83 Weeks - Buff Bagwell [Show Notes] (Patreon)

This week on 83 Weeks we’re discussing Marcus Alexander Buff Bagwell. Let’s get into it!

Marcus Alexander Bagwell was born on January 10, 1970 in Marietta, GA. This year (2023) marks his 53rd birthday.

DDP’s Impact on the wrestling business

He was a Golden Gloves boxing champion in his weight class growing up and obviously did some acting… He appeared as an extra in 1989’s No Holds Barred. Did you ever discuss this with Buff?

He finally settled on a wrestling career - and according to Buff he credits Missy Hyatt - who was his then next door neighbor - for getting into the wrestling business. Did you ever hear this connection?

Bagwell is trained by Steve Lawler and works with Joe Pedicino before moving to Global Wrestling Federation where he was mentored by Eddie Gilbert - Missy’s then husband - and Scott Levy who we all know is Raven. He is the ideal person to get into the business - young, good looking, great body. When you look back at things it is surprising he never landed on Vince’s radar back then considering he loved this type of look isn’t it?

He’s known as the Handsome Stranger - which is just him wearing a Zorro mask and small white tights. There’s a lot to work with here isn’t there?

You arrive in WCW a few months before Marcus Bagwell enters the company and the story is that Dusty had Magnum TA call Buff to come in. What was Magnum’s role in the company back then do you know?

When do you remember seeing Bagwell for the first time? Late 1991? What did you think of him?

His first match with the company is a dark match at a WCW Worldwide taping in Gainesville where he loses to Mike Graham before he has another dark match at Center Stage…

Very quickly Bagwell makes it to a major stage. His TV debut is with Missy Hyatt at Clash of the Champions XVII in Savannah and he’s portrayed as the newest rookie being trained by Mike Graham & Dustin Rhodes. You had to think the company had big plans for him right?

Just a few matches in - Bagwell is in a big spot at Starrcade 91 where he will open the show in a Lethal Lottery match teaming with Jim Garvin to defeat Michael Hayes & Tracy Smothers to earn a shot in the BattleBowl. This is all about getting Bagwell exposure and working with some really good workers right?

In the main event Bagwell would eliminate Thomas Rich and he makes it to the final 6 with some big names - Steve Austin who would eliminate him, Vader, Sting, Ricky Steamboat, Scott Steiner & Rick Rude. Now bad company for the rookie is it?

In early 1992 Bagwell begins a program with Stunning Steve Austin, then the World TV Champion. The feud leads to Bagwell teaming with the likes of Sting, the Steiners, Tom Zenk, Brian Pillman, and Ricky Steamboat against members of Paul E. Dangerously’s Dangerous Alliance (Steve Austin, Larry Zbyszko, Arn Anderson, and Beautiful Bobby Eaton). This feels like a big opportunity for Bagwell and he’s being put with some big time players. Does this show the confidence the company had in him?

At SuperBrawl II on February 29th, Bagwell picked up a win over Terry Taylor, then going under the gimmick the “Taylor Made Man.” This is all Terry Taylor was being used for back then - but still a win on a pay-per-view is a big deal is it not?

Bagwell kept wrestling individual matches throughout ‘92 but spent a great deal of time teaming with Tom Zenk (aka the Z-Man), competing for the US, NWA, and WCW World Tag Team titles. They battled the Fabulous Freebirds and Steve Williams & Terry Gordy. He had a feud during this time with Greg Valentine in both singles and tag competition, even teaming with Shane Douglas to defeat Valentine and Dick Slater on October 4, 1992 in Valentine’s last match in WCW. There’s also rumors of him getting calf implants at this time as well. What was your relationship like with Marcus at this time and what was your impression of him?

From January ‘93 to November ‘96 Bagwell had major tag team runs with a few different partners. First was a short-lived team with Brad Armstrong during the early part of 1993. They appeared together a few times on Worldwide, WCW Power Hour, and at some house shows. But their only major matches were against the future Hollywood Blondes, Brian Pillman & Steve Austin (one loss and one win by DQ) and a house show victory over the interesting combination of Tony Atlas & Vinnie Vegas.

