[2001-01-20-FWA-Unknown Quantity 2] Jodie Fleisch vs Jorge Castano

[GSR]

We get a pre-match promo from Jodie Fleisch saying that Jorge Castano has got another thing coming if he thinks he’s going to defeat him for this newly won FWA European title. Nothing earth shattering, but not terrible either even if he doesn’t come across as the most natural of talkers.

Jonny Storm is introduced by the ring announcer first and he is making his return to the FWA tonight.  He has a few words for the locals and then goes on to do the introductions himself before challenging the winner.  Jodie has the fans firmly behind him for this, but as he plays to them he Castano jumps him from behind.  Snap suplex followed by a butterfly suplex, both really nicely executed.  Fleisch ducks the clothesline and lands a quesadora into a bulldog.  Castano rolls to the outside wanting a time out already.  Back inside they work through a wristlock sequence before a Castano drop toe hold sends Fleisch crashing into the turnbuckles.  High overhead belly to belly.  He slaps on a seated armbar, using the ropes for additional leverage.  More of the same when he locks in the ‘Scorpion Deathlock’, eventually giving up on that to have a go at some young kids in the crowd who’re trying to tell referee Steve Lynskey what he’s up to.  Castano runs into a big boot but then avoids the Fleisch shooting star.  He does go for a pin after that, although would have been better served to hook a leg as opposed to slapping the mat and counting along with the official.  They return to the floor where both men end up taking bumps into the metal railings.  Desperation low blow by Castano.  Inverted suplex and yet another slack cover out of him, now blaming Lynskey for his apparent slow counting.  As the crowd chant for Jodie, Castano mockingly claps along with them.  He whips Fleisch to the corner, however in one motion he leaps to the top turnbuckle, back flips over his incoming opponent and lands a Japanese arm drag.  For some reason they immediately do this spot again, only now Castano has it scouted, doesn’t come charging in and catches Jodie with a release German suplex.  Figure four leglock and finally Lynskey sees him using the ropes and forces him to break the hold.  Jodie fails to connect on a handspring elbow and Castano then misses the legdrop off the top.  He backdrops Fleisch over the ropes, however he lands on the apron and Jodie with a great springboard rana.  As Castano takes to the outside to compose himself he’s caught by a plancha.  Back inside Castano crotches Jodie on the top turnbuckle and dumps him with an awesome super belly to back that he barely gets a shoulder up from.  Sit out powerbomb for another near fall.  He goes to throw Fleisch to the floor, but like last time he again lands on the apron.  Great counter of the springboard 720 into a Northern Lights suplex.  I thought at first that Castano may have rescued a blown spot but I’m not so sure.  Maybe he did, as while Castano complains to the official about the slowness of his count, Fleisch repositions himself out on the apron.  Springboard 720 DDT connects this time and Jodie retains his European title.

A fan friendly way to open the Unknown Quantity event.  It was spotty at times, did lose its way and both could do with some seasoning (they probably did too much) but you can clearly see potential in the pair.  Even though it is Fleisch who tends to leave the lasting impression with his flying and acrobatics, I was actually more impressed with Castano, especially with his execution on stuff like the suplexes.  He may want to lessen the duration of his stalling mind.  Worth checking out, although I imagine it would’ve played better in 2001 when a lot of the spots were fairly new and hadn’t been seen that much before.