Buff Bagwell

At 54 years old, Buff Bagwell has this physical status:

Marcus Alexander Bagwell (born January 10, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor best known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell.

He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), from 1991 to 2001, where he was a five-time World Tag Team champion.

Personal life

Bagwell was critically injured in a car crash on April 23, 2012. Bagwell called his wife at 1:35 p.m. to alert her that he was going to suffer a seizure while driving, according to the Woodstock police report. He was subsequently admitted to WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, Georgia, where he was confined to the hospital's intensive care unit after suffering broken bones in his neck, face, and jaw. Bagwell would be all right, according to coworker and former tag team member Scott Norton, who posted a note on Twitter on April 24, confirming that the WCW was going to be all right. Bagwell's health was improving, but he'd still needed breathing tubes and feeding tubes, and would have surgery after the swelling in his face and neck disappeared, according to a release from Universal Championship Wrestling's brother John Bagwell. Bagwell's mother Judy was able to eat solid foods and was able to talk to TMZ on April 28, but not sure he had been taken off the breathing tube. Sting, the Steiner Brothers, and Diamond Dallas Page, three WCW alumni, have also been in touch with Bagwell since his death. Bagwell was able to walk again on May 3, but he had a tingling sensation in his arms and hands, but he had to leave via Twitter. UCW also said he had four plates surgically stitched in his face and that his jaw was wired shut after surgery.

Bagwell was involved in another serious car accident in his home state of Georgia on August 16, 2020. During the accident, Bagwell is believed to have been affected by prescription drugs. Several fractured ribs, a fractured right hip, a cracked left socket bone, a cracked nose, and a torn right groin muscle were among the injuries sustained in his accident.

Bagwell was arrested in Cobb County, Georgia, on May 22, 2021, on a total of 5 charges. These allegations involved speeding, strike and kill, as well as giving law enforcement officers incorrect names, address, or birthdate.

Bagwell filed a lawsuit against WWE for royalties from material he was featured on the WWE website on August 9, 2016. In December 2017, the lawsuit was dismissed.

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Professional wrestling career

Missy Hyatt was a keystone in Bagwell's entrance into wrestling. Bagwell, a boyhood baseball player, played for his family's lumber company as a child and served for his family's lumber company when he was a student at Sprayberry High School. He started an amateur boxing career after graduating from high school. Bagwell became a certified massage therapist before deciding to become a wrestler when the lumber company went bankrupt, but not before deciding to be a wrestler.

He began working as a Fabulous Fabian under Steve Lawler in 1990 and spent time in North Georgia Wrestling. He began wrestling with the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF) in 1991 as The Handsome Stranger, a Bill Eadie gimmick that saw Bagwell don a Lone Ranger-style mask and hand out roses to female supporters.

Bagwell was first employed by World Championship Wrestling, where he competed under his full name in 1991. Bagwell made his WCW debut on November 5 in a non-televised match, losing to Mike Graham. At Clash of the Champions XVII, where he was interviewed by Missy Hyatt, he would then wrestle a tryout match on November 11 and made his television debut as a fan favorite. He made his televised in-ring debut by defeating Rip Rogers on December 14 in World Championship Wrestling's December 14 episode. Bagwell made his pay-per-view debut at Starrcade, where he was paired with Jimmy Garvin against Michael Hayes and Tracy Smothers in a Lethal Lottery competition that concluded in Bagwell's victory against Bagwell and the fisherman suplex to qualify for the Battlebowl crown match later in the night, which Sting defeated. Bagwell won his first title shoot on the World Television Championships' January 11, 1992 edition against Steve Austin, but the bout was eventually decided in a ten-minute time limit draw. Bagwell would then begin feuding with the Taylor Made Man, which culminated in a match between the two teams at SuperBrawl II, which Bagwell won.

On the February 15 episode of World Championship Wrestling, Bagwell formed a tag team with Tom Zenk to compete with Taylor and his partner Greg Valentine over the United States Tag Team Championships, but failed to win the titles. In WrestleWar, Bagwell would lose a match to Scotty Flamingo. In the first round of Clash of the Champions XIX, the pair will qualify for the newly created NWA World Tag Team Championship, where they will lose to Rick Rude and Steve Austin in the first round. In a losing bid at Beach Blast, Bagwell will meet Greg Valentine. Bagwell and Zenk will fail in several title shoots as a team, but the pair sparked quietly and concentrated on their singles careers after losing little to no money as a group. Brad Armstrong would then form a short-lived tag team for the remainder of the year until the two teams split in early 1993.

