey to the NXT Tag Team Championship finally concluded at NXT TakeOver: Toronto. The Revival were as sharp as ever, cutting the ring off and finding tactical advantages anywhere they could over #DIY.

The first fall went to The Revival after a beautiful counter of a Gargano DDT into the Shatter Machine from Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder for three. However, #DIY was able to even the score with a running knee and superkick combo to Dawson’s head several minutes later. Then, after a thrilling series of exchanges, including some foul play from The Revival with one of the NXT Tag Team Titles and “The Top Guys” targeting the same leg of Gargano that they pinpointed to get the victory at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, it was a pair of dueling submission holds from both members of #DIY to Dash and Dawson to win the championships and make a dream come true.

They did it their way. And they did it themselves.

Sometimes, comebacks are triumphant, a magical moment that is shared by both the returnee and those watching. Other times, they’re against Asuka, so the returnee simply hopes to survive.

Mickie James returned to WWE for the first time in six years to challenge the undefeated NXT Women’s Champion at NXT TakeOver: Toronto. The veteran James certainly did not tremor in the face of The Empress of Tomorrow, but that did not prevent Asuka from assaulting Mickie with a barrage of vicious strikes.

After much resistance and a valiant effort, Asuka defeated James with The Asuka Lock to defend the NXT Women’s Championship.

After the match, James offered a handshake to Asuka, but the titleholder instead chose to simply raise her championship in victory, making it clear to both James and the entire NXT Women’s division that the Empress’ reign was far from over.

To quote SmackDown LIVE commentator Mauro Ranallo, “Mamma mia!”

NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura entered Air Canada Centre in grand style, with a contingent of violinists welcoming him to the NXT Universe in Toronto. However, on the flip side, Samoa Joe, as always, was all business, ready to reclaim the NXT Championship.

The battle between the two warriors was an epic one, as the Superstars unleashed an avalanche of strikes that clearly took a physical toll on both men.

In the end, after a rigorous fight that saw the Superstars kick out of several of the other’s signature moves, Joe first connected with a low blow behind the official’s back. He then slammed Nakamura onto the steel steps at ringside, before finishing off The King of Strong Style with the Muscle Buster for the victory to become the first two-time NXT Champion.