Former WCW star Buff Bagwell has revealed that he underwent a leg amputation due to complications stemming from a 2020 car accident. In a heartfelt video conversation shared by Maven Huffman, the 55-year-old opened up about the emotional and physical toll of the decision in a moving dialogue with WWE Hall of Famer Lex Luger.
Bagwell, who has battled persistent pain for years and has vowed to wrestle again, described the surreal moment of waking up post-surgery: “It’s bizarre, bro, looking down and not seeing my leg. It’s a lot. It’s gone, brother. When I first woke up, I looked down and I was like, I didn’t forget, of course, but I was like, ‘Wow, my leg is gone, bro.’ In that five or six second period, I got hit real hard. I got hit hard.
“Then I went, ‘Bro, your leg looked horrible and you’ve been miserable for five years, bro.’ Instead of losing my leg, I’m gaining a leg from this. I’ve been without a leg for five years, bro. It just was there. A lot of pain. I’ve been taking 12 Advil a day and 6 Tylenol for the last three or four months.”
“When I first woke up, I looked down and I was like, I didn’t forget, of course, but I was like, ‘Wow, my leg is gone, bro.’”
Lex Luger, who himself endured a life-altering spinal cord injury that left him in a wheelchair, offered words of empathy and encouragement: “When I had a spinal cord injury, I slowly wasted away. They always showered me in the room there. And so I was never in front of a mirror. One of my roommates in the bathroom when we showered, they took me down the hall to shower me.”
Bagwell’s Determination
He continued, “They had my lower part of my body covered, but not my upper body. And there was like windows and mirrors along the hallway leading down to the shower area. And I saw this guy going by in a wheelchair, really skated off the corner of my eye. I looked over and that hit me. That was me. I didn’t recognize myself. I realized, though, big picture. If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. Whatever you do, keep on moving forward.”
The emotional exchange highlights the shared resilience of two veterans who continue to inspire fans through their battles outside the ring. Bagwell has been candid about his recovery journey and his commitment to health and sobriety in recent years.
Everyone at PWMania.com sends our best to Buff Bagwell during his recovery and applauds the strength and courage of both Bagwell and Luger in sharing their stories.
