NXT TakeOver Toronto: Live results, grades, and analysis

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Mia Yim

Yim got a mixed reaction here, as she acted a bit like a heel leading into the match, attacking Duke and Shafir with no provocation.

Yim started right away by hitting a corner kick and a cannonball in the corner. Yim went for a flying suicide dive, but Baszler cut her off with an uppercut. Yim sent Shayna into the stairs and put her arm between the post and stairs before dropkicking the stairs and driving the stairs into her pinned arm.

Baszler tied up Yim after stomping on her arm and then going for a kimura. Shayna kicked Yim right in the chest and then tied her arm up in the ropes. While Yim’s left arm was injured, Shayna ‘s right arm was worked on, leaving both women with a disadvantage. Baszler hit a dropkick on Yim and got a near fall.

Yim gouged the eyes of Shayna and the crowd went pretty mild. I understand the idea is that Yim would do anything she can to win but having her break the rules led to the crowd dying in the middle of the match. Yim hit a series of lariats and some punches and a drop toe hold that sent Shayna into the ropes. There seemed to be a miscommunication of some sort, but Yim hit a belly-to-belly.

Yim hit a tope and a tornado DDT in the ring for a near fall. Shayna hit another kick and went for a suplex but couldn’t get it due to her hurt arm. Shayna went headfirst into the top turnbuckle and Yim locked on a Tarantula. Both women ended up on the top rope and Yim hit a Code Red off the middle rope, but Shayna kicked out. Baszler tried to lock on her Rear Naked Choke, but her injured arm wouldn’t let her.

Yim then stomped on Shayna’s arm and went for an armbar! She started kicking Shayna in the face, but Shayna floated over and back into the Rear Naked Choke. Yim fought out again, but Shayna transitioned into an inverted triangle choke on Yim and managed to tap her out! Yim and Io both got wins with leg chokes. Very interesting.

Result: Shayna Baszler retains the NXT Women’s Championship

Rating: *** (3 stars)

The heat of this match was hurt quite badly by Yim acting like a heel, but the match got better as it went and by the end they had an awesome finish.