On the February 20, 1993 episode of Worldwide Television Championships, Bagwell lost to Maxx Payne in the first round. Bagwell defeated Scotty Flamingo, Tex Slazenger, and Shanghai Pierce in a six-man tag team match on Saturday Night, on February 20th episode of Saturday Night. Bagwell and Scorpio will be forming a tag team as a result of this. Bagwell started a rivalry with The Hollywood Blonds (Brian Pillman and Steve Austin), which culminated in Bagwell collaborating with Erik Watts against the Hollywood Blonds in a tag team match at SuperBrawl III, which Bagwell's crew lost. Bagwell returned to work with Scorpio, and the team had a great deal against opponents like Bobby Eaton and Chris Benoit at Slamboree, Tex Slazenger and Shanghai Pierce at Fall Brawl, including Bobby Eaton and Chris Benoit. The tag team division's success earned them to qualify for the World Tag Team Championship, which made them a lock contender for the World Tag Team Championships. Bagwell and Scorpio defeated The Nasty Boys to win the World Tag Team Championship on Saturday Night's episode, marking Bagwell's first title victory in WCW. At Halloween Havoc, they lost the titles to The Nasty Boys.

Bagwell will be paired with Tex Slazenger against Rick Rude and Shanghai Pierce in a Battlebowl qualifier match at the Battlebowl pay-per-view on November 20, which Bagwell's team lost. Bagwell and Scorpio would then begin feuding with the newly formed team Pretty Wonderful, which culminated in a match at Starrcade that Pretty Wonderful won. However, Bagwell and Scorpio earned a title shot against Pretty Wonderful on Saturday Night's January 29, 1994 edition, but they failed in regaining the championships. On the last episode of Power Hour, Bagwell defeated Rick Rude for the International World Heavyweight Championship, which he lost. Scorpio was announced by WCW a short time after, effectively ending Bagwell and Scorpio's tag team.

Bagwell defeated Dick Slater and Chris Sullivan in their first match as a team on the May 28 episode of Worldwide, becoming a new tag team with The Patriot called Stars and Stripes. They were quickly accepted for the World Tag Team Championship and launched a competition with the champions Pretty Wonderful over the titles. Stars and Stripes defeated them in a rematch at The World Tag Team Championship on September 25 in Fall Brawl, marking Bagwell's second tenure with the title. At Halloween Havoc, they lost the titles to Pretty Wonderful, but they won the titles for the second time at Clash of the Champions XXIX. On December 8, they lost their titles to Harlem Heat, which aired on Saturday Night's January 14, 1995 episode. In rematches at Clash of the Champions XXX, stars and Stripes failed to reclaim the titles from Harlem Heat, the February 11 episode of Saturday Night and the March 5 episode of WorldWide.

On Saturday Night's April 29 episode, Bagwell will compete for the coveted United States Heavyweight Championship, losing to Meng in the first round. The Patriots joined WCW in May and Bagwell returned to singles action after making makeshift tag teams with Jim Duggan, Johnny B. Badd, and Alex Wright to reclaim the World Tag Team Championship, but were unable to win the titles.

Bagwell formed The American Males in their first match on Saturday Night, against State Patrol in their first match. On the September 18 episode of Monday Nitro, the newly formed team defeated Harlem Heat to win the World Tag Team Championship. On the October 28 episode of Saturday Night, the characters were lost to Harlem Heat. Bagwell participated in the first-ever World War 3 battle royal at the namesake event for the uncontested World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Randy Savage. On the December 4 episode of Nitro, the American Males faced Harlem Heat for the tag team championships, which they failed to win. The team would have no success after that and would have lost the majority of its games since 1996. Bagwell made only two pay-per-view appearances during this period, the first at The Great American Bash, where he lost to Diamond Dallas Page and the second at World War 3, where he appeared in the namesake match with the winner receiving a championship shot for the World Heavyweight Championship but failed to win the contest.

After turning on his partner Scotty Riggs on November 25, 1996, Bagwell joined the New World Order (nWo). Vicious and Delicious joined him shortly and formed a tag team with Scott Norton. He renamed himself to Buff Bagwell and formed Vicious and Delicious. He began stretching his muscles and would film himself insulting his opponents. Although competing for the nWo, he also competed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as a member of nWo Japan, the NJPW's NJPW-based version of the nWo. When he returned to America, he started a rivalry with Lex Luger, which culminated in Bagwell defeating him at Starrcade.