We don’t spend a ton of time talking about Tony Atlas here on the show. What do you remember about his 1993 run and his partnership with a young Kevin Nash - and did you see his most recent Twitter video?

Bagwell teamed briefly with Erik Watts, losing to Pillman & Austin at Superbrawl III, before joining up with his first major partner, 2 Cold Scorpio on the March 1st episode of WCW Main Event.

By this point in ‘93, how much hand do you have in creative when it comes to partnering guys together? With Bagwell, up to this point, it feels like we don’t know what to do with him, so we keep trying new partners.

What was your overall philosophy when creating teams in this era?

What do you remember about 2 Cold Scorpio coming into the company, and why was he the right fit to be Bagwell’s partner?

Here’s something interesting. On the April 6th episode of Worldwide from the Municipal Auditorium in Columbus, GA, Bagwell & Scorpio go to a 17-minute time limit draw against the Hollywood Blondes in a Computer Contenders Challenge for the unified NWA/WCW tag team titles. Years before the internet chat rooms, Taboo Tuesday, and other computer-based ideas, you would have these Computer Contenders Challenges a few times in this era.

Who came up with the concept and how did it work behind the scenes?

Bagwell and Scorpio continued working with the Hollywood Blondes for the tag titles on house shows, losing by pinfall. But they finally picked up a win over the tag champs on the May 19th episode of Power Hour by DQ. After their program with the Blondes wraps up, Bagwell and Scorpio finish out 1993 working on TV and house show loops against Shanghai Pierce & Tex Slazenger, Harlem Heat, and the Nasty Boys. Of course, this is when the Nasties are fresh off of their relatively successful WWF run.

Eric, what do you remember about the Nasty Boys coming in here?

Was Marcus dealing with issues on getting over?

Well, it finally happens. Bagwell & Scorpio, now managed by Teddy Long, win the tag titles from the Nasty Boys on the October 4th episode of Saturday Night in 14:44. Buuuuuuut they only have them for about three weeks, then lose them back to the Nasties at Halloween Havoc in 14:38.

Is the decision to take the belts off of Bagwell and Scorpio because you don’t have confidence in them to draw, or is it more about building the Nasty Boys?

Bagwell & Scorpio continue their feud against the Nasties at house shows and on WCW Saturday Night, losing each time. In early 1994 Bagwell & Scorpio pick up two DQ victories over the Nasty Boys but that’s about it for the team. By early April, Scorpio is out of the company and Bagwell suddenly finds himself wrestling International World Heavyweight Champion Rick Rude in televised matches on Worldwide and Power Hour.

At this point Bagwell’s been in WCW for about three years. He’s had several tag team partners, won the titles with 2 Cold Scorpio, has been wrestling low-to-mid card singles matches on house shows and weekly TV, and now he’s suddenly challenging  Rick Rude for the International World Heavyweight Championship!

Eric, is it that we don’t know what to do with Bagwell, or is it that you just have so much confidence in him that you plug him in wherever needed?

In May of 1994, Bagwell formed a new team with the Patriot (Del Wilkes) called Stars and Stripes.

Eric, did you play a role in bringing in the Patriot, and why was it the right move to pair him with Bagwell?

Did Bagwell have any kind of input in a situation like this, or was he just told this was the creative?

Del Wilkes had success with the Patriot gimmick in the GWF, before his time in WCW, and in the WWF, after his WCW run. So it feels like he’s the focus of the team and we’re just using Bagwell to support the Patriot gimmick. Is that the case here?

Stars & Stripes are quickly moved into the tag title picture, feuding with then-champions Pretty Wonderful (Paul Roma & Paul Orndorff). The two teams feud for the summer and into early fall, when Stars & Stripes win the tag titles on the September 25th episode of Main Event. BUUUUUUT, just like Bagwell’s previous tag title reign, this one ends pretty quick. Pretty Wonderful retake the titles at Halloween Havoc 1994. The see saw ride continues, when Stars & Stripes regain the tag titles at Clash of the Champions 29 on November 16th. BUUUUT they lose the titles again on the December 8th episode of Saturday Night to Harlem Heat. Then the Patriot is gone by early 1995 and Bagwell is back to singles competition. Was it hard to get anything going with Bagwell? Did you see potential in him to be bigger but maybe he just didn’t have it?

