5 surprising moments from NXT TakeOver 31

#2 Two surprising returns at NXT TakeOver 31

Toni Storm was one of only two surprises after the Women's Championship match at NXT TakeOver 31.

It seems the Garganos will be in a very foul mood going forward after the events of NXT TakeOver 31.

The NXT Women's Championship match between Io Shirai and Candice LeRae was a solid one between two of the best and most talented on the NXT Women's roster. Io Shirai is coming into her own as a Women's Champion and Candice LeRae has been thriving as an obnoxious heel in recent months. These two just seem to have good in-ring chemistry with each other. The ending of the match was pretty impressive, with many unsuccessful cheating attempts by Johnny and Candice. Io Shirai pulled off another emphatic victory at NXT TakeOver 31.

The two most surprising moments occurred after the match. On the big screen, Toni Storm appeared to challenge Io Shirai. These two have a long history dating back to their excellent Mae Young Classic final two years ago. After such a long absence during the pandemic, it is nice to see Toni Storm coming back into a WWE ring.

Hey, #WWENXT.It's TONI TIME. Toni Storm is BACK in #WWENXT!!!!! 🤘Sincerely, @WWE #NXTTakeOver @shirai_io pic.twitter.com/qEJl0iYfSK

— WWE (@WWE) October 5, 2020

If that wasn't enough, we had an even bigger surprise. The vignettes we had seen for a returning champion were finally answered at NXT TakeOver 31. While most people assumed it was a male NXT Champion, it was truly shocking to see Ember Moon back on the Black and Gold brand.

10. 04. 20.She sparked the flame, and now @WWEEmberMoon is BACK in #WWENXT!👀 @shirai_io #NXTTakeOver #WeAreNXT pic.twitter.com/h37ICndKqD

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) October 5, 2020

Ember Moon had been out of action for nearly a year. It seemed her injuries were so severe, it might be a long time before we ever saw her again. The NXT Women's Division was already strong and now it is going to incredible.