Career Timeline of Ludwig Kaiser: Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Ludwig Kaiser, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Ludwig Kaiser, formerly known as Marcel Barthel, is a German professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, performing on the Raw brand. He is a member of the stable Imperium. Kaiser is known for his time in NXT and NXT UK before joining the main roster. He is often paired with Gunther and Giovanni Vinci as part of Imperium, known for their emphasis on wrestling's tradition and sanctity.
January 2009: Debut in Westside Xtreme Wrestling
In January 2009, Marcel Barthel, wrestling as Axel Dieter Jr., made his debut for Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), losing to Dan Marshall.
July 2012: Teaming with Da Mack
In July 2012, Axel Dieter Jr. teamed with Da Mack to defeat Walter and Michael Isotov in wXw. This led to them forming the team 'Hot & Spicy'.
November 2013: wXw World Tag Team Championship Win
On November 16, 2013, Axel Dieter Jr. and Da Mack defeated The AUTsiders to win the wXw World Tag Team Championship.
March 2014: wXw World Tag Team Championship Reign
In March 2014, Axel Dieter Jr. and Da Mack lost the wXw World Tag Team Championship, only to win it back in a rematch the next day.
April 2014: wXw Shotgun Championship Opportunity
In April 2014, Axel Dieter Jr. received his first opportunity at the wXw Shotgun Championship, but was defeated by Axel Tischer.
October 2014: End of Tag Team Championship Reign
On October 18, 2014, Axel Dieter Jr. and Da Mack were defeated by French Flavour, ending their reign as wXw World Tag Team Champions.
February 2015: Four Nations Cup Win
In February 2015, Axel Dieter Jr. won the Four Nations Cup by defeating Timothy Thatcher in the final.
March 2016: 16 Carat Gold Tournament
In March 2016, Axel Dieter Jr. participated in the 16 Carat Gold Tournament, advancing to the final but losing to Zack Sabre Jr.
January 2017: Progress Wrestling Debut
On January 15, 2017, Axel Dieter Jr. made his debut for Progress Wrestling, teaming with Walter to defeat The London Riots.
March 2017: Losing the wXw Unified World Wrestling Title
In March 2017, Axel Dieter Jr. lost the wXw Unified World Wrestling Title to Jurn Simmons.
2017: Signs with WWE
In 2017, Marcel Barthel signed with WWE and began performing on the Raw brand as Ludwig Kaiser, becoming a member of Imperium.
August 8, 2018: NXT Television Debut
On August 8, 2018, Marcel Barthel made his television debut on NXT, where he was defeated by Keith Lee.
October 2018: Return to wXw
In October 2018, it was confirmed that Axel Dieter Jr. would return to wXw as part of their 18th Anniversary Show.
December 2018: Progress Wrestling Appearance
On December 30, 2018, Axel Dieter Jr. made a surprise appearance at Progress' Unboxing event, where he was defeated by Eddie Dennis.
March 2019: 16 Carat Gold Tournament Participation
In March 2019, Axel Dieter Jr. participated in the 16 Carat Gold Tournament, being eliminated in the quarter final by Lucky Kid.
May 13, 2020: NXT Tag Team Championship Win
On May 13, 2020, Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner defeated Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher to win the NXT Tag Team Championship.
April 2, 2022: NXT Tag Team Championship Loss
On April 2, 2022, Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to MSK in a triple threat tag team match.
2023: Drafted to Raw Brand
In 2023, Ludwig Kaiser and his Imperium stablemates were drafted to the Raw brand as part of the WWE Draft.
April 23, 2024: Attack on Giovanni Vinci
On April 23, 2024, on Raw, Ludwig Kaiser attacked Giovanni Vinci after losing to The New Day.
November 2024: Return to wXw
On November 23, 2024, Ludwig Kaiser returned to wXw for the first time since 2019 at Broken Rykes.
November 30, 2024: Intercontinental Championship Match
On November 30, 2024, at Survivor Series, Ludwig Kaiser lost his first title match for the Intercontinental Championship against Bron Breakker and Sheamus.
February 1, 2025: Royal Rumble Entry
On February 1, 2025, Ludwig Kaiser entered the Royal Rumble match at #13 but was quickly eliminated by Penta.
