Wrestling Legend Buff Bagwell Undergoes Leg Amputation Following Years-Long Battle
Marcus “Buff” Bagwell, a prominent figure in professional wrestling, particularly known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), underwent a significant above-the-knee amputation of his right leg on Thursday, July 17, 2025. The procedure comes after a grueling five-year struggle stemming from a severe car crash in 2020, which left him with extensive injuries that never fully healed.
The news was confirmed by Bagwell’s close friend, Steve Stasiak, owner of Book Pro Wrestlers, who shared an update on Facebook. Stasiak revealed that complications from the 2020 accident ultimately necessitated the amputation. “The injuries from his 2020 accident never fully healed,” Stasiak wrote, adding, “He gave it everything he had to avoid this outcome — but that fight led him here.”
Hours before the surgery, Bagwell, 55, addressed his fans on his YouTube channel alongside his fiancée, explaining that the amputation was “the result of a five-year battle trying to save my leg.” A photo shared by Stasiak showed Bagwell in a hospital bed, hooked up to wires, with a visible smile despite the challenging circumstances. However, Stasiak emphasized the emotional toll the situation has taken on the former nWo member, stating, “This one… this is hard. For him. For everyone who knows and loves him.”
The 2020 incident, which occurred on August 16, 2020, in Cobb County, Georgia, saw Bagwell lose control of his Chevrolet Tahoe. According to the Cobb County Police Department, his vehicle veered across a median, crashed through a metal fence, and collided with a restroom at a transit bus station. Bagwell sustained critical injuries, including broken ribs, a broken right hip, a broken left socket bone, a broken nose, and a torn right groin muscle. Authorities also noted that he was driving impaired due to prescription medication at the time of the accident, as reported by Livemint and TMZ Sports. This was not Bagwell’s first serious car crash; he was also involved in a significant accident in 2012, which resulted in broken bones in his neck, face, and jaw, as detailed on his Wikipedia page.
Born Marcus Alexander Bagwell on January 10, 1970, he rose to prominence in WCW in the 1990s, becoming a five-time World Tag Team Champion. He was a memorable part of the New World Order (nWo) faction, adopting the charismatic “Buff Bagwell” persona. His career also included stints with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), among other independent promotions.
In the wake of this life-altering surgery, Steve Stasiak has called upon Bagwell’s friends, family, and fans to offer their support. “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,” he urged. The wrestling community and fans worldwide are now rallying behind Bagwell as he embarks on this new chapter of recovery and adaptation.
