TNA Region, Brasilia Subregion, First Round: (2) Sting vs. (31) Karl Gotch

[klunderbunker]

This is a first round match in the TNA Region, Bayamon Subregion. It is a standard one on one match held under TNA Rules. It will be held at the Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in Brasilia, Brazil.

#2. Sting

Vs.

#31. Karl Gotch

​

Polls will be open for four days following a one day period for discussion. Voting will be based on who you feel is the greater of the two competitors. Post your reasons for why your pick should win below. Remember that this is non-spam and the most votes in the poll win. Any ties will be broken by the amount of posts of support for each candidate, with one vote per poster.

Also remember that this is a non-spam forum. If you post a response without giving a reason for your selection, it will be penalized for spam and deleted.

 

[Tastycles]

There's no doubting Gotch's credentials as a big part of wrestling history - he is almost always mentioned whenever anyone is talking about the old eras, but the fact remains that he has not had the career Sting has. Sting has been consistently a huge name in wrestling for as long as I have been alive, which is an incredible statement. He has worked as a main eventer pretty constantly since the late 80s, and there's simply nobody else who has ever done that for that long. He started as a main eventer in NWA about the time Hogan was champion, and he has outlasted the Hogan, Austin and now into the Cena eras of the WWE. In a world where there's been little alternative to Vince McMahon, Sting has been that alternative. He wins here.

 

[The Brain]

Is Karl Gotch in this tournament because he is confused with Frank Gotch? Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think Karl Gotch was anything too special. Sting was a consistent top guy for WCW during its entire existence. He's in his late 50s and people are still dying to see him in WWE. Sting to round two.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Is Karl Gotch in this tournament because he is confused with Frank Gotch? Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think Karl Gotch was anything too special. Sting was a consistent top guy for WCW during its entire existence. He's in his late 50s and people are still dying to see him in WWE. Sting to round two.

Karl was big in Japan. I know Inoki credits his style for heavily influencing his own style, as well as many other Japanese wrestlers. I think he is also credited for the German Suplex and the cradle piledriver.

That said, Sting has to move one. I was never a big fan of Sting. I was never big into WCW growing up, so I missed his heyday. I'm sipping hella haterade, but I've always found him to be overrated. All that said, his accomplishments and his praise are still sung today, so he goes over.

 

[Papa Pillman]

Is Karl Gotch in this tournament because he is confused with Frank Gotch? Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think Karl Gotch was anything too special.

In Japan he's been considered the God of pro wrestling. He helped train the likes of Inoki, Fujinami, Fujiwara, Maeda, Matsuda, and Tiger Mask I. According to legend, he German Suplexed Andre the Giant in a match in Japan in 1971. When Inoki wanted to split from JWA to form NJPW he gave it credibility by getting Gotch to join with him and billing him as the "real world champion", Gotch then beat Inoki in the main event of the first NJPW show.

As a sidenote in wrestling history, Gotch's real life feud with Buddy Rogers, who he claimed was afraid to wrestle him, cost Rogers several title defenses in late 1962 after Gotch broke Rogers hand in a locker room scuffle in Columbus, Ohio.

With the brief history lesson out of the way; this match IS NOT in Japan, and it IS in the TNA region, so Sting is the obvious pick to go over.

 

[GI Cake]

Sting wears face paint, and face paint is cool as hell. Plus his character is based on the crow was cool. So really we are really talking a really cool guy vs some old person who wrestled once. I'm going with face paint crow.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I was waiting until someone posted a compelling argument to the contrary as why Sting shouldn't go over. Nobody really has and so I won't feel bad about doing it.

Sting is 55 god damn years old, in this era of wrestling, a people STILL want to see him and The Undertaker hook it up just one time. I think that says a lot about him and his significance in the scheme of modern wrestling history. In the ring, he's not been much to write home about for a long time. But he has a spark and fire that means on the mic he's often as good now as ever once he was. He has an unquenchable spirit, which, for most wrestlers at his age has been well and truly broken.

Sting would stand the test of time against anyone from any era, including this one.

 

[HBsam31]

I saw Sting beat Flair for the title as a kid, and next to Hulk Hogan was my biggest childhood wrestling idol. I get that Gotch was a legend in Japan, but for me Sting takes this one. Mostly on personal preference because I don't know much about Gotch.

 

[Bernkastel]

Is Karl Gotch in this tournament because he is confused with Frank Gotch? Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think Karl Gotch was anything too special. Sting was a consistent top guy for WCW during its entire existence. He's in his late 50s and people are still dying to see him in WWE. Sting to round two.

The Japanese called him the "God of Wrestling." I'd say he was pretty special. Based on the research that I've gathered - which is fuzzy - he's a legit hooker with great skill. He was very over in Japan and helped popularize puro. He even helped train some of the greats... including Antonio Inoki, Tiger Mask I, and Akira Maeda. He was also quite popular in the US. He was a former AWA champion and held the belt for 700+ days. Problem was his reputation seemed to have preceded him. He was either seemingly praised or despised by his peers.

Normally I'd put him over, but Sting is part of the cream of the crop. Gelgarin could go into more depth, but I'm fine with Sting winning.

 

[Bythedockofthebay]

Yeah I hated this match because of the fact Karl Gotch is one of the very few guys in this tournament that I know too little about Karl to honestly vote him and I can't justify a vote either way which really upsets me.