Wrestling’s most unique tournaments of late all seem to be coming out of Argentina and a new one has just started up

Argentina’s Legion Nueva Era, known for having one of the most dedicated fan bases in the country, just started up a brand new tournament and released the first two matches to their YouTube channel. Earlier this summer, we reported on another unique tournament out of Argentina that was put on by Catch Argentino, a promotion that works closely with Legion Nueva Era.

So what makes the tournament unique? The first thing is the prize that’s at stake. Instead of a title belt or a trophy as the prize as can usually be the case in pro wrestling, this time there is a mystery box at stake! The box, or La Caja Misteriosa, contains something inside, but the only way to find out what that something is, is by winning the tournament! A source from within the Argentine pro wrestling scene shared with WrestleMap that the idea behind the mystery box being up for grabs was inspired by an episode of The Simpsons that saw Mr. Burns attempt to bribe two safety inspectors. The bracket setup is a traditional eight competitor, single elimination tournament. But the action in the ring, like the prize on the line, is unique. All of the matches will take place in a ring with no ropes, similar to the Bloodsport events that have been put on by Game Changer Wrestling over the past few years, and matches can only be won by knockout, count out, or submission.

Platino, photo courtesy of Platino’s Instagram page

While the Bloodsport events with a similar ring set up usually feature shoot style grappling, that hasn’t been the case so far in La Caja Misteriosa. While there is some increased focus on submissions, as that’s one of only three ways a match can be won, it’s not all ground and pound. In fact, the first match between Cassidy, an independent high flier, and Slovak, a Legion Nueva Era wrestler whose technical style and membership in the Nemesis stable that makes up nearly half of the tournament’s field makes him a potential favorite, features an extremely impressive and super athletic high spot. The second match, between Francisco Rolon and the masked wrestler, and current part holder of the Legion Nueva Era Tag Team Championships, Platino, features a good deal of comedy. Not only does Platino attempt to win the match with a wet willy, but a Teletubbies VHS tape ends up getting used as a weapon in the match, ultimately leading one of the competitors to victory.

Cassidy, photo courtesy of Cassidy’s Instagram page

Legion Nueva Era plans to release four YouTube videos in total to cover the whole of the tournament. So far, only the first video has been released with further videos scheduled to come out on the next three Saturdays. Be sure to check out this first release so that you can catch the whole tournament as it’s released on the Legion Nueva Era YouTube channel!