Why was Del Wilkes’ run so short here?

Throughout ‘95 Bagwell has a random series of partners, including Jim Duggan, Johnny B. Badd, and Alex Wright. Then he teams up with Scotty Riggs (Scott Antol) to form the American Males on the August 21st episode of Saturday Night to defeat Lt. James Earl Wright & Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker.

What do you remember about Scotty Riggs coming in? I’ll also put the same question to you as with 2 Cold Scorpio and Del Wilkes: Why was he a good fit to work with Bagwell?

The American Males gimmick looked like it was inspired by early 90s boy bands like Color Me Badd or what you might think of as 90s male models. In your opinion, what inspired the American Males gimmick?

Their theme song is memorable with its driving beat and that repetitive “American Males. American Males. American Males.” Is this a Jimmy Hart composition? As we’ve heard on this show before, a lot of theme songs were part of the Turner library. But then we had songs like “American Males” that were – correct me if I’m wrong – originals. Where did you recruit musicians for these originals?

Now the real question, Eric. What do we have to do to get you to sing the “American Males” theme song?

On September 18th, 1995, the American Males defeated Harlem Heat to capture the tag titles on the third episode of Monday Nitro. BUUUUUUUT on the October 11th episode of Saturday Night, they drop the titles back to Harlem Heat.

I know I brought this up earlier, but at this point is Bagwell expressing any anxiety over these short title reigns? Moreover, how are Kevin Sullivan and other folks behind the scenes seeing Bagwell?

Bagwell and Riggs both competed in the 1995 World War III match for the vacant World Heavyweight Title eventually won by Randy Savage, then chased Harlem Heat for the tag titles into 1996 without success. For most of ‘96 they lost low-to-mid card matches to the Steiners, Lex Luger & Sting, Arn Anderson & Ric Flair, and the Faces of Fear. Bagwell did compete in two PPV singles matches during that time, including a match against Diamond Dallas Page at the Great American Bash in June and as part of the second World War III match in November, which was won by the Giant.

As the nWo begins to build - did you target Marcus as someone who could be good for the gimmick?

We start to see trouble brewing between the American Males that comes to head in November ‘96. On the November 18th episode of Nitro, the American Males lose to the Amazing French Canadians after “Jacques Rougeau pinned Marcus Alexander Bagwell after Riggs kicked Rougeau in the back, Rougeau noggin-knocked Bagwell, and Oulette rolled a semi-conscious Rougeau on top of a semi-conscious Bagwell.” On that same episode of Nitro Eric Bischoff, during an altercation with Roddy Piper, is revealed as an nWo member.

The next week Bischoff issues an ultimatum to the WCW locker room, saying they have 30 days to join the nWo or suffer the consequences. Bagwell comes down the ramp to join but Riggs follows, trying to talk him out of it. Then Bagwell turns heel on him, becoming the newest nWo member.

Eric, we’ve talked about this before. But here we are in November ‘96. The nWo is white hot.

• Once we have our core members like Hogan, Hall, Nash, Dibiase, Syxx, etc. established, what is your criteria for new members? In other words, what made you see Bagwell as a proper addition, rather than Scotty Riggs?
• You’ve also talked before about A-story lines, B-story lines, and C-story lines. At this initial stage, where did you see Bagwell in that structure?

The transition from Marcus to Buff takes place…Let’s also talk about how Bagwell changed his appearance in this period. He transitions from the American Male coiffed hair, clean-cut look to something more edgy with a goatee, short hair, and a bull-rope tattoo on his left bicep. It’s about this time in early ‘97 that he starts calling himself “Buff” Bagwell, acting conceited. Is this change part of the creative that goes with the new character, or is this Bagwell’s idea?

