Buff Bagwell Says He's In Talks With TNA

[It's Damn Real!]

This from Shining Wizards Podcast:

On a possible future with TNA: "Me and Eric are talking. Sting wants me to come down there and work for TNA. So we are in talks, we are waiting for me to get back to 100%. We are about 2 weeks out. I just spoke to Sting yesterday. So Eric is gonna bring me down and talk to me and just see what happens, so I am in the mix with maybe going back to TNA now."

--

I have no idea what capacity they'd be thinking of bringing Bagwell in for, but based on recent photographs of him he does look to have kept in shape through the years. I can't imagine this'll go over well with the majority of TNA fans, but thoughts?

 

[klunderbunker]

...why? Buff Bagwell hasn't been on a major show in about 11 years and I don't think anyone is begging for his return. At the end of the day he was a midcard/tag guy for his entire career other than a sip of coffee with Flair in 1999. This is another example of bringing in a guy because he used to have a name. Bagwell isn't horrible in the ring or anything, but I have no idea what they think he could bring that dozens of other younger guys couldn't.

 

[Rayne]

Eh, bring him in for a couple months, use him to put over a younger guy, then tell him "thanks for the memories, now don't blow all this on coke". He's not a guy you're going to base a program around, and if memory serves correctly he was quite a temper problem backstage, beating Braden Walker/Chris Harris in the "fastest turnaround" category in the WWF/E.

He's got name value, so you can use some of that for a little bit. Professional wrestling sucks in general today, so people always seem to pop for the '90s guys.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I'm sure many wrestling fans who used to watch WCW would remember his name. just based on that he would be better than younger unknown wrestlers.
I would doubt TNA would bring him in for any major push like the main event level.

I'm a little confused why he would be connected to Sting. I don't remember Buff having connection to Sting before. Buff was in the nWo, when Sting was against nWo.

Buff also isn't that old. he is 42. in comparison RVD is 41.
I have no idea what Buff would be like in the ring at this point, but I also don't think that really matters. as long as he would be good enough, he could be useful.
for what it's worth, I also thought Scott Steiner should have been useful in his most recent time in TNA.

 

[shafe_41]

For some reason, Buff always entertained me. But was always plagued with injuries, his attitude, or something else. TNA is on a nice little roll here. I don't think adding Buff to the roster would be taking a step back or anything, but he's just going to be another guy there that has a name. It's certainly not going to put them ahead at all. Buff hasn't been important in over 10 years. Typical TNA move.

 

[RicSpade]

I have been on the independent scene, and have had some of my colleagues wrestle him, and honestly no one wanted to wrestle him just because even with what 20+ in the business you still look green as goose shit. Hell look at it like this, you had a broken neck, you were a top star in WCW during its fail time, and then you went to WWE and your first match your automatically released cause it was god awful. Yeah if Bagwell came in I'm tuning out...

 

[George Steele's Barber]

My first thought is, "Quick! Someone post a clip of the soft-core porn he was in."

My second thought is, "This may just be an opportunity for TNA to exploit Judy Bagwell, she's the real draw in that family."

But when I'm done being an ass, I'm not sure I buy this. Is Bischoff working in that capacity with TNA? Were him and Sting that tight? If this is true he's pretty stupid for sharing this info unless he thinks his fans will rally to his cause and start petitioning TNA to hire him. Otherwise, why share this with the internet and ruin any type of surprise TNA may have had in mind for him?

Fuck! He could have been the leader of Aces and Eights. The guy has some name recognition and charisma. They could build the story around the guy as the leader. Let him have a feud with Sting for not answering all his phone calls over the past 10 years, leaving him to sit at home with his mom picking splinters out her Judy-Bagwell-On-A-Pole ass. Now that we suspect that he is going to show up, any chance for a surprise is ruined.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I call bullshit on this one. I actually didn't mind Buff Bagwell back in the day but come on, "the day" was over a decade ago and he wasn't exactly setting the world on fire then either. How much name recognition does he really bring at this stage of the game, and is it worth the inherent risk that accompanies him? Would Sting or Bischoff Sr. really have any interest whatsoever in a 90's star as we approach 2013? And does Eric even have the stroke in TNA at this point?

I can't imagine that TNA would attempt to exploit nostalgia in an ill-advised attempt to do something noteworthy. They've never done that before, have they? Pin their hopes on an aging veteran whose better days are behind them. I'm sure the TNA brass would never be that shortsighted or off base.

