Former WCW star Buff Bagwell is defying expectations just five months after having his leg amputated, revealing he's now walking without a cane and considering a return to the wrestling ring.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Bagwell shared an update on his remarkable recovery following the amputation that ended a five-year medical nightmare stemming from a 2020 car accident.
That's only two weeks old without a cane. I didn't believe I was ever going to walk without a cane because that's how much I needed a cane," Bagwell said, demonstrating his mobility during the interview.
The five-time tag team champion endured 41 surgeries over three to four years after his kneecap exploded in the accident. When doctors finally presented him with the option of a risky procedure with only a 20% success rate, Bagwell made a quick decision.
He was talking about pulling a skin graft off of this shoulder to close it up... I said, 'What's the percentages of all that working?' And he said, 'About 20%.' And I said, 'Let's cut it off.'
Buff Bagwell Says Amputation Brought Relief After 5 Years of Misery
Bagwell revealed he suffered through five years of misery with a leg that couldn't bend, affecting every aspect of daily life from sitting in cars to using restrooms. The relief was immediate after the amputation.
I was miserable for five years. Every car seat, every toilet seat, every church, restaurant, hotel, airplane, 5 years... I remember waking up the next morning from that car ride and I told Stacy, 'If this was it, if there was no such thing as a prosthetic leg, we made the right decision because my life was going to be better.'
Buff Bagwell's Bionic Leg
Now fitted with a $135,000 microprocessor prosthetic leg, Bagwell has gained a new appreciation for the human body.
The knee, the human knee is magic. It's magic, brother... That's a $135,000 leg and it doesn't do this," he said, demonstrating a simple leg movement. "That one was free. This one came from God.
Buff's Future in Wrestling
Looking ahead, Bagwell hasn't ruled out returning to the ring, though he's setting high standards for himself. He recently made a return to Memphis Wrestling in a managerial role.
I know I could wrestle again, another match or two. But if I can't do it where it's ugly, I'm not going to do it. And I'm not sure that's possible. If it's ugly at all, I'm not going to do it. But I think I can.
The amputation was documented by fellow wrestling veteran Maven, whose YouTube video about the procedure has garnered over a million views.
