WWE star Ludwig Kaiser arrested on battery charge in Florida

WWE superstar Ludwig Kaiser—real name Marcel Barthel—was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge in Orange County, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon.

The 35-year-old wrestling standout was booked into the Orange County Corrections facility at 2:37 p.m. and was subsequently released later that evening at 11:20 p.m. after posting a $1,000 bond, News.Az reports, citing Asatu News.

While online rumors and speculation began swirling immediately after the mugshot surfaced, insiders have clarified the nature of the incident. According to reports from Fightful and PWInsider, the arrest stems from a physical altercation involving another man, reportedly taking place at a local restaurant. Authorities explicitly noted that the incident did not involve a domestic dispute.

The legal trouble comes at a highly inconvenient time for Barthel’s current trajectory in WWE. In recent months, he has undergone a massive creative surge, performing under a mask as the wildly popular character "El Grande Americano"—a gimmick he assumed following an injury to Chad Gable.

With Gable recently returning to television, the two have been locked in a bitter feud over the rightful ownership of the character. The storyline is currently building toward a high-stakes mask-vs.-mask match scheduled for the upcoming WWE and AAA Noche De Los Grandes crossover event on May 30 in Monterrey, Mexico. WWE has not yet commented on the arrest or whether it will impact the upcoming pay-per-view.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada