Ludwig Kaiser Arrest Report Reveals New Details on Allegations

An arrest report out of Orange County, Florida, is revealing new details about the alleged incident that led to the arrest of WWE star Ludwig Kaiser, also known as El Grande Americano.

Kaiser, real name Marcel Barthel, was taken into custody on Wednesday, May 20 and charged with battery. This stems from a physical altercation that apparently happened inside an apartment complex back on the night of Thursday, April 23.

The complaint, which was obtained by PWInsider, Fightful and others, was filed by Richard Reap, who alleges that he was battered by a white male after an elevator ride to the 12th floor of the building.

Some details in the arrest report of Ludwig Kaiser per the Florida Affidavit for Arrest:

“Richard Reap. Reap stated he was battered by an unknown white male just outside the elevator on the 12th floor. Reap advised that at approximately 1830 hours, he entered the elevator and… pic.twitter.com/IuOSLSSuVt
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) May 21, 2026

“Reap advised that at approximately 1830 hours, he entered the elevator and was followed by an unknown white male and an unknown white female," the complaint stated. "The male and female began acting in an 'uncontrollably intimate' manner, which he described as aggressively kissing."

After he exited the elevator on the 12th floor, Reap claimed to have told the couple to "please have some manners."

It was after he made that comment that the attack allegedly occurred. Reap claimed that the male in the elevator immediately began punching him, connecting multiple times, and then pushed him to the ground before making additional threats of violence against him.

"Reap advised he believes the suspect is a resident of the apartment building and stated he wished to pursue criminal charges," the complaint continued. "I observed a large, fresh scratch on the back of Reap's head, along with redness in the same area, consistent with a recent physical altercation.”

Ludwig Kaiser has pled not guilty to a charge of battery

Based on the evidence, officers determined that probable cause existed for a simple battery charge to be filed. Barthel was said to have been identified through the use of surveillance footage and a police lineup, and turned himself in once an arrest warrant had been issued.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider is reporting that Barthel has pled not guilty to the charge against him, and has filed a motion with the court that would allow him to stay on the road with WWE while the legal process plays out.

"The motion notes that Barthel learned of the arrest warrant against him on May 19th while he was in Mexico and immediately flew back to Orlando to turn himself in yesterday," Johnson wrote in his report. "It also pointed out that he has no prior criminal record. The motion states that Barthel's job requires him to travel around the United States and internationally in order to maintain his employment."

WWE has yet to comment on Barthel's arrest. He's just days away from competing as El Grande Americano in a highly touted Mask vs. Mask Match against the Original El Grande Americano at AAA Noche de Los Grandes. It's too early to tell whether his arrest will keep him from being able to travel to Monterrey on May 30 for the show.

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