10 Wrestlers Who Were HUGE Marks For Themselves

8. Buff Bagwell

Shane McMahon Thumb II
WWE

Buff Bagwell definitely had something in the 1990s. 

Never a great worker, his personality was so phenomenally cocky and abrasive that he was very effective at riling up the audience. He was gifted a punchable face, and worked on the ability to wear punchable expressions. You were never promised a memorable match, but watching that face get punched was cathartic, if not electrifying. 

He was a strong prelim heel. The problem with Buff is that he thought he was the Rock. 

Bagwell was such a huge mark for himself that he thought he knew better than Pat Patterson - Pat Patterson, the inventor of the Royal Rumble and the best finish guy of all time. Imagine declaring you know better than the man who mapped out those 1997 WWF finishes. 

That’s what Bagwell did, according to Booker T. Ahead of their infamous 2001 dud on Raw, Book claimed on the Notsam podcast in 2019, Pat tried to give Buff some advice. 

Ready to go in front of a crowd Buff, a narcissist, had no idea would be so hostile, Bagwell told Pat not to worry: he was already over. 

Narrator: he was not over. Other than in his own Jupiter-sized head, of course.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!