Buff Bagwell had moderate success in WCW as part of the promotion’s mid-card. The same, however, cannot be said about his WWE career, and Bagwell ended up partying ways with the company. Now, it seems that Buff is going through another rough spot, but he’s doing what it takes to get better.
Bagwell has been dealing with numerous substance abuse and legal issues over the years as well. The former WCW Tag Team Champion recently relapsed and entered into rehab, as revealed by DDP in his new video on YouTube.
“Hey guys, a lot of you may be aware of the fact that I’ve been working with Marcus Bagwell over the last eight or nine months on a project that we’ve started. It’s a docu-series called “Change or Die.” It means different things to different people.
“Marcus didn’t have a weight loss problem. He was heavy at the time, but he didn’t have a weight loss problem. He didn’t have borderline diabetes. What he had was an addiction. An addiction that he could mask really well. And most people who have addictions can do that.
“Over this period, had some ups and downs. And for the most part, he was doing really well. But a lot of times, with addiction, it has everything to do with the people you hang out most with. And when he’s with us, like our whole force is about positive reinforcement, you know, a place you can be safe.
“When he goes outside of that. Well, those people, they don’t really care about that. Or they think they do but they really don’t. And your friends, the people who are around you are like an elevator. They can bring you up or they can bring you down. Now because of some of the negative influences and Mark’s life, and I’m talking about people who love him and enable him.
“He’s had a relapse. So we had a meeting with all of my people and Marcus. And we all agreed that it was time for him to go to a rehab facility. It’s going to be hard. I know, because I’ve dealt with this before again and again. And I keep swearing I’m never doing it again. But we’ve been together for 30 years, me and this cat. And I really want to see him get to the other side.
“Now, we don’t know how long Marcus is going to be at the rehab facility. But he’s in a really positive mindset. I mean, the best I’ve ever heard him. And he’s really taking what we were teaching him and applying it there. And he’s actually enjoying it right now. And eventually, he’s gonna get out.
“But one of the reasons I’m doing this is because there’s going to be a lot of appearances that needed to be canceled, which we’ll be kicking back up again once he gets out. But in the meantime, he needs to take care of himself. Addiction. We all know someone who’s fighting it. And it’s a tough place. And I’m really hoping that you guys can help support him when he gets up. I appreciate it. Thanks, guys.”
In 2021, Bagwell started a podcast called “Rebuilding Buff.” The podcast ran into some controversy after the former star mentioned that WWE had turned him down for rehab.
Bagwell recently posted a new photo of himself on social media, and he looked unrecognizable in that. He also pulled off a Mr. Rodgers parody in a new video. Keep reading Ringside News for more, and we’re sending out our best to Buff during this time.
What’s your memories of Buff Bagwell from WCW? Sound off in the comments!