ORLANDO, Fla. – A WWE wrestler is accused of throwing punches outside the ring and now faces a battery charge in downtown Orlando. Police say the wrestler attacked a man outside an elevator at a downtown apartment complex.
This is Ludwig Kaiser, also known as El Grande Americano, a WWE wrestler. Orlando police say the 35-year-old, whose real name is Marcel Barthel, was arrested Wednesday on a battery charge after allegedly attacking a neighbor at an apartment complex on East Pine Street.
According to the police report, the incident started inside an elevator when the victim said Barthel and a woman walked in kissing aggressively, which he described as “uncontrollably intimate.” The victim told police that when the elevator doors opened on the 12th floor, he asked them to “please have some manners,” and Barthel then punched him several times in the face and knocked him to the ground.
Kevin, who lives in the building and follows WWE, said he was surprised.
“You never really hear about something like that happening at an apartment complex in general,” he said.
Police say officers arrived around 6:30 p.m. and found the victim with a scratch and redness on the back of his head that appeared consistent with a recent fight. Kevin said the allegations were shocking given Barthel’s profile.
“Hearing about someone like that — a known person around here who’s been on Netflix and wrestling shows — that’s a little surprising,” he said.
Police say Barthel turned himself in Wednesday. Records show he posted a $1,000 bond and listed his address as the same apartment complex where the incident happened. Court records show he pleaded not guilty, and his attorney filed a motion asking a judge to allow him to travel for work. The filing says he was in Mexico when he learned there was a warrant for his arrest.