The Tragic Side Of Buff Bagwell’s Life

Professional wrestling veteran Marcus “Buff” Bagwell was a larger-than-life personality in the days of WCW and had an extensive 10-year career in WWE’s biggest competition, where he won five World Tag Team Championships alongside the likes of 2 Cold Scorpio, The Patriot, Scotty Riggs, and Shane Douglas. “Buff Daddy” flexed his muscles in the WCW ring from 1991 to 2001 and had a short stint in what was then the WWF when the company bought out WCW that year. These days, he’s well known on the Comic Convention scene, where he often does signings and greets fans with a smile on his face wearing his signature top hat. 

Bagwell was a larger-than-life personality in the ring, including when he was aligned with the nWo starting in 1996, and he lived that way outside of it, as well. He publicly suffered issues with addiction for years and needed the help of Diamond Dallas Page to pull him from its throes. Bagwell has also suffered multiple injuries throughout his life, from a serious neck injury in the ring, to life-threatening car accidents that left him hospitalized and on breathing and feeding tubes.

Recently, it was revealed that Bagwell underwent an operation for an over-the-knee amputation of his leg due to complications stemming from a 2020 car accident. Bagwell’s star rose high in the 90s, and while it ultimately came crashing down around him, he’s been awarded many second chances at life throughout the years, with his amputation surgery being the most recent. Bagwell’s positive outlook on his most recent setback was likely inspired by all that he’s gone through on the tragic side of his life.

Bagwell was a big part of the WCW tag team division, as seen by his multiple championship reigns, but during the emergence and subsequent takeover of the company by the New World Order, Bagwell also became one of WCW’s top heels after aligning himself with the faction, teaming alongside (or going up against) Scott Steiner. In 1998, Bagwell and Scott Norton were in a match against “Big Poppa Pump’s” brother, Rick Steiner, and Lex Luger on an episode of “WCW Thunder.” During the match, Bagwell suffered a serious injury — the first of many throughout his life — that left him worried he was paralyzed.

Steiner went for his diving bulldog off the top rope with Bagwell, but Bagwell’s head slipped out of the correct headlock position to take the move, and his head was jammed against Steiner’s back when they hit the mat. Bagwell wasn’t able to pin Steiner for the planned finish of the match, and instead laid motionless in the ring as the match concluded around him. 

Bagwell wasn’t paralyzed, but did suffer several damaged vertebrae and also developed spinal shock. He underwent neck surgery in the summer of 1998 and used a wheelchair and was in a neck brace for months following the injury. The injury did lead to an interesting angle for Bagwell upon his return, however; he made a big spectacle about forgiving Steiner in front of Bagwell’s home crowd in Georgia, only for his nWo stablemates, including Scott Steiner, to beat down “The Dog-Faced Gremlin.”

Fourteen years after he suffered his neck injury on “Thunder,” Bagwell was seriously injured in a car accident that occurred when he had a seizure while driving in Woodstock, Georgia, in April 2012. During the crash, he suffered broken bones in his neck, face, and jaw. He was taken to the hospital and was in the intensive care unit. His brother released a statement to the public and said Bagwell was going to be fine, but still needed breathing an feeding tubes before undergoing surgery. Bagwell would recover, but had four plates inserted into his face and his jaw was wired shut after surgery.

Bagwell was seriously injured in another car accident, one that would change the course of his entire life and lead to his above-the-knee amputation, in August 2020. At the time of the accident, investigators believed Bagwell was impaired by prescription medication. The vehicle he was driving collided with a center median, crossed lanes of traffic, and collided with a curb before crashing into a free-standing bathroom at a bus station. In the accident, Bagwell suffered broken ribs, a broken left socket bone, a broken nose, a broken right him, and a torn right groin muscle.

Bagwell revealed that at one point during the pandemic, following the accident, he was stuck in the hospital for seven weeks. He underwent 21 knee surgeries during that time and said he had a knee operation every three days. He attempted to recover for years and started facing amputation as a real possibility back in 2022, until finally, it was revealed his leg could not be saved. Bagwell underwent amputation surgery in July 2025. His recovery from surgery was filmed by fellow former WWE star Maven Huffman and posted to his YouTube channel.

Like many veteran professional wrestling stars who have suffered from severe injuries, Bagwell also has publicly battled substance abuse issues for many years, including painkillers and alcohol. Bagwell revealed on the “#WrestlingLifePod” podcast that he felt as though he had lost 20 years to his addictions. He explained he would reward himself with alcohol and pills after training hard everyday. He said that he was taking “60 pills a day” at least four days a week out of those 20 years.

In March 2022, Bagwell revealed that he was turned down when he tried to enter WWE’s rehab program, so he linked up with Diamond Dallas Page, the WWE Hall of Famer who has helped many struggling with addiction issues within the industry get sober, including Jake “The Snake” Roberts and the late Scott Hall. Bagwell moved in with DDP that month at his Atlanta home, known as the “Accountability Crib” for his “Change or Die” program.

Following a relapse after his 2020 car accident, Bagwell spoke about entering an aftercare program following rehabilitation to work to stay clean. He told Eric Bischoff on the “83 Weeks” podcast he had “done 30 days [of rehab]” “three or four times,” and it just wasn’t enough.

In his vlog ahead of his amputation surgery, Bagwell noted that alcohol had become his drug of choice following the accident. He also proudly stated, however, that ahead of the major surgery, he will be three years sober on August 27.

Stemming from his prior issues with substance abuse, Bagwell has gone through some legal troubles throughout his life. In May 2021, Bagwell was arrested by the Cobb County, Georgia Police Department on a Saturday afternoon for DUI, an open container violation, following too closely, reckless driving, and more. Bagwell reportedly struck another driver from behind at an intersection and left the scene. The other driver had to follow him for a few miles before he stopped. At the time, police also discovered that Bagwell had a warrant for his arrest related to his August 2020 crash. He was taken into custody for the new charges.

In November 2023, Bagwell was arrested again and held for 24 hours due to violation of his DUI Court Program. He took to social media to clarify at the time, he was still sober, and the charges were from his original offenses back in 2021. He said he served 24 hours in jail due to losing his temper with a counselor over a misunderstanding.

In January 2025, Bagwell spent three days in jail as a sanction for violating confidentiality rules, though the charge was once again related to his 2020 arrest and included his original charges of DUI. Bagwell clarified what happened with his most recent stint behind bars on his YouTube channel the day before he served his 72 hours, once again claiming he was still sober.