I have to be honest, though. If he ends up being involved in Aces and Eights and/or 1/3/13, I'm going to laugh my ass off.

 

[Pedigree1]

Buff the stuff was the stuff around 12-15 years ago but that was then. Sure from what i have seen he has kept himself in great physical shape. He better hes a personal trainer if im not mistaken. Buff had good in ring skills and a cocky personality that made you hate him.

Personally i liked him back in the day. I have no idea what Bagwell thinks he can bring to TNA 85%of the audience is gonna have no idea who the hell this guy is. Plus what can he bring that the current younger crop cant. Answer is nothing. Bagwell is a name thats about it

 

[MINISTRYrising]

TNA already have a few wrestlers on the roster with troubled backgrounds and adding another one to the list would just be stupied. Bagwell is 42 now and while he looks like he has taken care of himself, Its been over 10 years since he has wrestled week in week out for a top promotion and you have to ask the question of weather or not he can still go.

 

[HardyHater]

Just like all those WCW mid-card stars who had their weaknesses exposed in the larger WWE ring Buff should fit right in down in Double A ball or TNA . This ought to go well.

 

[xavyer]

Well, in my opinion, Buff Bagwell in WCW was kind of like Billy Gunn in the WWE, he was always someone else's shadow, i didn't watched WCW as much as i watched WWE, but i remember him as the guy who was always carrying Scott Steiner's TV Title belt, and when i think WCW i think Luger, Sting, Ric Flair, Goldberg, NWO, not exactly Buff Bagwell, so i don't exactly know what impact would he have in TNA.......

 

[ramblinroy682]

I watched him wrestle a year or two ago down in Gastonia, NC. Dude was still ripped. Little less hair on top. Sounded like Eric Young on the mic. Aka One too many cigs. But, he was carrying around whatever belt they were using in that promotion.

Back when he was running with Steiner, I loved the guy though. Don't know why, but I did. I thought him and Steiner were money. But, I do think he is real life friends with Sting from the WCW Days.

Either way, he doesn't bring a lot to TNA at this point. He might be good for a pairing with Jesse from Big Brother. Other than that, maybe he'd come in for a Gut Check. They could run a story on a past his prime, 15 minutes of fame now down on his luck superstar trying to make it back to a TV audience kind of thing. Be interested to see if he'd make it that way.

 

[Ding_Dong_#2]

The bottom line is that TNA have not been interested in making anything of him in ten years, despite the fact that he has many contacts there.

If they bring him in, he won't be a top-liner, probably on the Devon sort of level, and Buff the Stuff will probably tolerate that in the short-term, but definitely not in the long-term.

He's 42 and in good shape but has no real potential or market value; he was only really pushed through who he knew as opposed to what he could do and that hasn't changed, and neither has his reputation.

 

[Wolf Pac]

I'm a little confused why he would be connected to Sting. I don't remember Buff having connection to Sting before. Buff was in the nWo, when Sting was against nWo.

I think Sting brought him into WCW or he was his mentor or trainer or something, I dunno, I just remember Tony Schiavone on commentary mentioning something along those lines when Buff was apart of The American Males and they faced Sting & Luger on an episode of Nitro. I doubt TNA have any real interest in Buff, I think they are just considering bringing him in to please Sting, nothing more. Hopefully TNA decide not to sign him, Buff is absolutely useless, he wouldn't even be useful for putting over some younger guys as some others have suggested, he may have some name recognition but I don't see how a younger guy beating him would do anything special for that person when Buff hasn't been relevant in over a decade. If they do bring him in, I see him getting some unworthy push where he's revealed as a member of Aces & Eights and he feuds with Sting, or god forbid, he wins the Television Championship.

 

[T2KFreeker]

You know, I keep reading about how great he still looks. Has anyone seen him since his really bad car accident earlier this year? If I'm not mistaken, I could swear that his injuries were atrocious and many. Perhaps it has curbed his "Attitude" as he might actually understand that after the car crash he doesn't have much left in his career. Just asking as I was under the impression that he just went home from the hospital a few months ago as he was tore up really bad.

 

[midgensa]

I think Buff could be an ok addition ... and they definitely could use the name recognition in Aces & Eights or something like that.

I don't know if he can still pull off the Blockbuster, but I always loved that move.

I have nothing against him coming around again and would at least be interested in seeing how they book him at first because I think he does have some charisma.

