Author Topic: Karl Gotch Thread:  (Read 2015 times)

Montague

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Karl Gotch Thread:
« on: July 05, 2009, 09:55:19 AM »
Karl Gotch (Istaz) was of German and Belgian ancestry and a Holocaust survivor. He played a MAJOR role in shaping the Japanese professional wrestling style.

Excelling in amateur wrestling, Gotch competed for Belgium in the 1948 Olympics in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Gotch also trained in the Indian martial art of Pehlwani. This training led to Gotch's regime of calisthenic bodyweight exercise, which were used by Indian wrestlers and other athletes to build leg endurance and strength.

Karl's pro wrestling career began after training in the "Snake Pit" run by the renowned catch wrestler Billy Riley (Dynamite Kid trained there for a very brief time as a young kid). Gotch made his pro debut in 1955 under the ring name Karl Krauser in Europe. After establishing himself as arguably the best wrestler in Europe, Gotch ventured to the United States in 1959.

In 1961, he took the name Karl Gotch (after Frank Gotch). He captured his first major championship, the American Wrestling Alliance (Ohio) World Heavyweight Title in 1962 by defeating Don Leo Jonathan. Gotch held the belt for two years before dropping the title to Lou Thesz, one of the few American wrestlers he respected because of the similarities of their styles (the two also share a common German/Hungarian heritage). ;)

A backstage feud with “Nature Boy” Buddy Rodgers - culminating with Gotch breaking Rogers' hand - further removed Gotch from favor with the American promoters, who already felt there was no place for his style in the world of American pro wrestling.
During the early 1970s, Gotch had a brief run in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. He won the WWWF Tag Team Championship with Rene Goulet on December 6, 1971.

***Gotch then left the US for Japan, where he enjoyed his best and most success. He wrestled in the main event of the very first show held by New Japan Pro Wrestling, defeating Antonio Inoki. His more athletic, less entertainment-based wrestling style was passed on to Inoki, who further developed it into the strong style that became the norm in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
After retiring, Gotch went on to train other wrestlers, including Fujinami, Matsuda, Sayama, Fujiwara, and Boris Malenko’s sons Joe & Dean. Some of these students, including Sayama and Fujiwara, formed the original Japanese UWF, where the matches were entirely shoot wrestling.***


Karl Gotch died on July 28, 2007 in Tampa, Florida.














johnnynoname

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Re: Karl Gotch Thread:
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2009, 08:07:07 AM »
kudos on starting a karl gotch thread my friend

but trust me your effort would has been lost on this lot (with the exception of you and me)

Montague

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Re: Karl Gotch Thread:
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2009, 08:44:20 AM »
No coincidence that Gotch, Billy Robinson and several others who floundered in North America back then found good success in Japan.

I don’t know what the atmosphere in Japan is like now, but the days of the classic rivalry between New Japan and AJPW produced some of the best matches for my money.

I always felt bad that the original UWF never made it. Would have been pro, but all ground fighting. Sayama was very excited about it and right away invited his pal Dynamite Kid to join, but Billington more or less knew that style wouldn’t compete in the then current climate.
Baba and Inoki probably had the right idea with the ideal combination of Greco/amateur and pro style. It took AJ a while longer to catch on, but once they did…

johnnynoname

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Re: Karl Gotch Thread:
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2009, 09:37:09 AM »
No coincidence that Gotch, Billy Robinson and several others who floundered in North America back then found good success in Japan.

I don’t know what the atmosphere in Japan is like now, but the days of the classic rivalry between New Japan and AJPW produced some of the best matches for my money.

I always felt bad that the original UWF never made it. Would have been pro, but all ground fighting. Sayama was very excited about it and right away invited his pal Dynamite Kid to join, but Billington more or less knew that style wouldn’t compete in the then current climate.
Baba and Inoki probably had the right idea with the ideal combination of Greco/amateur and pro style. It took AJ a while longer to catch on, but once they did…


they floundered cuz a promoter could never put the strap on a guy who could beat the shit out of everyone else in the territory

the UWF was actually doing decent houses; the reason why they went under was because of (you guessed it) the office was embezzling funds.  Shit, 1985 UWF was the hottest show in all of japan outdrawing NJPW and AJPW

fun fact about gotch- he was a holocaust survivor but wasn't jewish; he was catholic
he was in the nazi camps because of his hungarian ancestory.  Apparently, the germans werent high on Hungarians no matter what there religion was

Montague

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Re: Karl Gotch Thread:
« Reply #4 on: July 12, 2009, 06:33:57 PM »
Excellent point about the promoters and legitimately tough guys.

I remember that Billy Graham didn’t even want to work a match with Mad Dog Vachon.
Verne offered him the belt and Graham said, “Brother, it ain’t worth it. A guy could get hurt out there.”
Fun fact about Mad Dog is he always liked what his name spelled backwards. :)

I didn’t know about the UWF dealings.
That’s a shame.
I know they started out strong – especially with the names and talent they had.

I knew Gotch was a Holocaust survivor, and I thought I’d read somewhere that he was Catholic. Strange I never put 2&2 together to see the irony in that.
Interesting facts.

Thanks for sharing.