▁professional ▁wrest ling ▁career ▁began ▁after ▁training ▁in ▁the ▁" S nake ▁Pit ", ▁run ▁by ▁the ▁ren owned ▁catch ▁wrest ler ▁Billy ▁R iley . ▁He ▁deb uted ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁wrest ling ▁throughout ▁Europe ▁under ▁the ▁ring ▁name ▁Karl ▁Kra user , ▁and ▁winning ▁various ▁titles ▁including ▁the ▁German ▁He avy weight ▁Championship ▁and ▁the ▁European ▁Championship . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁Ist az ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁began ▁wrest ling ▁as ▁Karl ▁Got ch . ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Got ch ' s ▁wrest ling ▁style ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁show mans hip ▁held ▁him ▁back , ▁and ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁experience ▁any ▁great ▁popular ity ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁he ▁won ▁the ▁American ▁Wrestling ▁Alliance ▁( Oh io ) ▁World ▁He avy weight ▁Championship . ▁Got ch ▁held ▁the ▁bel t ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁before ▁dro pping ▁the ▁title ▁to ▁Lou ▁Th esz , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁American ▁wrest lers ▁he ▁respect ed ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁similar ities ▁of ▁their ▁styles ▁( the ▁two ▁also ▁share ▁a ▁common ▁German / H ung arian ▁her itage ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁Got ch ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁back stage ▁alter cation ▁with ▁the ▁then - N WA ▁World ▁He avy weight ▁Champion ▁" N ature ▁Boy " ▁Bud dy ▁Rog ers , ▁in ▁which ▁Rog ers ▁was ▁injured . ▁The ▁incident ▁al ien