FILW Trios Championship recap (March 2023)

Flickering Image League Wrestling
Trios Tag Team Championship Match

Crimes of Passion pay-per-view recap

By Hunter Bush & Bryan Bierman

It was a result few wanted, but it’s the one we got.

Monsters Inc. have captured the FILW Trios Tag Titles from the grasping hands of The Three Amigos last night at the Crimes of Passion pay-per-view event in Mahoning, PA, after a hard-fought and bloody match. After largely being kept out of action on the ring apron, Nacho headed up a tenacious offense that rallied the crowd and his stable mates, but was ultimately outgunned by their hard-hitting opponents and pinned. Many in attendance voiced their displeasure and a rain of half-empty soda and nacho cheese cups fell upon the celebrating trio.

The FILW Trios Tag Championship belts had been held for 267 days by the Mega Mountain faction composed of Thunderlips, Rip Thomas, and Sean Armstrong. After claiming them at the Judgement Night ppv (Augusta, GA) in June 2022, the trio cut a bloody swath through the competition, frequently ending matches with their trademark three-man powerbomb, High Noon at Mega Mountain. Unfortunately, injuries suffered at the Tuff Turf ppv (Boston, MA) in the beginning of this year required the titles to be vacated. An eight team iron man elimination tournament was held at last month’s Rumble in the Bronx ppv (New York, NY), setting the card for last night’s match.

Monsters Inc. formed in 2022 when former singles wrestler Bonesaw McGraw joined the imposing but rarely dominant tag team of the Revolting Blob and Captain Insano, then known as Better Off Dead. Taking the name Monsters Inc., the injection of new blood revitalized and refocused the former BOD, and the trio actually challenged for the Trios belts but were soundly beaten by Mega Mountain. This led them down a dark path and every victory they have accrued since has been marred by underhanded tactics and copious cheating.

The Three Amigos had each individually been languishing on the singles circuit before forming as a surprise entry into the elimination bracket at Rumble in the Bronx. Randy the Ram was a near-superstar in the 1980s but a string of injuries and a spotty attendance record had robbed him of his glory in the intervening years. Jimmy King was much more recently a champion but hadn’t held a title since the 2000s. The lucha libre wrestler Nacho, a comparative newcomer, has quickly become a fan favorite but still hadn’t managed to make much headway as a singles competitor. Somehow, at Rumble in the Bronx, their multigenerational mix of styles and talents allowed them to persevere throughout the night and emerge as the favored team to take the titles.

Randy the Ram and Bonesaw opened last night’s match, drawing on their brief history in the mid-’90s at another promotion, the highlight being Randy delivering his signature Ram Jam diving headbutt from the top rope that sent Bonesaw into the opposite corner. Jimmy King and the Revolting Blob engaged in a decent if unremarkable stretch of technical wrestling before King failed to connect with his Crown maneuver (a double axe handle strike). Tagging in, Capt. Insano showed no mercy, opening up a can whoop-ass on King with his giant fists, leaving King bloodied and gassed in the center of the ring.

Bonesaw baited Randy to the top of the ramp and the Blob kept Nacho busy, pulling him down off of the ring apron and sitting on his head at the moment that King was able to rally enough to attempt the tag. Eventually the tag was made and the crowd popped to their feet. The David vs Goliath visual of Nacho squaring off against Insano, the smallest and largest of the six men respectively, is quite a sight. Nacho held his own, wearing Insano down and allowing King to catch his breath before the two men tagged and traded opponents, with Nacho diving majestically down on the Blob, still on the outside, and a bloodied, screaming King delivering the Crown to Insano.

The cheers from the crowd were deafening, but short-lived as Insano used his massive form to block the view of the referee while Bonesaw and Blob double teamed Nacho before dragging him and a badly battered Randy back into the ring and delivering their version of Mega Mountain’s triple powerbomb finisher. King ate the pin and the new Trios Champions were presented with their belts.

With Wrestlevania looming in the near future (June 6th, 6 PM at Philadelphia PA’s 2300 Arena; tickets still available), it’s interesting to see where things stand with the titles. Monsters Inc. ending the match with Mega Mountain’s finisher is an obvious taunt, and could lead to the former champions returning to reclaim their titles as underdogs. It’ll be interesting to see what, if anything happens with the Three Amigos. They’re obvious fan favorites but it’s unclear if they’ll even remain a team. I guess we’ll see at the Wild at Heart ppv in April (Missoula, MT; tickets still available).

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