Stu Hart was not a genuine shooter like Gotch. He knew shoot maneuvers, but applied them when his students let him do it. Gotch would have tied him into a pretzel. He was a former Olympian, and was widely considered one of the greatest catch wrestlers of his era.
I think Bret's familiarity and bloated reputation thanks to the WWE marketing machine will win him this match, but there's still an argument for Gotch. Most people here don't have a clue what the wrestling industry was like in the 50's and 60's. Gotch being a shooter with skills that were practically unrivaled made him difficult to control by promoters. If he wanted to he could ignore the planned finish of a bout, rough up a champion and take whatever belt he wanted for himself. This could kill a hotbed in a city, or even region, and Gotch could have taken his services to a rival promoter. This was called double crossing, and it was a very common occurrence among shooters even during the early NWA era. There was an incident where Gotch and Dr. Big Bill Miller, another shooter, roughed up Buddy Rogers in a locker room because the then NWA champion had been refusing Gotch's challenges.
Gotch was not a bad pro wrestler, from a performance standpoint. He had a unique charm and appeal that brought him success. He held several top regional titles. When his poor reputation closed doors to him in the States, he went to Japan. There he was instrumental in driving the success of the wrestling scene. He helped legitimize a young New Japan and Antonio Inoki. He became known as the "God of Wrestling" and eventually became revered as a major sports star and crossover icon. His German suplex is the most recognizable wrestling maneuver in the nation. Even non-wrestling fans can easily identify Gotch because of it. Bret can't say the same for the Sharpshooter. For example, if you're an anime watcher it's hard to find a series that doesn't show at least one scene of a character driving another into the ground with the German suplex. Bret Hart was given the WWE belt to fill a void left by the steroid scandal. He was a serviceable champion, but not a strong moneymaker. He drew a ton of money in Europe but not much Stateside, and the WWE struggled financially for years.
Gotch was a key player in driving the success of the early wrestling scene in Japan. He became a crossover icon, and highly influential to many huge wrestling and MMA stars to come. Such stars include Inoki and Fujinami [both WWE HOFamers,] Hiro Matsuda [trained Hulk Hogan,] Satoru Sayama [Tiger Mask,] Akira Maeda, and Yoshiaki Fujiwara [of the armbar.] Bret was a placeholder champion that filled both a need and a void until a more popular star [Austin] could usher in a boom period that Hart alone wasn't capable of doing.
So if crossover appeal and overall impact on the industry are important factors in influencing your vote, then vote for Karl Gotch. He didn't have the world title accolades that Hart did, but he was still a great moneymaker for New Japan and left a lasting impact on the industry that Hart never did.
Vote Karl Gotch.
