WWE News: Buff Bagwell talks about his WWE release, his match with Booker T, more
In the recent episode of ‘You're Welcome!’ hosted by Chael Sonnen, the former WCW superstar Buff Bagwell commented about the incidents that led to his release from the WWE.
Regarding his unexpected firing from the company, Bagwell claimed that he has no information about the actual reason behind such a decision by WWE:
“Nobody told me why. I was told I was released.”
Bagwell revealed that he had 28 stitches, which weren’t visible due to paint, while wrestling Booker T for the WCW Championship on his RAW debut. That injury occurred when “Hurricane” Shane Helms struck him with an ice-brick to the head while having a heated argument at a wrestling training school.
There was a feeling in the WWE backstage, that Bagwell, Booker T and Diamond Dallas Page were confirmed to be on the main roster of WWE after the company had purchased WCW, but there was a possibility of Helms getting fired for his actions.
As a result, several wrestlers convinced Bagwell to lie about the incident, which he did:
"Well, the boys convinced me to lie and say that I fell, so nobody gets in trouble.”
Bagwell added that he made the decision to reveal the truth to the then Director of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis, after being deliberately ignored by Helms backstage. Later on, Bagwell received a call from Jim Ross, who asked him to “take the weekend off” citing that WWE had some big plans for him in the next edition of RAW.
Buff Bagwell was informed about his release from the company when he arrived for that episode.
Also read: WWE News: Buff Bagwell Explains Why He is Suing WWE
In Ross’s defence, it was pointed out that Bagwell’s mother had made a call to ask the WWE to give time off to the Superstar to heal from the injuries. The accusations, nonetheless, were rejected by his mother.
Even if his mother made the call, Bagwell believes that the action of WWE can’t be justified :
“Worst case scenario. Do you fire Buff Bagwell? I don't [think so] either. Hey, you want him. 'Tell your mother, not to f--king call.'
Excuse my language. 'Tell your mother not to call here. You're a grownup.' But you don't fire Buff Bagwell at 31 years old with 10 years left in him."
In the podcast, Bagwell recalled his match with Booker T on RAW that turned out to be his last match in the WWE. That bout was the first match between WCW and WWE during the Invasion angle, but it was not well received among the fans.
About that scenario, Bagwell remarked :
“The problem is, we decide to do it in Tacoma, Washington, which WCW had never wrestled in 11 years there before and the next week was Philips Arena [in Atlanta, Georgia]."
Bagwell believes that, if the match was postponed to the next week’s RAW, the reactions would have been different as the Philips Arena was famous as WCW’s “backyard” .
However, Bagwell comments that his relationship with the WWE is no longer sour and he has been on good terms with the company for over five years now.
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