A Trio of Trios: Los Oficiales

Happened to have three trios from IWRG all featuring Los Oficiales (911, AK47 and Fierro) on my computer, so I thought I'd write them up together.

The first one is from 18th September this year, and is, slightly unusually, a rudos contra rudos title match against Black Terry, Cerebro Negro and Doctor Cerebro. The latter team sort of kind of take the technicos role, dominating the first fall, being beaten down in the second and coming back in the third before the finish. There's certainly enough "Terry" chants (not from me) to imply the crowd were siding one particular way.

The match is notable for being pretty stiff by lucha standards, which may have resulted from the all-rudos setup. Cerebro Negro in particular landed some hard right hands, as well as a couple of nasty-looking headbutts. There was plenty dropkicks to the face and punting the other team out of the ring. Terry is once again the star here - he led 911 through some nice matwork on a couple of occasions, is a great brawler when needed, and his facial reactions and little selling touches add some much. There's one point when all three Oficiales were controlling the ring at the start of the third fall, and Terry was looking for a way in, with a face drenched in concern, and his eyes darting around, looking for the safest way in.

Los Oficiales were clearly the most coherent unit here, as evidenced by much more than their uniforms. When they get in control, they have plenty of triple team moves to stay in control. There's a feeling sometimes of watching a violent gang mugging at times, too - they seem at times to move together, whereas the other tea, while in control, are a series of individuals, almost taking turns to beat down the other guy. Fierro seems to be more obviously athletically gifted, while 911 is the least elegant. The stereo topes showed this quite well.

Such discussion may actually be pointless, though, because I think I read someone talking about how they swap costumes for different matches. I enjoyed this match, especially the Black Terry parts, though Cerebro Negro was also up for the fight. I probably would rate it lower than a number of other trios from this year (especially the October 3rd one). The next two matches have Oficiales in a more traditional role as bases to some high flying technicos.

First one is from 9th October, and the opponents are Freelance, Rey Cometta and Pegasso Extremo. Primera caida is a decent Oficiales beatdown rudo fall - lots of triple teams (including a back body drop where Freelance hits an insane height), plenty of stomping, point gets made. The segunda starts the same way, until the technicos make their come back. All three hit over the top rope tope con giro. Freelance gets incredible height and distance on his, doesn't touch the top rope and flies straight into the crowd (and an Oficial) at an insane speed. Amazing stuff. The fall finishes with two 450 splashes from Rey and Pegasso, and a spectacular pinning hurricanrana from Freelance - he leaps up to stand on 911's shoulders, before dropping down and revolving with speed.

All of which sets up the third fall, which starts with both teams in their corners. Tne fall starts off with lots of exchanges with the rudos bumping around the techichos armdrags and headscissors. Los Oficiales strike me as being pretty great at this as well. Freelance lands and balances on the top rope before leaping off with for another armdrag, and then follows up with a dragonrana from the ring to one of the Oficiales on the outside, who is flung into the front row. The finish features a magnificent top rope quebrada from Freelance, a bunch of dives from Pegasso and Rey - one of them lands badly (and on head-fully) after undershooting their spinning pescado. Freelance takes the win with a sunset flip powerbomb, further the feud and leading towards a title match at some point in the future.

And here's the title match, recorded on 17th October - same team's as the previous week. Los Oficiales saluting each other before the match is grand. They are also wearing different masks to the previous match. Are they title-defending masks? My gut says they are. Both non-Freelance technico are here and not dead after that botched dive, which is pleasing. This match is a little shorter than the first one, has a lot less rudo beatdown, and a lot more crazy diving.

Primera caida has a bunch of nice exchanges, the most spectacular of which is Freelance one-upping himself from the previous week, again landing on the top rope, but this time jumping backwards into a hurricanrana. Fierro hits a wild tope, sending Freelance crashing back-first into barrier. The rudos take the second fall again dominated by the technicos, until Oficiales take control with some triple teams. The final fall is full of crazy dives from all three technicos - Freelance's springboard somersault plancha makes me jump in my seat. It comes down to capitan vs. capitan again, with 911 taking the victory this time, after kicking out of some stuff that Freelance had won with before.

I mention Freelance a lot, at the expense of noting all the fun stuff Pegasso and Rey do, because he's in a couple of steps above them, as well as most other technicos. His flying is pretty amazing, but he couples that with being pretty spectacular in between dives as well. He is fast between the ropes, and has about a hundred different armdrag and headscissor variations. He should be more well noticed.

Overall, the Oficiales come off as a really great unit - they bumped huge in that titles match, which I guess I liked better than the first match. AK-47 takes a couple of face first slides out of the ring that looked rough. They work as great bases for all the flying and armdrags and headscissors and takedowns, which is probably the most important quality in a rudo team, and they also look really dominant when in control. IWRG is the place to be.