WWE Star Ludwig Kaiser Arrested in Florida on Battery Charge: RAW Superstar Released After $1,000 Bond | More Details

WWE’s Ludwig Kaiser Arrested: Based on county booking records as well as other wrestling news sources, WWE star Ludwig Kaiser, known in the wrestling world as Marcel Barthel, was arrested for battery charge in Orange County Florida on Wednesday. It was May 20 2026 when the 35-year-old athlete was taken into custody. Later Barthel got his freedom based on the Orange County Corrections records, when he posted a $1,000 bond at 11:20 P.M. (ET) that day. Since Kaiser has recently been a major part of WWE programming as well as AAA crossover storylines under the masked character “El Grande Americano, ” the arrest has generated widespread attention in the pro wrestling community.

Some insiders have spoken about the nature of the incident while the online rumors started swirling immediately upon the release of the mugshot. Fightful and PWInsider reported that the arrest stems from a fight with another man which reportedly took place at a nearby restaurant. The authorities pointed out that the incident did not involve any domestic dispute.

WWE: Ludwig Kaiser arrested in Orange County

Marcel Barthel a.k.a. Ludwig Kaiser was taken into custody in Orange County, Florida, on suspicion of violence. The WWE Performance Center is located near Orlando, which is in Orange County. The 35-year-old’s bond was set at $1,000, according to the RecentlyBooked website.

Who is Ludwig Kaiser?

Marcel Barthel is a German professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is on the RAW brand and in partner promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), as the second incarnation of the masked luchador El Grande Americano. He is also the leader of the Los Americanos stable.

In the past, Barthel competed in Germany under the ring name Axel Dieter Jr., most notably for Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), where he won two World Tag Team Championships and one Unified World Wrestling Championship. Besides, he also participated in Progress Wrestling in the UK. He became a part of the Imperium faction and secured the NXT Tag Team Championship title two times with Fabian Aichner after signing with WWE in 2017 and being sent to NXT using his real name, Marcel Barthel. In 2022, Imperium moved to the main roster of SmackDown, and Barthel received the new name of Ludwig Kaiser. In 2023, Imperium moved to RAW. 

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