Ludwig Kaiser’s defense team lost a key decision on Monday (Oct. 19) when a judge denied its motion to dismiss his ongoing battery case under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law.
Kaiser (real name Marcel Barthel) was arrested on May 20, 2026, in Orange County, Florida, on a battery charge. The German wrestler was later released after making bail. TMZ reported it had obtained a police report on the incident, which occurred on April 23 in the building where Kaiser was living.
According to TMZ, the report
said Kaiser was in an elevator with a female companion (later revealed to be his girlfriend, AAA talent Andrea Bazarte), and the two started kissing and became “uncontrollably intimate.” After the elevator stopped at the 12th floor, a neighbor told the couple to “please have some manners,” which led to Kaiser allegedly punching the man repeatedly, pushing him to the ground, and threatening him.
Kaiser flew back to Florida and turned himself in after learning about an arrest warrant while in Mexico on May 19. He was placed in custody and released on $1,000 bond. His attorney entered a “not guilty” plea on his behalf.
Legal documents later filed by Kaiser’s defense team described a much different scene of what allegedly occurred during the April elevator ride.
According to the filing, the neighbor “was offended by Mr. Barthel and his girlfriend hugging while in the elevator,” and the man said to them something along the lines of “have some f***ing respect.” The filing continued by saying Kaiser asked for clarification about the comment, resulting in the neighbor making “a statement to the effect of, ‘Have some respect before I call I.C.E. on that bitch.’” (Bazarte is of Mexican descent.)
In Kaiser’s account, he pushed the neighbor in order to protect Bazarte, and the man threw a soft drink bottle at the wrestler. According to the defense, there were no physical blows during the incident.
But on Monday, records show that Judge Andrew L. Cameron shot down the attempt by Kaiser’s legal team to dismiss under “Stand Your Ground”. The next step in the case will be a pre-trial conference scheduled for December 17, where the two sides can attempt to reach a resolution or decide if the case is going to trial.
Meanwhile, Kaiser has been able to actively compete in AAA as Grande Americano after the court cleared him for international travel, even winning the promotion’s AAA Mega Championship from Dominik Mysterio last month at Triplemania 34.