From the Observer:

“According to reports we've received, the Marcus Bagwell movie "Day of the Warrior" makes Hogan movies look like Masterpiece Theater. Bagwell plays a character known as "The Supreme Warrior" (I guess that tells you who they wanted for the movie) in a loin cloth and face paint building to a 30 second final fight scene against a Penthouse Playmate who he head-butts in the breast and gets knocked out by and pinned.”

Is this your favorite scene in Day of the Warrior?

Bagwell defeats Riggs at Souled Out ‘97, Uncensored ‘97, and at some house shows, but it never feels like we got the pay off with this feud. Why didn’t you feel that these two would draw money?

It looks like Buff might be primed for a singles push here, then we see him form ANOTHER tag team with Scott Norton called Vicious & Delicious. Why pair him with Norton here?

Vicious & Delicious competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling in February as part of nWo Japan. In early ‘97 while you’re building the nWo brand. How are you conceiving of the relationship between what’s going on in the States with the nWo and what’s going on in Japan?

Bagwell then starts a feud with the Steiner Brothers in July that would go on into 1998. Most of the time he teamed with Norton. But sometimes he teams with Konnan and there’s even a Nitro where he’s with Kevin Nash. Along the way, Buff takes a break from his feud with the Steiners to team with Kevin Nash, Konnan, and Syxx to defeat the Four Horsemen (Chris Benoit, Curt Hennig, Mongo McMichael, and Ric Flair) in the War Games match at Fall Brawl. What did Flair think about working with Buff?

The biggest win of Buff’s career to that point comes at Starrcade 97 over Lex Luger.

Observer 1/5/98:

Buff Bagwell pinned Lex Luger in 16:36. This feud is elevating Bagwell's career as he continually takes credit for beating Luger on flukes, but it also shows Bagwell's limitations as a worker as he can't even come close to carrying Luger to a decent match. Way too long and boring. At one point Bagwell called for Vincent to come out. Vincent did some interfering. Finally Luger made the comeback but it wound up with Bagwell knocking Luger into ref Billy Silverman, who took a bump. Luger racked Bagwell, but no ref. Savage did a run-in but Luger racked him, but again no ref. Norton did a run- in and clocked Luger with a dog collar, which the announcers intimated was stolen from Rick Steiner, put Bagwell on top and helped the ref up who counted to three. 1/2*

Did Lex want to put Buff over? Were you looking to elevate Buff at this point in time?

After the Steiners break up at Superbrawl in February ‘98, Buff wrestles Rick at a few house shows, then continues the feud in tag matches. Buff teams with Scott in a losing effort against Rick and Lex Luger at Spring Stampede ‘98, then reunites with Scott Norton to defeat Rick and Luger on the April 22nd episode of Thunder, after Scott hits Rick with a chair. But that’s not the big story. Right before Scott interferes, Rick comes off the second rope with a bulldog on Buff. But Buff’s head gets loose and, rather than being driven into the mat, smashes into Rick’s back as Rick hits the mat. Buff has several vertebrae damaged and develops spinal shock. It’s a scary moment here that shuts down the show (see here).

Where were you when Buff was injured, and what was your first reaction?

With what we just saw with the NFL’s decision to stop a football game after a major injury - did that thought ever cross your mind during this?

What was your first interaction with Rick Steiner after it happened? What frame of mind was he in?

From the Observer:

“After being transferred to a hospital in Atlanta the next day, he underwent lengthy neck and spinal surgery on 4/27 to fuse the C-3 and C-4 vertebrae together and also the C-5 and C-6 vertebrae together. He had some serious complications later that evening coming out of surgery with his esophagus which led to his blood pressure dropping drastically and him being in danger of going into a life threatening coma. At press time the next day, Bagwell was listed in stable condition.

The doctors prognosis was that given his age, 28, and his level of physical conditioning, that the odds were he would make nearly a full recovery and would be able to return to the ring, although the time table is expected to be six months before he can return to training and one year before he can return to the ring. Bagwell was also told that the injury was three centimeters away from being a duplicate of the injury suffered by actor Christopher Reeve, which would have rendered him paralyzed for life, and that his strong musculature helped save him. However, that strong musculature probably worked against him in the surgery because the surgeons would have had to cut through far more muscle than an average person to address his neck problems.”

