Karl Gotch
Karel Istaz (August 3, 1924 – July 28, 2007), best known by his ring name Karl Gotch, was a Belgian-American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, catch wrestler, and trainer.
| Karl Gotch | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Karel Istaz |
| Born | August 3, 1924 Antwerp, Belgium |
| Died | July 28, 2007 (aged 82) Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Children | 1 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Karl Gotch Karl Krauser |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Billed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Billed from | Hamburg, Germany |
| Trained by | Billy Riley |
| Debut | 1950 |
| Retired | January 1, 1982 |
He represented Belgium at the 1948 Summer Olympics in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. In Japan, Gotch is known as the "God of Wrestling" due to his influence on Japanese professional wrestling. He significantly influenced the development of modern mixed martial arts (MMA). His students established pioneering MMA promotions and training schools to transmit Gotch's training. These include Shooto and Pancrase (both of which predate the UFC), RINGS, and PRIDE, one of the most popular MMA promotions in history.
He was given the ringname "Gotch" by Ohio promoter Al Haft in honor of American wrestler Frank Gotch.