Bagwell fought in a tag team match against Rick Steiner and Lex Luger, who were representing the nWo) on April 22, 1998. They won when Scott Steiner intervened on his behalf. Rick attempted his diving bulldog finishing move, but it ended in Bagwell's head striking Steiner's back, jamming his neck, and seriously injuring him right away. Bagwell was diagnosed with multiple fractured vertebrae and spinal shock, causing him to use a wheelchair and neck brace for a few months. He returned months later for an interview only to be booed by Hollywood Hogan and led to the entryway floor. After recovering from neck surgery, the wheelchair-ridden Bagwell returned to WCW in his home state of Georgia on July 6, Georgia. Bagwell had a new attitude, even calling out Rick Steiner to ask him for his forgiveness. However, Bagwell disciplined Rick, when fellow nWo member Scott Steiner assaulted him with a steel chair, reaffirming his link to Hogan and the nWo. Bagwell recovered from his wheelchair and assisted Scott in defeating Rick. The nWo groups reunited in January 1999, bringing Bagwell and Steiner to the nWo Wolfpact. Bagwell mistakenly hit Steiner with a chair, costing him the World Television Championship.

Bagwell became embroiled in a feud with WCW President Ric Flair and Vice President Roddy Piper in June 1999 after claiming he was being detained back. Bagwell triumphed in a three-round boxing match against Piper at Bash at the Beach. When Berlyn launched a fight against Bagwell in September 1999, he feuded with him, but at Fall Brawl, Bagwell was late arriving to the arena, and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan replaced him. Bagwell lost to Berlyn due to his bodyguard, The Wall's presence. In a retirement match against Curt Hennig in November, he defeated him. After making allegations against Page's wife Kimberly, Bagwell argued with Diamond Dallas Page. Bagwell was one of the first to join Eric Bischoff's New Blood alliance in 1999, forming a tag team with Shane Douglas while both were members. Bagwell and Douglas captured the World Tag Team Championship from Ric Flair and Lex Luger, giving Bagwell his fifth World Tag Team Championship reign and reigniting their rivalry with Luger from two years ago. Luger defeated Bagwell with the Torture Rack at Slamboree. Following a Thunder taping in Springfield, Illinois, Bagwell punched and yelled racist slurs at WCW crew member Darrell Miller as he and Bagwell began arguing when Miller attempted to carry equipment through a doorway in which Bagwell was standing. Bagwell was charged with battery by the Sangamon County, Illinois State's Attorney's Office six days later. In response, WCW suspended Bagwell for thirty days and stripped him of his half of the World Tag Team Championship.

Bagwell attempted to capture the World Tag Team Championship with Douglas once more on his return home, but was unsuccessful. At the beach, Bagwell, now with Torrie Wilson, fought Douglas Douglas at Bash, but lost when Wilson distracted him and sided with Douglas. Bagwell launched a rivalry with Chris Kanyon, who started stalking him and intimidating Bagwell's mother Judy as a psychological tactic. Bagwell eventually defeated Kanyon in a match in which Judy was banned from a forklift. Despite actor David Arquette's surprise intervention, he rescued his mother. Miss Hancock, David Flair's storyline companion, unexpectedly became pregnant in August 2000. Flair quickly accused Bagwell of defiling Bagwell, which resulted in a First Blood match at Halloween Havoc, with Flair attempting to obtain a sample of Bagwell's blood to show that he was the father of Hancock's child. Despite Bagwell's victorious, Flair was able to obtain his blood sample when Bagwell's nemesis Lex Luger assaulted him after the match. Bagwell was then revealed not to be the father, and the entire pregnancy was discovered to have been a fabrication.

Bagwell, a backstage interviewer who had returned to Goldberg, betrayed him at Starrcade by attempting to cost him his match with Lex Luger. Bagwell's attempts were fruitless, but he did a good job at Goldberg with a steel chair after he had pinned Luger. Despite feuding in the past, Bagwell and Luger joined and became Known as Totally Buff. After a fan maced Goldberg, Bagwell was allowed to pin him, purely Buff would face Goldberg at Sin. Goldberg was, in storyline, dismissed due to a stipulation in the match. Completely Buff, a member of Ric Flair's Magnificent Seven stable, stayed with them until their departure. Bagwell went to the WWF, but Luger denied.