This is some real scary shit isn’t it Eric?

Also from the Observer:

“At this point Tony Schiavone basically took over the broadcast. It was a very unique situation, as you had paid wrestling shills put in a strange position, of a legitimate potential tragedy going on right before their eyes, while at the same time being in the position of arguably not wanting to waste valuable television time without hyping the major storyline in the company involving Hulk Hogan. What made the situation doubly unique is two of the three announcers in the booth at the time, Schiavone and Bobby Heenan (Mike Tenay was the third), both have undergone serious neck surgeries in recent years, and the sympathetic projections they were giving off was probably the closest thing to 100% reality that you'll ever see on a wrestling broadcast.

What made things even more troubling is that the initial word, when Bagwell was laying in the ring immobile, that they had received was Bagwell having no feeling in his arms and legs, but at the same time the feeling from management on how to position it to the public was to not ignore the issue at hand, but certainly try to slightly downplay how severe the injury was feared to be at the time.

Almost apologetically, Schiavone said that they would show a tape of the finish of the WCW title change that took place two days earlier. As the announcers voiced it over, it was their own tone that was the reality of how the main angle in the fictional story was really so meaningless when faced with a scary reality.

My own feeling is that from an announcing perspective, Schiavone and Heenan, perhaps drawing on their own injuries, could not have done a better job. The other reality is that a live television show is going on and there is a finite time that you can show a ring with a crowd gathered around an injured wrestler.

However, the decision to air the Hogan- Savage footage, particularly without going with the original announcing soundtrack and having visibly shaken announcers so a re-voice over of it, made for worse television escaping from the reality than the reality.

As the show went on, the announcers promised updates, and in usual pro wrestling fashion, when that is promised, it is never delivered. In this case it was, although what was said on television was a far more optimistic situation involving Bagwell than was thought to be at the time. Apparently whoever was calling the real shots here, more than likely Eric Bischoff, did have qualms about viewers being told just how serious the injuries could have been and were legitimately thought to be.”

Did you have qualms about the injury and discussing it?

Talk me through your communication with Buff right after the injury and during the months of recovery.

We don’t see Buff on TV again until the July 6th episode of Nitro. He’s pushed to the entry ramp in a wheelchair by his mother Judy for an interview with Mean Gene Okerlund, who refers to Bagwell as “Marc.” Okerlund then reiterates the severity of the C7 and C4 spinal fracture, saying that Bagwell almost died in intensive care multiple times. Bagwell cuts a baby face promo thanking the fans for their support and praising his mother.

Talk us through the decision to bring Judy Bagwell in here. How did that come up? Was it Buff’s idea? Your idea? Was she up for getting physically involved like she would later on, or did that take some convincing?

The following week on Nitro, July 13th, Buff’s wheelchair is pushed to the ring by Dr. Michael Cepeda for another interview with Mean Gene. The nWo is split into two groups at this point: nWo black and white versus nWo red and black. Gene asks Buff which side he aligns with. But, instead of answering directly, Buff calls out Rick Steiner to confront him over the neck injury. Hollywood Hogan comes out mocking Bagwell’s injury and pushing his wheelchair over. The crowd starts chanting “Hogan sucks! Hogan sucks!”

From the Observer: “It was right at this moment when I realized WCW is going to lose Monday's consistently. If there was any message last week should have shown it was that the "face" of WCW was no longer Hogan and it was Goldberg. Instead, we get a PPV show ruined by Hogan (well, actually Rodman didn't help any) and a TV show designed as nothing but a personal vehicle once again for Hogan.

Like when Bagwell can return, he's going to feud with Hogan. They could have allowed Raven or Jericho or even Hart or anyone else the heel heat of doing the angle with Bagwell that Bagwell could do a hot program with when he returns, but instead it's another of these WCW injury angles that never pays off.”

Eric, we’re doing a lot here to make Buff a sympathetic character. Is this all planned from the beginning, or is Buff’s injury so uncertain that you’re just buying time until you know his future? Also - Buff’s recovery is way ahead of schedule. Is that just a credit to his physical stature?

