Buff Bagwell (WCW Buys WWF)

Marcus Alexander Bagwell (born January 10, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is currently signed to WCW where is appearing on the Nitro brand.

Regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Bagwell gained industry fame in WCW as part of the Tag Team division, where he was a seven time World Tag Team Champion, and a one time United States Tag Team Champion. His success as a member of the nWo lead to him becoming one of the company's franchise player and later its public face.

Bagwell has attained mainstream fame, and has won 18 championships throughout his career, with six reigns as a world champion, and two as North American Champion. Bagwell is also a two-time European Champion. He also won a WCW Shooter Tournament. He has also headlined WCW's flagship event Starrcade on five occasions (2005, 2006, 2010, 2012, and 2013) as well as many other WCW pay-per-views. Despite his success, Bagwell has been met with mixed critical reception, and he is also considered one of the most polarizing professional wrestlers ever.

Professional wrestling career
Missy Hyatt helped Bagwell break into the wrestling business. Growing up, Bagwell was a standout baseball player during his tenure in Sprayberry High School, and worked for his family's lumber company. Upon graduating from high school, he started an amateur boxing career. When the lumber company went bankrupt, however, Bagwell became a certified massage therapist before deciding to become a wrestler.

Early career (1990–1991)
He trained under Steve Lawler and debuted in 1990, working for North Georgia Wrestling as Fabulous Fabian. In 1991, he began wrestling with the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF) as The Handsome Stranger, a gimmick suggested by Bill Eadie that saw Bagwell don a Lone Ranger-style mask, and hand out roses to the female fans.

World Tag Team Champion (1991–1996)
In 1991, Bagwell was hired by World Championship Wrestling, where he wrestled under his full name. Over the next five years, he would form tag teams with Tom Zenk, 2 Cold Scorpio, The Patriot (as Stars and Stripes), and Scotty Riggs (as The American Males), and won the World Tag Team Championship four times over that span of time.

The New World Order (1996–1999)
On November 25, 1996, Bagwell joined the New World Order after turning on his partner Riggs. He soon renamed himself to Buff Bagwell and formed a tag team with Scott Norton called Vicious and Delicious. To go along with his name change he developed the habits of flexing his muscles and would talk to the camera insulting his opponents while complementing himself. While with the nWo, he also competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) as a part of nWo Japan, the NJPW version of the nWo. When he returned to America, he began a feud with Lex Luger, which later saw Bagwell defeat him at Starrcade.

On the April 22, 1998 edition of Thunder, Bagwell wrestled a match against Rick Steiner which he won by disqualification when Scott Steiner interfered on his behalf. Just before that, however, Rick attempted his diving bulldog finishing move, which was not executed correctly and resulted in Bagwell's head striking Steiner's back, jamming his neck and severely injuring him. Bagwell was diagnosed with several damaged vertebrae and developed spinal shock, leading him to use a wheelchair and neck brace for some time. He returned months later for an interview only to be viciously ridiculed by Hollywood Hogan and shoved to the entryway floor. On July 6, after recently having neck surgery, the wheelchair-ridden Bagwell returned to WCW 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, Bagwell restrained Rick while fellow nWo member Scott Steiner assaulted him with a steel chair, reaffirming his loyalty to Hogan and the nWo. Bagwell then rose from his wheelchair and helped Scott beat down Rick. In January 1999, the nWo factions emerged, leading Bagwell and Steiner to side with the nWo Wolfpac. Their alliance ended at Uncensored when Bagwell accidentally hit Steiner with a chair, costing him the World Television Championship.