Why WWE Hall Of Famer Diamond Dallas Page Doesn't Call Marcus Bagwell 'Buff' Anymore

Of all the success stories Diamond Dallas Page has had in helping former wrestlers achieve sobriety after years of struggle, perhaps the one forgotten about the most is DDP's former WCW co-worker Marcus Alexander "Buff" Bagwell. Some of that is because Bagwell just isn't as famous as the other performers Page has helped, such as WWE Hall of Famers Jake Roberts and Scott Hall. Another factor though is that Bagwell's had plenty of controversies beyond his battle for sobriety, including someone using Bagwell's Twitter account in 2022 to express progressive political beliefs, leading to backlash against Bagwell and the user when the news was exposed.

Regardless of all that, Bagwell's journey towards getting sober has been just as treacherous as it was for others, enough so that Bagwell's struggles were covered in an episode of "Dark Side of the Ring." The former WCW star has credited DDP for getting him on the right track, despite the fact that it was difficult at times for the two to see eye to eye. During a December 2025 appearance on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," DDP revealed that Bagwell's behavior had led to DDP deciding not to call him by his famous nickname.

"I've always loved Marcus," DDP said. "I stopped him calling him Buff, because Buff is an a*****e...especially when it's straight Buff, and it's not sober Buff. He's hard. I don't want to be around him."

Fortunately, DDP hasn't had to deal with "Buff" recently, recounting he had just had a great time with a sober Bagwell at a dinner party hosted by the boyfriend of DDP's daughter. The "Master of the Diamond Cutter" also confirmed that Bagwell had now reached three years of sobriety recently, and that he had become a completely different person from the man DDP knew during their WCW days.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription