Less than two weeks before the biggest match of his career, WWE star Ludwig Kaiser was arrested in Florida on Wednesday. Kaiser has been working as El Grande Americano since last year under the Raw and AAA brands.
According to TMZ, Kaiser was arrested for battery following an incident with a neighbor back on April 23. The incident reportedly began after the neighbor stepped inside the elevator with Kaiser and a woman he was with.
It’s unclear if the woman was Andrea Bazarte, whom the WWE star has been dating since late last year. Kaiser and the woman then began making out in front of the neighbor, turning the situation a bit awkward.
The neighbor allegedly told the couple to “please have some manners,” which possibly led to the altercation. TMZ reported that Kaiser allegedly pummeled his neighbor and shoved him to the floor.
The 35-year-old star whose real name is Marcel Barthel was booked into the Orange County Jail in Florida. He was able to post a $1,000 bail and was released immediately.
Ludwig Kaiser Pleads Not Guilty
According to a court filing obtained by Ringside News, Ludwig Kaiser has pleaded not guilty on the battery charge. Kaiser has reportedly waited arraignment, with his representatives filing a Notice of Intent to Participate in Discovery. It means that his lawyer is looking to get access to the evidence from the investigation.
The court filing also revealed that Kaiser is looking to get permission to travel out of the state and out of the country while the case remains active. He’s set to wrestle Original El Grande Americano on May 30 at Noches de Los Grandes in Monterrey, Mexico in a Mask vs. Mask match.
The story between two El Grande Americanos has taken over AAA, so it’s an important matter, not just for Kaiser, but also for WWE. However, the company has yet to make a statement regarding the arrest of one of their stars.
Ringside News also reported that Kaiser was in Mexico when the arrest warrant was issued. He quickly returned to the United States to deal with the matter.
WWE Hall of Famer on Ludwig Kaiser Embracing El Grande Americano Character
While El Grande Americano has been a heel on Raw in the United States, he’s a huge Babyface in Mexico. Ludwig Kaiser has immersed himself into the character, which fans recognized immediately.
WWE Hall of Famer John “Bradshaw” Layfield shared in an episode of Something To Wrestle podcast back in October has Kaiser embraced the new gimmick.
“I was watching Grande Americano talk to Konnan backstage in Spanish,” JBL said, via Sportskeeda. “He didn’t know Spanish two months ago. They were sitting there talking Spanish. It looks like he’s fluent. I think he’s more conversational, but it’s remarkable. I mean, he has worked incredibly hard to do what he’s done. He’s been going down to Mexico. He’s getting involved in the culture. I mean, he is going all in on this character. It’s really impressive what he’s doing.”
It will be interesting to see if Kaiser’s arrest will have an effect on his upcoming Mask vs. Match against Original El Grande Americano.
Ludwig Kaiser Arrested: More Details About What Happened to WWE Star Revealed