Bagwell was one of the first AOL Time Warner contracted wrestlers to accept the World Wrestling Federation's (WWF)'s purchase of WCW in March 2001. Bagwell met Booker T at a house show on July 1, 2001, making his WWF televised debut on Raw is War against WCW Championship Booker T. Following Stone Cold Steve Austin's interference, Kurt Angle and Stone Cold Steve Austin's interference brought the match to a no-contest. Many have called the match "the worst match ever," according to sports journalist Michael Landsberg, who said Bagwell is "not a great wrestler." As Bagwell arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, he was informed he was going to be fired from his job due to rumors about his appearance and an altercation with fellow WCW alumnus Shane Helms. Bagwell was also accused of fabricating an injury at the SmackDown on July 3! Since being given an aided powerbomb from the Acolytes Protection Agency, tapings have occurred. Judy Baeff was also suspected of requesting that her son recover from an injury allegedly inflicted on Bagwell from the aided powerbomb and a complaint about her son's travel plans. Bagwell, on the other hand, maintains that he never knew why he was fired from the WWF.

Bagwell began working with the World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA) in October 2001 for its tour of Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The Inception, Bagwell's first pay-per-view event, the first WWA World Heavyweight Champion was crowned in a tournament. He won a battle royal to advance to the second round but lost in the semi-finals to Jeff Jarrett. In December 2001, the tour came to an end. Bagwell returned to Australia in April 2002 for his second tour with WWA, and in December and December 2002, the two tours in Dublin and the United Kingdom followed.

Bagwell appeared on TNA's Impact on June 27, 2006, after making multiple appearances with NWA: Total Nonstop Action (now Impact Wrestling) in 2002 and 2003. On May 14, he was the first of Sting's potential tag team partners for Sacrifice. Bagwell appeared on Impact's September 28 episode. Several segments, including a press conference, a video archive, and a live segment where he briefly brawled with Jeff Jartt, were included in a series. Bagwell and Ron Killings defeated David Young and Elix Skipper on December 15, 2006, and Bagwell and Ron Killings defeated David Young and Elix Skipper, and Bagwell and Rhino defeated David Young and Elix Skipper in two live events in TNA, and the following night, Bagwell and Rhino defeated David Young and Elix Skipper. Bagwell proclaimed at a live event in Florida in 2008 that he would have liked to work with TNA because it reminded him of his days in WCW.

Following his release from the WWF, Bagwell began working for Jimmy Hart's newly formed X Wrestling Federation, which taped television matches at Universal Studios Florida on November 12 and 13. 2001. Bagwell, the XWF, toured Europe and Australia with the World Wrestling All-Stars. He won an open battle royal in the fall of 2001 before losing to Jeff Jarrett in the semi-finals of the WWA World Heavyweight Championship tournament. He was on tour in the United Kingdom and defeated Stevie Ray in numerous matches. He continued with the WWA until 2002, where he took part in the Eruption pay-per-view in April. He team up with his WWA rival Stevie Ray in an unsuccessful battle against Brian Christopher and Ernest Miller this time. He toured the United Kingdom and took part in the Retribution pay-per-view in the fall of 2002. During this tour, he played in the main event as a tag team match involving Sting, Lex Luger, and Nathan Jones. He and Johnny Swinger teamed up with Johnny Swinger to face Norman Smiley and Malice in a losing battle.

Bagwell has returned to wrestling on the independent circuit, most notable for the National Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) territory Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Universal Championship Wrestling since his last appearance in TNA.

Bagwell recovered from his injury and won the American Premier Wrestling's Heavyweight Championship in early March 2013 after defeating "Cowboy" Jeremy Young at APW's Brawl VI tournament.

Bagwell appeared in the JT Lightning Invitational Tournament hosted by Absolute Intense Wrestling, where he defeated Jock Samson in the first round before losing to Ethan Page in the quarterfinals.

In a free show starring several former WWE & WCW stars, Bagwell defeated Jerry Lawler in Memphis on October 19, 2017.

In November 2017, Bagwell traveled to Christchurch, New Zealand, to compete for Ultimate Championship Wrestling's (UCW) Sole Survivor in a tag team match. He was aided by Haydn Daniels in defeating the Southern Wrecking Crew.

Bagwell failed in a UCW Heavyweight Championship match against former WWE star Rob Conway in September 2018. At UCW's "A Tribute Fit for a King" tournament, a former WWE star fought unsuccessfully against former WWE star Rob Conway. It was the first time Bagwell and Conway met together.

The nWo (Bagwell, Scott Norton, and X-Pac) competed against the No New Friends of Glory Pro Wrestling #Unsanctioned competition on October 19, 2018.

Bagwell's podcast "Rebuilding Buff" debuted in 2021. Since its debut, Bagwell has been involved in rumors of him being turned down for therapy and attacks on Alan Funk.

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