Chris Van Vliet recently interviewed former WCW star Buff Bagwell. Buff talked about working with Diamond Dallas Page:
“So Buff has got me a long way in life, but Buff is also what has got me into a lot of trouble. I think everybody was just thinking that it was time for a change. Then the show came out with Dallas, the docuseries, the Change or Die thing. Dallas from the get go was not wanting to call me Buff anymore. It was all about me and it got me a long way. But I think that Dallas and Steve saw it before anybody. Buff maybe had his run. Dallas was not wanting me to bring the hat out. I said, ‘But Dallas, people want me to wear that hat all the time. He goes, ‘I know, but just leave it on the table. Let them see it but don’t wear it.’ He also said that he feels sorry for the older guys that are holding onto things. He said to me, “I kind of feel sorry for you when you walk in here with your top hat on.' I said, 'I feel sorry for myself too, but the fans love it.' Dallas then said, ‘Yeah, but I think we need to recreate you.' I’m thinking, to what? Then all of a sudden the Mr. Rogers thing came to life. Then we did the debut in Baltimore with Mr. Bagwell’s Neighborhood. Buff was something that was great to be Buff in the 90’s with that fame. It was so much luck, but so much work.”
On going to rehab:
“I have been to rehab 4 or 5 times. Out of those 4 or 5, I didn’t know what was wrong with me for 3 of them. I didn’t know about my sleep apnea. So the 4th one, I took my CPAP with me and if I had listened and would have been ready, I probably could have gotten clean there, but I didn’t, and I came home 20-something days clean. My sobriety date was August 27th of this year. I am clean for 40-something days. I am not a big counter, but I know my sobriety date. Everyone decided for me to go, and it was time, so I went.”
On a possible in-ring return:
“I would love to wrestle again. I think I have got one more run left in me. I know I do. I know I have got a little bit of a career left. I took a bump with crutches at the GCW Pay-Per-View a year ago. I took a superkick from Joey (Janella) and I took a good clean bump.”
Click below for the full interview.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. Also, be sure to subscribe to "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" on your mobile device by clicking here if you have an iOS device or here on your Android device.
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