Marcus Alexander Bagwell is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his participation in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 2001, where he was a five-time World Tag Team Champion.
Bagwell began his professional wrestling career in 1990, working for North Georgia Wrestling under the wrestling ring name. Great Fabians. He trained under Steve Lawler before his debut.
During his time with WCW from 1991 to 2001, Bagwell established himself as a prominent tag team competitor, winning the World Tag Team Championship five times. His charismatic personality and muscular physique made him a popular wrestler with WCW fans during the organization’s peak years in the late 1990s.
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- Full name: Marcus Alexander “Buff” Bagwell
- Stage name: Buff Bagwell
- Date of birth: January 10, 1970
- Age: 54 years old
- Place of birth: Marietta, Georgia, USA
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: American professional wrestler
- Height: 1.85 m
- Parents: Judy Bagwell and Steve Bagwell
- Siblings: John Bagwell
- Spouse: Gabby Randallson (m. 1996–2000), Alexis Rianja (m. 1988–1994)
- Children: 3
- Relationship: Unknown
- Net worth: $1.5 million
Early life and education
Marcus Alexander “Buff” Bagwell is an American professional wrestler born on January 10, 1970 in Marietta, Georgia, United States. He is the son of Judy Bagwell and Steve Bagwell, and has an older brother named John Bagwell.
Bagwell’s mother, Judy Bagwell, was significantly involved in his wrestling storylines, especially during his time in WCW, where she often appeared in matches and storylines.
Buff Bagwell attended Sprayberry High School and after graduating, pursued a career in professional wrestling, which became his main focus. He didn’t go to college or university. Bagwell’s ethnicity is white, but his religious beliefs are unknown.
Career
Buff Bagwell, real name Marcus Alexander Bagwell, began his professional wrestling career in 1990, training under Steve Lawler. He made his debut that year working for North Georgia Wrestling under the name Great Fabians.
In 1991, Bagwell joined the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), where he wrestled with a new gimmick suggested by Demolition Ax—Handsome stranger. This character sees Bagwell wearing a Lone Ranger-style mask and giving roses to female fans.
Then in 1991, Bagwell was hired by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He made his WCW debut on November 5 in an untelevised match, losing to Mike Graham.
Bagwell then wrestled in a televised tryout match on November 11 before making his official televised debut as a fan favorite at Clash of champions XVIIwhere he was interviewed by Missy Hyatt. His first televised match took place on the December 14 episode of World championship wrestlingwhere he defeated Rip Rogers.
Bagwell launches pay-per-view at Starrcadewhere he was paired with Jimmy Garvin to take on Michael Hayes and Tracy Smothers in a match Deadly lottery competition. Bagwell and Garvin won, qualifying for the tournament Battlebowl royal battle later that night, victory belonged to Sting.
Bagwell received his first title shot on the January 11, 1992 episode of World championship wrestlingchallenged Steve for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, but the match ended in a time limit draw.
Bagwell then began a feud with Terry Taylor, culminating in a match at SuperBrawl II that Bagwell had won. In October 2001, after leaving WCW, Bagwell joined the upstart World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA) promotion for a tour of Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
At WWA’s opening pay-per-view, The beginningBagwell competed in a tournament to win his first WWA World Heavyweight Championship, winning a battle royal to advance to the semi-finals before losing to Jeff Jarrett.
In June 1999, Bagwell entered into a rivalry with WCW President Ric Flair and Vice President Roddy Piper after claiming he was being held back. This led to a three-round boxing match with Piper at Bash at the beachwhich Bagwell won. After leaving the WWF in 2001, Bagwell began performing for Jimmy Hart’s newly formed X-Wrestling Federation, which taped televised matches at Universal Studios Florida.
After recovering from his injury, Bagwell resumed his wrestling career in 2013, winning the American Premier Wrestling Heavyweight Championship by defeating “Cowboy” Jeremy Young.
In 2017, Bagwell wrestled Jerry Lawler in Memphis in a free show that featured several former WWE and WCW stars. The following year, 2018, Bagwell reunited with nWo (Scott Norton and X-Pac) to compete against No New Friends at Glorious pro wrestling #Unrecognized event.
In 2021, Bagwell started his own podcast called Buff rebuildsin which he looks back on his wrestling career. Then, in 2024, he started a YouTube channel dedicated to sharing insights and reflections on his time in the industry. Through these multimedia ventures, Bagwell was able to connect with fans and provide greater insight into his experiences as a professional wrestler.
Awards and nominations
- American Premier Wrestling: APW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- AWA Superstars of Wrestling: AWA Superstars of Wrestling World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Patriot
- Cauliflower Alley Club: Men’s Wrestling Tournament (2024)
Social Media
- Instagram handle: @marcusbuffbagwell
- Facebook manager: Marcus Buff Bagwell
- Twitter name: @Marcbuffbagwell
Personal life
Buff Bagwell was married twice in his life. His first marriage was to Alexis Rianja in 1988. However, this marriage ended in divorce in 1994 after six years of marriage. Bagwell then married Gabby Randallson in 1996. Sadly, this second marriage also ended in divorce in 2000, lasting only 4 years.
In recent years, Bagwell has faced a tumultuous personal life, with relationships said to have affected his two previous marriages. There have been reports of Bagwell working as a male escort, although the specifics of this remain unclear. Bagwell is known to have three children, although the names of these children have not been publicly revealed.
Cinema
Film
- Not prohibited (1989)
- Warrior’s Day (1996)
- LETHAL Ladies: Return to Savage Beach (1998)
- Road of terror (2000)
- The Good, the Bad and the Good: Marc Bagwell’s Journey (2015)
Television
- charming (2001)
- I want a famous face (2005)
- Gigolos (2014)
- Live in the dream (2017)
Net worth
Buff Bagwell’s net worth is estimated to be around $1.5 million. The majority of his wealth comes from his successful wrestling career in WCW, where he reportedly earned around $1.3 million during his time with the company. Additionally, Bagwell supplemented his income through appearances and participation in independent wrestling events after WCW closed down.
Despite financial difficulties and legal problems in recent years, Buff Bagwell remains an important figure in the world of professional wrestling. His substantial earnings during his early years in the industry contributed to his huge net worth, which he maintains to this day.
