Marcus Alexander Bagwell (born January 10, 1970) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his nine-year career with World Championship Wrestling between 1991 and 2001.
Career

Bagwell was a baseball and football player in high school, and worked for his family's lumber company upon graduating.[1] However, when the company went bankrupt, Bagwell decided to become a wrestler. He trained under Steve Lawler and debuted in 1990, working for North Georgia Wrestling as The Fabulous Fabian. In 1991 he began wrestling with the Global Wrestling Federation as The Handsome Stranger, a gimmick suggested by Bill Eadie that saw Bagwell don a "Lone Ranger"-style eye mask.[2]

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World Championship Wrestling (1991-2001)

In 1991, Bagwell was hired by World Championship Wrestling, where he wrestled under his full name. Bagwell was initially a tag specialist; over the next five years, he would form tag teams with Tom Zenk, 2 Cold Scorpio, The Patriot (as Stars N Stripes), and Scotty Riggs (as The American Males).[2][3]

On November 25, 1996, Bagwell joined the New World Order (nWo), turning on Riggs and renaming himself Buff Bagwell (the last took place in January 1997). 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 nWo. When he returned to America, he feuded with Lex Luger, calling himself "The Real Total Package". Bagwell defeated Luger at Starrcade 1997.[4][3]

On the April 22, 1998 edition of Thunder, Bagwell suffered damage to several vertebrae and developed spinal shock syndrome after a botched flying bulldog at the hands of Rick Steiner. As planned, however, Bagwell actually won the match with the interference of Steiner's brother, Scott, moments before being carefully placed on a stretcher. Bound to a wheel chair and neck brace, he returned months later for an interview, only to be viciously ridiculed by Hollywood Hulk Hogan and shoved to the entry way floor.[5][3] 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 loyalty to Hollywood Hogan and the nWo. Bagwell then rose from his wheelchair and helped Scott beat down Rick Steiner. Bagwell and Scott Steiner subsequently formed an alliance known as "Buff and Bad". In March 1999, the nWo factions reemerged, leading Bagwell and Steiner to side with the Wolfpac. Their alliance ended at Uncensored 1999 when Bagwell accidentally hit Steiner with a chair, costing him the WCW World Television Championship.[3]

In June 1999, Bagwell engaged in a rivalry with WCW President Ric Flair and Vice-President Roddy Piper, claiming 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 September of 1999 Bagwell feuded with Berlyn when Berlyn issued a challenge to Bagwell. But at Fall Brawl Bagwell was late coming to the arena and Jim Duggan replaced bagwell to face Berlyn and lost. The next night on nitro Bagwell fought Berlyn and lost thanks to Berlyn's bodyguard The Wall. In November, he defeated veteran Curt Hennig in a retirement match. Bagwell then 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 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 Championship from Ric Flair and Lex Luger, rekindling the feud between Bagwell and Luger from two years earlier. Bagwell was defeated by Luger at Slamboree 2000 after giving up to the Torture Rack.[3]

On May 9, 2000, following a WCW Thunder taping in Springfield, Illinois, Bagwell punched Darrell Miller, a WCW crew member, after he and Bagwell began arguing when Miller attempted to carry equipment through a doorway in which Bagwell was standing. On May 15, 2000, Bagwell was charged with battery by the Sangamon County, Illinois State's Attorney's office. WCW responded to the incident by suspending Bagwell for thirty days and stripping him of his half of the WCW World Tag Team Championship.[6][7]

Upon his return, Bagwell attempted to win the WCW Tag Team Championship 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 Wilson 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.[2][3]

In August 2000, Miss Hancock, the girlfriend of David Flair, mysteriously became pregnant, and Flair was quick to accuse the womanizing 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. Bagwell, however, was not the father, and the entire pregnancy was eventually found to have been a fabrication.[3]

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 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. In early 2001, Totally Buff joined Ric Flair's Magnificent Seven stable.[3]

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World Wrestling Federation (2001)

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 Shane Helms.[2][3]

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X Wrestling Federation (2001)

Following his WWF release, Bagwell was featured as a main eventer in Jimmy Hart's XWF which taped television matches at Universal Studios Florida on November 12 and November 13, 2001.

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World Wrestling All-Stars (2001)

In December 2001, Bagwell toured Europe and Australia with the World Wrestling All-Stars.

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Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002, 2003, 2006)

Bagwell made several appearances with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2002 and 2003.

Bagwell appeared on the April 27, 2006 episode of TNA iMPACT! as the first of Sting's possible tag team partners for TNA Sacrifice 2006 on May 14, 2006. Bagwell also appeared on the September 28, 2006 episode of iMPACT! in several segments, including a press conference, a video package, and a live segment where he brawled briefly with Jeff Jarrett. At a 2008 Live event in Florida, Bagwell expressed that he would like to work a deal with TNA in the near future and that he likes TNA because it reminds him of the old WCW days.[8]

Bagwell has continued to wrestle on the NWA Mid-Atlantic promotion which covers Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia and won the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight championship in Laurens SC in September 2006 when he defeated Rikki Nelson for the vacant title. [8]

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Personal life

In April 1990 Bagwell had a son, named Alexander Henry Bagwell.[9][10] He married his third wife, Judy, in 2001.

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