Marcus Bagwell

Marcus Alexander Bagwell, also known as Buff Bagwell, is an American professional wrestler best known for his nine year career with World Championship Wrestling.

Career

Bagwell was a baseball and football player in high school, and worked for the family Lumber company upon graduation. However, when the company went bankrupt, Bagwell decided to become a wrestler. He debuted in 1990, working for Georgia All-Star Wrestling as Fabian. In 1991 he began wrestling with the Global Wrestling Federation as The Handsome Stranger, and in 1992 he was hired by WCW. Bagwell was initially a tag specialist; over the next five years he would form tag teams with 2 Cold Scorpio, The Patriot (as The Stars and Stripes) and Scotty Riggs (as The American Males).

In 1997, Bagwell joined the nWo, turning on Riggs and renaming himself Buff Bagwell. Along with Scott Norton (with whom he formed Vicious and Delicious) and legends such as Masahiro Chono and The Great Muta, he was part of nWo Japan, the New Japan Pro Wrestling version of the New World Order. When he returned to America, he feuded with Lex Luger, calling himself "The Real Total Package." Bagwell defeated Luger at StarrCade 1997.

On an episode of Thunder on April 22 1998, Bagwell suffered damage to several vertebrae and developed spinal shock syndrome after a botched Flying Bulldog at the hands of the notoriously stiff Rick Steiner. After having neck surgery, the wheelchair bound Bagwell returned to WCW on July 6 in his home state of Georgia. Bagwell seemed to have a new attitude, and even called out Rick Steiner to offer him his forgiveness. However, the supposedly invalid Bagwell restrained Rick while fellow nWo member Scott Steiner assaulted him with a steel chair, reaffirming his loyal to Hollywood Hulk Hogan and the New World Order. Bagwell then rose from his wheelchair and helped Scott beat down the defenseless Rick. Scott and Bagwell formed an alliance which was broken at Uncensored 1999 when Bagwell accidentally hit Scott with a chair, costing him the Television Championship.

In June 1999, Bagwell engaged in a rivalry with WCW President Ric Flair and Vice-President Roddy Piper, claining he was being held back. This led to a Three Round boxing match with Piper at the 1999 Bash At The Beach, in which Bagwell was triumphant. In November he defeated veteran Curt Hennig in a retirement match. Bagwell feuded with Diamond Dallas Page after he made allegations about Page's wife Kimberly. Having spent much of 1999 fighting older wrestlers, Bagwell was one of the first wrestlers to join Eric Bischoff's New Blood faction, forming yet another tag team with Shane Douglas. Bagwell and Douglas eventually won the WCW Tag Team Championships from Ric Flair and Lex Luger, rekindling the Bagwell / Luger feud from two years earlier. Bagwell was defeated by Luger at Slamboree 2000.

Bagwell was stripped of the title in May 2000 after punching Darrell Miller, a (non-wrestling) WCW employee. He was charged with battery and suspended from WCW for thirty days. Upon his return, Bagwell attempted to win the Tag Titles with Douglas once more, but failed, causing the team to split. Bagwell, now with Torrie Wilson by his side, fought Douglas at Bash At The Beach 2000, but lost when Torrie distracted him, siding with Douglas.

Chris Kanyon began stalking Bagwell, even harassing Bagwell's mother Judy as a psychological attack. Bagwell eventually defeated Kanyon in a match where Judy Bagwell was suspended from a forklift, rescuing his mother, despite the surprise interference of actor David Arquette.

In August 2000, Miss Hancock, the girlfriend of David Flair, mysteriously became pregnant, and Flair was quick to accuse the womanising Bagwell. This led to a First Blood match at Halloween Havoc 2000, with Flair hoping to obtain a sample of Bagwell's blood to prove he was the father of Miss Hancock's child. Bagwell was victorious, but Flair got his blood sample when Bagwell's nemesis Lex Luger attacked him after the match, leaving him hurt and bleeding (Buff was not the father, and the entire pregnancy was eventually found to have been a lie).

At Starrcade 2000, Bagwell betrayed Goldberg by trying to cost him his match with Lex Luger. Bagwell's efforts were unsuccessful, but he managed to hit Goldberg with a steel chair after he had pinned Luger. Bagwell and Luger then formed a tag team known as Totally Buff. Totally Buff would go on to defeat Goldberg at Sin 2001 after a "fan" maced Goldberg, allowing Bagwell to floor him with the Blockbuster and Luger to pin Goldberg. As Goldberg had been warned by Vince Russo that he would be automatically fired if he was defeated, Totally Buff had ended Goldberg's WCW career.

WCW was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation in March 2001, and Bagwell's contract was purchased by the WWF. On July 1, 2001 Bagwell faced Booker T at a house show, and he appeared on the July 2 episode of RAW is WAR, fighting Booker T for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The match went to a no-contest after interference from Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kurt Angle. Bagwell was released from the WWF on July 9 following complaints about his attitude and an altercation with fellow WCW alumnus Gregory Helms.

In late 2001, Bagwell toured Australia and Europe with the World Wrestling Allstars. He made several appearances with Total Nonstop Action in 2002 and 2003, and continues to work for various independent promotions.

Finishing / Signature Moves

• Buff Blockbuster (Top Rope Somersault Neckbreaker)
• Kobashi DDT (Double Arm DDT)
• Yellowjacket Suplex (Fisherman Suplex)

Former Managers

• Theodore Long
• Vincent
• Torrie Wilson
• Ric Flair

Quotes

• "I'm Buff, and I'm the stuff."
• "I'm Buff, I'm the stuff and the girls just can't get enough!."
• "Don't adjust your television set – I am this amazing."

Movies

• Day of the Warrior (1996)
• Return to Savage Beach (1998)

Championships/Accomplishments

World Championship Wrestling

• 5-time WCW World Tag Team Champion (1-time with 2 Cold Scorpio, 2-time with The Patriot, 1-time with Scotty Riggs, 1-time with Shane Douglas)

American Wrestling Association

• 1-time AWA Heavyweight Champion

Georgia All Star Wrestling

• 1-time GASW Tag Team Champion (with Chris Walker)
• 1-time GASW Television Champion

Global Championship Wrestling

• 1-time GCW Heavyweight Champion

Global Wrestling Federation

• 1-time GWF Television Champion

Live Action Wrestling

• 1-time LAW Heavyweight Champion

National Wrestling Alliance

• 1-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion
• 1-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champion (with Dusty Rhodes)

Revolutionary Championship Wrestling

• 1-time RCW Heavyweight Champion

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 221 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.

External Links

• The Official Website of Buff Bagwell]
• Bagwell's mugshot