By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ludwig Kaiser (Marcel Barthel) hopes to end his legal trouble in Florida. The WWE wrestler filed a motion to dismiss the misdemeanor battery charge that was filed against him following an altercation with another resident at an apartment complex.
Complainant Richard Reap accused Kaiser of attacking him following an incident in an elevator on April 23 in Orange County, Florida. Reap told police that he entered the apartment building’s elevator around 6:30 p.m. and was followed by a white male and a white female. Reap claims the couple acted “uncontrollably intimate” while aggressively kissing once the elevator ascended. Reap said he exited the elevator after it reached the 12th floor and told the couple to “please have some manners.”
Kaiser’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss on Wednesday, citing the state’s Stand Your Ground law, which says that a person is justified in using or threatening to use non-lethal force as self-defense. The filing also includes Kaiser’s version of the incident.
Kaiser claims that he and his girlfriend were hugging in the elevator. Kaiser adds that when Reap exited the elevator, he essentially told him and his girlfriend to have some f—ing respect. He also alleges that Reap said, “Have some respect before I call ICE on that bitch.” The filing notes that Barthel’s girlfriend is of Mexican descent.
Kaiser claims he told Reap that his comments were inappropriate. He also alleges that Reap aggressively approached him. Kaiser said he shoved Reap before returning to the elevator, but Reap approached him in a threatening manner. Kaiser said that after more shoving, Reap threw a soft drink bottle at him. The full report is available via the Orange County court records.
Powell’s POV: A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Orange County. The two parties tell very different stories. The apartment complex’s surveillance system captured footage of what occurred outside the elevator. If Reap called Kaiser’s girlfriend a bitch and/or threw a soft drink bottle, he’s lucky that he didn’t tell the police his story from a hospital bed. Of course, there are two sides to the story, and it’s up to the court to determine what actually occurred and whether Kaiser committed a crime. But the moral of the story, in my opinion, is that if a couple is hugging or kissing in an elevator you’re sharing, just shut the f— up and walk away once you get to your floor. There are bigger things to worry about than a public display of affection.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
Be the first to comment