The following week, July 20th, Mean Gene brings out Rick Steiner to talk about what happened the previous week. Buff is wheeled out, this time by WCW trainer Danny Young. Buff forgives Rick and Rick helps Buff stand up from the wheelchair, just as Scott Steiner attacks Rick with a chair. Bagwell stops Scott from hitting Rick again, then grabs the chair to attack Rick. Buff rips off his shirt to reveal an nWo shirt underneath, reaffirming his allegiance to the black and white.

This is July ‘98, so we’re still about a year from Vince Russo’s arrival in WCW. Who’s idea is this swerve with Buff Bagwell? Did you just not see money with Buff’s recovery as a babyface off this major moment?

On Nitro in October…from the Observer:

“Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell came to the ring. Rick Steiner came out and said Buff's mom, Judy Bagwell, doesn't like that Buff is making a joke out of his neck injury. Judy walked out. Judy cut an awesome promo on Buff. Great intensity and facial expressions. Buff returned fire by saying without him, she and his dad wouldn't eat. He said he supports the whole family. Judy said she hasn't slapped Buff since age 7, then slapped him.

He then got in Scott's face. Scott grabbed her arm and told her, "You ain't my mother so get out of my face." Rick jumped Scott as Judy dragged Buff away by the ear. As usual with a Buff/Scott segment, it went about a minute too long.

The ear—pulling was funny, but too campy to be believable or to fit in with the rest of the segment”

Then…at Halloween Havoc…and this is where shit really stops making sense…

“Scott Steiner did an interview and brought out The Giant, and challenged Rick to a tag team match, saying since the NWO does what it wants to (he should have just told the truth and said since nothing in WCW makes any sense), that Giant and him would defend the tag titles against Rick & Bagwell. J.J. Dillon came out and okayed the title match, which is perfectly consistent since the last time somebody pulled something like that, J.J. had to call up from his sick bed to nullify the title change because it made no sense and heaven help a WCW angle that makes no sense. He then said should Scott & Giant lose, that Rick would get his singles match with Scott on this card.

7. Rick Steiner & Bagwell beat Scott Steiner & the Giant to win the WCW tag titles in 8:24.

This two match series had a great storyline, but little in the way of wrestling. Giant was back to smoking cigarettes as he came to the ring. Bagwell was crotch chopping. It almost seemed like it was a response to losing the ratings because the other guys are more off the edge.

Bagwell tagged in, and to the surprise of absolutely nobody, gave Rick a low blow and walked out…. Giant came down with a missile dropkick but Rick moved, so he hit Scott. Rick pinned Giant after a bulldog off the top rope to get the titles, which got a huge pop. **

8. Rick Steiner pinned Scott Steiner in a no DQ match in 4:46. Rick was on top, but the man with the cast iron crotch was stopped only momentarily by his fourth low blow in the previous six minutes. By this point the crowd didn't even react to the low blow and it got no heat. Rick came back.

They did another hop the rail angle, this time with Bagwell in a suit wearing a Clinton mask. Well, it is Halloween Havoc. Stevie Ray gave him a slapjack and he nailed Rick and ref Charles Robinson.

The bell rang for no reason at this point. Rick still kicked out of the pin. Scott used the Frankensteiner off the top rope on Rick, who kicked out again. Bagwell, who had unmasked by this point, threw Charles Robinson out of the ring.

Rick came back and dropped Bagwell's throat on the top rope. Nobody cared. They blew the million dollar angle long ago. Rick hit the bulldog off the top on Scott and Nick Patrick ran in from the back to count the pin.

After the match, Bagwell was screaming "Where's Monica." **”

Eric - what in the hell are we doing?

Somehow this turns into Rick Steiner becoming a tag team champion with Judy Bagwell. From the Observer:

“Rick came out to defend the tag titles, and I guess poor Kenny Kaos has been replaced as Rick's partner by Judy Bagwell. Buff tried to punch his mom, she ducked and slapped him. Scott & Buff then ran away. Then Rick challenged them to another title match on the PPV. They accepted. Then they left.

