Additional details have surfaced regarding the recent arrest of Ludwig Kaiser — also known in AAA storylines as El Grande Americano — following reports that the World Wrestling Entertainment star was taken into custody earlier this week in Orange County, Florida.
Kaiser, whose real name is Marcel Barthel, was arrested on May 20, 2026 and charged with battery after allegedly being involved in an altercation with another resident at his apartment building.
In a new update on the situation, former WrestlingInc.com owner Raj Giri shared what he described as information he had heard regarding Kaiser’s version of events.
“This is what I heard regarding the Ludwig Kaiser situation. He was in the apartment elevator with Andrea Bazarte and they were being affectionate, but nothing crazy or out of the ordinary.
[Richard] Reap allegedly didn’t say anything in the elevator but once he got out on the 12th floor, he allegedly said something to Kaiser to the effect of ‘you need to show some f’n respect before I call ICE on that b**ch.’
Kaiser got out of the elevator and they had a little scuffle, but no punches were apparently thrown.”
Following Giri’s post, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful commented on the report via Facebook, noting that similar information had been circulating privately but had not yet been independently verified.
“This is the story from Kaiser/WWEs side. Someone messaged it to me today but I couldn’t get the parties to verify.”
The new claims differ from details contained within the original arrest affidavit, which alleged that Kaiser physically assaulted the complainant outside the elevator following a confrontation regarding behavior inside the elevator.
At this stage, the full circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, and no court ruling or final legal determination has been made regarding the allegations.
The situation has generated substantial discussion throughout the wrestling industry in recent days, particularly given Kaiser’s rising profile within WWE and his current involvement in AAA crossover programming.
Kaiser remains scheduled to compete against Chad Gable in a Mask vs. Mask match at AAA Noche de los Grandes on May 30.
This is what I heard regarding the Ludwig Kaiser situation. He was in the apartment elevator with Andrea Bazarte and they were being affectionate, but nothing crazy or out of the ordinary.
Reap allegedly didn’t say anything in the elevator but once he got out on the 12th floor,… pic.twitter.com/HcsNc4onUj
— Raj Giri (@TheRajGiri) May 21, 2026
