When reading this thread, I get a
www.heresy-online.net password query. Does someone host an avatar image there or something? People were discussing the popup in a
thread, and it seems like it might be caused by that.
This is probably a combination of tropes. First, the tournament. That's a very common trope / story element in certain types of works. Second, the opponent being the hero's equal, and more capable than the last enemy the hero defeated, is probably a separate trope.