Let's see, they've got a shot right there live for the tag title against a 55-year-old woman

who went into the ring in street clothes and wearing earrings and they walked out. But then, against the same opponents, they jump at the chance for a match on PPV. Judy then cut this terrible promo. Judy got over really big in her first TV appearance and hasn't since. It's one thing if you do a gimmick that's dumb but the people buy it or are entertained. But this crap isn't over. Anyway, they're going to do a tag title match on the PPV on 11/22 with Rick & Judy defending the belts, being that the only one of the four who is actually healthy enough to wrestle is Judy. It has all the makings of a classic…”

We never get the match as Judy gets appendicitis…this was a sign from above right?

Buff’s return to a wrestling ring takes place on March 1st, 1999 - an episode of Nitro - with no real build and he teams with Scott Steiner in a losing effort against Goldberg & Rick Steiner. How - after all this time - the angle - and this is his return?

At this point, Bagwell’s been working with the Steiners in one capacity or another for over a year. How did the Steiners like working with him?

Throughout March, April, and May of ‘99 it looks Buff might finally be getting a big singles push. He picks up wins over some pretty big names like Bam Bam Bigelow, Fit Finlay, Vampiro, Ernest Miller, Curt Hennig, Bobby Eaton, Randy Savage, and a DQ win over the TV champ Rick Steiner. Buff then begins a feud with Ric Flair, who was acting as WCW President, and Roddy Piper, who was portraying WCW’s Vice President.

In June of ‘99 we see Buff have TWO matches with Ric Flair & Roddy Piper on the same Nitro. The first is a HANDICAP match against Flair & Piper and the second is a tag match where he teams with Dean Malenko in a losing effort. This leads to a boxing match between Buff and Piper at Bash at the Beach in July with Mills Lane as the special referee. (You can check out our episode of Bash at the Beach ‘99 in the archives.) Judy Bagwell gets involved, biting Piper’s ear and pouring the spit water bucket over Piper’s head. She even restrains Flair when he tries to intervene. Some wild stuff here.

Eric, we’ve talked in the past about how titles were more or less storytelling props. But this feels BIG. Buff’s beating top guys. He’s feuding with two legends. He’s even put in a spot that recalls Piper’s WrestleMania II boxing match against Mr. T. Did you consider putting the World Title on him at any point?

After that Buff is back to his feud with Rick Steiner and fresh feuds with David Flair and Berlyn, formerly Alex Wright.

This is about the time in September of 1999 when you are relieved of your duties. After you’re out, do you have any contact with Buff whatsoever, or is that the least of your concerns?

When come back to the company in April 2000 and the New Blood angle emerges. Talk us through the origins of that angle and how you saw Buff fitting into the storyline.

Buff is in the US Title picture chasing Lance Storm without success. But he does win the tag titles once more with his old pal Shane Douglas in a tag team tournament finals match against Team Package at Spring Stampede. As a reminder, Team Package is not a Manscaped reference, it’s the team of Ric Flair and Lex Luger. BUUUUUT like all of Buff’s tag title runs, it ends in a month. But this time it’s because of life outside the ring.

The May 16, 2000 edition of the Chicago Tribune had this to say:

“Sangamon County State's Atty. John Schmidt filed battery charges against Marcus ‘Buff’ Bagwell nearly a week after the World Championship Wrestling star allegedly hit a stage worker after the taping of the ‘WCW Thunder’ television show at the Prairie Capital Convention Center…after the May 9 show.

“The stage worker, whose name was not released by police, was trying to take equipment out of the building and asked Bagwell to let him through the door. Witnesses told police that the victim politely asked Bagwell to move, according to department spokeswoman Cmdr. Mitzi Vasconcelles…

“Police said that's when the 6-foot-1-inch, 247-pound Bagwell, whose

signature move is the ‘Buff Blockbuster,’ hit the man in the left side of the neck, leaving a noticeable imprint. Police also said Bagwell shouted expletives and taunted the man after hitting him.”

Eric, how did you first hear about this incident and what was your reaction?

WCW responds by suspending Buff for thirty days and stripping him of the tag title, eventually leading to KroniK becoming your new champion.

