Buff Bagwell made an emotional return on the March 26, 2026, episode of TNA iMPACT after almost two decades. During a segment, he disclosed an update on his health, talked about his struggles, and his wish to wrestle one last match, even after losing his leg less than a year ago.
Bagwell’s return came after a very difficult health journey that started with a serious car accident in 2020. The accident happened while he was under the influence, and it badly damaged his right knee. His kneecap was almost destroyed, and his leg could no longer bend.
What happened to Buff Bagwell’s leg?
After the accident, Bagwell went through a very painful recovery process for the next five years. He had more than 40 surgeries to try to save his leg. These included a knee replacement and a surgery where part of his calf muscle was moved to help blood flow. But things kept going wrong. He suffered from infections, including a serious staph infection, and had visited the hospital way too many times. At one point, he even had 21 surgeries in just seven weeks.
Even after all that, his leg couldn’t move properly, making everyday things like walking, sitting, or exercising very difficult. It also affected him emotionally, as he became self-conscious and avoided public appearances.
“When you can’t bend your leg, it’s devastating. I was very depressed about how it looked. I would always wear pants. Here’s Buff Bagwell, ashamed to wear shorts. I would not be in public with it,” Bagwell said during an interview with People.
By 2024, things got worse. After another surgery, doctors told him he had two choices: try more surgeries with only a small chance of success, or amputate his leg. Even if the surgeries worked, his leg would still be stiff and not very useful.
In the end, Bagwell chose amputation.
On July 10, 2025, he went through “above the knee” surgery on his right leg. He later said that waking up without his leg was shocking at first, but he eventually realized it was the right decision.
“So I’m trying to kick out, and at the same time having an anxiety attack over looking at my leg. It seemed like a couple of minutes, but it was probably 10 seconds long, and at the end of that 10 seconds, I was like, ‘Do you remember how your leg looked, buddy?’ After those 10 seconds, I knew I had made the right decision. There was no doubt in my mind,” Bagwell admitted.
After getting a prosthetic leg, he felt like he “gained two legs out of this,” since his right leg’s condition was limiting the use of his left leg earlier.
After that, things started to change for him. Bagwell focused on recovery, staying sober, and rebuilding his life with a prosthetic leg. His return on TNA iMPACT showed that change.
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