[2003-08-02-FWA-Northern Exposure Tour - Night 1] Jody Fleisch vs Jack Xavier

[TonyPulis'Cap]

The Northern Exposure Tour was the second of two tours that the FWA would run in 2003, in an attempt to branch out of its southern base. The second tour was much more scaled down however, with just three nights instead of seven (mainly due to the local promoters that had ‘partnered’ with the FWA to put each event first time around all losing money).

This first night of the tour is from the Morecambe Dome, which would become the company’s regular Northern venue going forward after this, and this is a 'first time in the FWA' clash. It is face vs face, so the early going is full of quick reversals and parity sequences. Right from the start this shows that Fleisch is the quicker of the two, so I liked the basic storyline of Xavier realising he can’t hang with Jody in a sprint and then switching things up and slowing things down. Xavier therefore becomes the de facto heel for the match, and I was impressed with how vicious he was being on simple moves and grinding in holds to show he was being more aggressive. This continues with Xavier locking in a really unique looking tarantula like move and then when Fleisch is hung up in the ropes dropkicking him to the floor where he takes a really nasty bump.

Jody is always a good face in peril, and when it comes to his flying in this, is really spot on, wowing the crowd (who on the FWA’s tour shows were more of a family audience than the FWA’s regular hardcore fans). While Xavier’s change in approach is successful in helping to control large sections of the match, his frustration grows when he can’t put Fleisch away, and that's when he tries to up the pace again and unleash the bigger weapons in his arsenal, moving away from the simpler ground game that had been working. Upping the pace though plays into Jody’s hands and leaves him vulnerable, and a flash 720 DDT gives Jody the win.

The finish comes a bit out of nowhere, but shows the 720 is Fleisch’s kill shot, whereas Jody is able to survive Jack’s big moves like the rolling X-Plex. I liked the intensity in this match, and some of the rougher exchanges at times actually helped the match feel more rugged (***)