You're out of WCW with Hulk by this point - but we can’t not discuss this…

When he returns that summer, that’s when we see Judy Bagwell get involved even more. On the August 7th episode of Nitro we see Buff team with Judy Bagwell to defeat Chris Kanyon & Pamela Paulshock.

Then at WCW New Blood Rising on August 13, 2000 we have the infamous “Judy Bagwell on a Pole” match. It’s one of the wildest stipulations we’ve ever had. We got here after Kanyon, at the encouragement of Vince Russo, starts stalking Judy Bagwell, harassing her for weeks, and eventually kidnapping her. Kanyon challenges Buff to a match for his mother in which Judy will be hoisted up on a forklift over the ring. Yes, kidnapping and human trafficking in an angle.

Eric, we’ve talked in the past about how Vince Russo loved pole matches during his time in WCW. But this…this is just…I don’t even know…

As if things couldn’t get crazier, David Arquette does a run-in to help Kanyon. But Buff is able to fight them off and save his mother. [Pause for effect.]

We’ve talked a little about David Arquette here on the show…do you think he enjoyed beating you for the WCW Title or working with Judy Bagwell?

There’s a ton of of other stuff that goes on with Buff after this point. He’s in the pregnancy angle with David Flair and Miss Hancock, and then a First Blood match at Halloween Havoc - because obviously Flair wants a sample of Bagwell’s blood for a DNA test.

Buff is having some year 2000, isn't’ he?

Around Starrcade in December we’d see Buff become part of another team. This time it’s Totally Buff with Lex Luger. They feud with KroniK, Kevin Nash, and then-tag champs Chuck Palombo & Sean O’Haire throughout early 2001. At WCW Greed on March 18th, Buff & Luger lost to Palombo & O’Haire in :52 seconds. That would end up being Buff’s last WCW match, as the company would be out of business 8 days later. Of course, it’s March 26th when we see Shane McMahon on the final Nitro.

Eric, you’ve talked before about your desire to purchase WCW in early 2001. Had that happened, what would have been your plan for Buff?

There’s something else I want to circle back to. We’ve talked about your interest in film and television production over the years. While Buff was in WCW his acting credits included:

• Day of the Warrior (1996)
• L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies: Return to Savage Beach (1998)
• Terror Tract (2000)
• Charmed (2001)

Are you helping him land these small roles or is he coming to you asking for guidance at all?

Buff pops up four months later in WWE, losing a house show match and a Raw match to WCW Champion Booker T., then he’s gone. Bruce Prichard has said that Buff had a terrible attitude when he arrived in WWE and that Buff was “in no condition to perform.” He’s fired within a few months.

Did you have any contact with Buff at that point?

Here’s something interesting. Buff and Raven filed lawsuits against WWE in 2016 for “failing to pay direct sales royalties related to WWE Network content that featured them in skits and matches.”

After WWF/E acquired the WCW tape library, did you hear of other wrestlers doing this? Were you ever a part of these types of royalty negotiations?

Beginning in 2012, Buff faced a few years of trouble. That year he was in a car accident while driving in the Atlanta area. He lost control of his Jeep, spun across the median, and flipped over. TMZ reports that the accident left him with a broken face and bones, as well as a broken jaw. A later report said that Bagwell called his wife around 1:30 in the afternoon shortly before the crash saying that he was going have a seizure. After some months on a breathing tube, Buff was able to eat solid foods and eventually walked again. August 16th, 2020, he was in a collision reportedly caused by impairment due to prescription medication. A year later in May of 2021, Buff was arrested in Cobb County Georgia on charges of speeding, hit and run, giving false information to police.

What, if any, contact are you having with Buff at this point? And, if you’re not in contact with him directly, what are you hearing about his condition from mutual acquaintances?

Buff’s story seems to be having a happy ending, however. In 2022, our good friend Diamond Dallas Page went public talking about how he worked with Bagwell to get sober and turn around his life. Bagwell even channeled that new-found excitement into a new Mr. Bagwell’s neighborhood gimmick based on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood for MCW Pro Wrestling’s Autumn Armageddon in October.

Eric, what is Marcus Bagwell’s legacy?