 

[sTyLnK]

Nothing wrong with bringing in a household name to wrestling fans. The WWE has done it time and time again. Bret Hart, Steve Austin etc. It's a good way to mix things up. If the WWE does it, why not TNA? Now obviously I'm not comparing Bret and Austin to *snicker* Bagwell, merely pointing out that he is a name any real wrestling fan knows about, so it might draw a few people in to check him out.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I don't really remember much of Marcus Alexander Bagwell in the beginning, which was his name originally. I do remember the name, just not much of what was going on then. I think what I remember is early nWo when Eric Bischoff was in the ring asking who from WCW wanted to join them, and Bagwell along with Scott Norton walked out.

after WCW, why did Bagwell never go to WWE?

 

[Chrome]

I like Buff in TNA .. why? because I think they will use him like they are using Chavo .. in a tag team. I see nothing wrong with Buff in that type of usage in TNA. He was a good tag team specialist and you can't deny that he had charisma. I think its a good thing for TNA, I don't really see much down side to get worked up about.

 

[UltimateHitman]

I don't really have a problem with Bagwell as far as an ok talent. He wasn't great, but he wasn't awful. I mean, he did have that charisma that made you love to hate him. Or is that just hate him?

He never was my favorite guy, personally. I didn't care for him back during his heyday.

However, I did go see him at a small (and I mean SMALL) local show, and he was a pretty nice dude, very down to earth. It was the Sunday of WM25 and a local bar had a small show with the ppv following. He was the "name" they got, so I figured what the hell. Even ended up getting in for free.

He was great with the fans (and trust me, it was a pretty tiny crowd. He could have easily hightailed it when it was over) and in his interaction with them. He was taking pictures with people while they wore his hat, bullshitting with them, and even talked to some lady's brother or cousin or something on her cell phone because he wanted to come and couldn't make it.

He even stuck around to sit at the bar and watch the ppv with everybody. I was sitting beside him, chatting it up, asking random questions, listening to stories. He was kind of like hanging out with an old college buddy or something. I was impressed with how cool he was (also factoring in I was pretty drunk) and ended up buying an autographed pic and dvd.

Back to the question, though, I don't think the basic idea of bringing him in is necessarily good or bad. What I don't like about it, though, is the fact that they don't need to be expanding the payroll at this current time.

They keep picking up new talent like it's going out of style, but pretty soon there comes a time when you hit a financial ceiling. Work on other elements and aspects of the product and fine tune things that need fine tuning before shelling out even more money for new additions to the roster who aren't really going to spike your ratings (sorry, Buff). Do things like better your production, invest in a few more live shows outside the Impact Zone and build slowly from there, increase the quality of your merchandise, etc. etc.

When you don't use all of your roster as it is, and the half you do use you use them sparingly, then that should tell you to trim it down, not keep adding to it, stop building on it at the moment, or even have a second show. Again, focus on bettering the things that you currently have and get that going strong before you try to expand even further on your talent pool when it's already bursting at the seams.

 

[Lowdown]

Chances are Buff would be put in a tag team or something if he truly is coming. I was never really a fan of his, but I didn't hate the guy either. While he can still maybe put on a good match, he doesn't really bring much to the table for TNA. He can help someone that could use a push perhaps; maybe have him feud with AJ or something.

 

[HBsam31]

Honestly, I never minded Bagwell. I liked his stuff with Steiner a lot actually. It got a little weird when Judy Bagwell got involved in the show, but hey that's wrestling. What I don't understand is why now? If he has all of these supposed contacts in TNA why didn't they try to bring him in before. This seems like a BS story to me, but if they bring him in and use him to help the younger guys or maybe put him in a tag team I don't have a problem with that. I am not sure that a lot of today's fans would even know who he is though. I had actually forgotten about him until reading this thread, and I followed him all the way back to his Marcus Alexander Bagwell days. Just a strange name to come out of the woodwork, but I guess if used right I don't have a problem with it.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Bischoff said it's horseshit, thankfully. 7 years ago it would have been a decent idea. But whenever you have Sting, Angle, and Jeff Hardy readily available, it's hard to get a nostalgia boner for someone as low on the totem pole as Buff fucking Bagwell.

 

[Mr Impact]

TNA needs Bagwell to be a regular member of the roster like they need a hole in the head. Outside of having him show up from time to time, there's no need for him!