WCW legend Buff Bagwell had his leg amputated five years after a horror car crash from which he struggled to recover.
Bagwell, 55, stood out during the late 1990s and early 2000s when pro wrestling fans enjoyed the infamous Monday Night Wars between WCW and eventual winners WWE.
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The Georgia native hadn’t wrestled at top level since 2001 when his brief stint with Vince McMahon’s promotion was ended just four months into his tenure.
The former nWo member would then make sporadic appearances for the likes of TNA and the independent circuit, with his latest performance taking place in November 2024.
That was four years after a shock crash that damaged his right leg so badly he found himself in a long and hard battle not to lose it.
Despite multiple procedures and years of rehabilitation, however, Bagwell’s friend Steve Stasiak announced on social media his leg had to be amputated above the knee following complications.
Stasiak posted on Facebook: “Yesterday morning, Marcus Bagwell—Buff Bagwell—had his leg amputated above the knee.
“I’ve known Buff a long time. I’ve seen him in the spotlight, I’ve seen him behind the scenes, and I’ve seen him fight through things most people never even hear about.
“This one… this is hard. For him. For everyone who knows and loves him.
“The injuries from his 2020 accident never fully healed. He gave it everything he had to avoid this outcome—but that fight led him here. And now begins a whole new kind of battle.
“Buff was one of the brightest stars of a wild era in wrestling. He made you look. He made you care. But it’s who he is as a person—past the lights, past the persona—that I hope people think about today.
“If you’re reading this, I just ask that you send a little love out into the world for Buff. No grand gestures. Just something real. A thought, a prayer, a moment.”
And a number of WWE fans responded to Stasiak’s call by sharing their love and support following the tragic news.
One posted: “God will never send a test that you can’t handle.”
Another commented: “Keep fighting, you got this.”
A third wrote: “Sending love and prayers.”
This fan said: “Sending love and positive thoughts and vibes his way.”
And that one stated: “I love you brother, Never give in, Never Give up.”
‘I am gone’
Bagwell previously opened up about the accident, which occurred after he consumed alcohol and seemingly blacked out on the wheel.
The Stuff stated no one else got hurt and shared all the details about the awful ordeal he went through following the crash.
The former heavyweight lifted the lid on his battle with alcohol addiction the preceded the crash and how he managed to gain sobriety as well as a newfound love for God.
Bagwell recently said: “I was heading home [from his father’s house] and I had just had surgery, ironically this foot had pins in it and I had got this knee scoped for a minor meniscus tear.
‘It was like a dream’
“I had been drinking, just a few beers but whatever happened, I’m going down the road with a diet coke and I am gone. I am gone. But you don’t realize you are gone.
“It was like a dream. I remember hitting cars, seeing faces look at me. I got off at the wrong exit and somehow, I drove through a men’s and women’s bathroom.
“The wreck runied my kneecap. From there, that started this whole journey, trying to fix my leg.
“At one stage, I was in the hospital for seven weeks and every three days, I had a surgery. It just wouldn’t get better.
“I was so angry at what happened. I didn’t think I could get sober but August of 2022 I went to rehab. August 2025, 27th, I will be three years sober.
“The last three years of my life, I get overwhelmed with joy. I have been able to put together three of the best years of my life by putting God, Stacey [his fiancee] and myself in that order.
