WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed a number of intriguing topics on the Grilling JR podcast. A recent episode of the audio show saw JR and co-host Conrad Thompson look at the 7.6.98 episode of WCW Monday Nitro.

This episode of the WCW flagship show was hugely significant, as it featured Goldberg challenging for and winning the WCW World Championship against Hollywood Hulk Hogan.

One of the acts that appeared during the watch-along was Marcus ‘Buff’ Bagwell and his mother, Judy Bagwell. Conrad would ask JR about the infamous story that involved all three when Bagwell first joined WWE as part of the Invasion angle in 2001.

Supposedly, Bagwell was unhappy with the way he was being treated in then WWF and wanted to skip a live date. Judy Bagwell apparently called JR and asked that Buff be allowed to skip a date, with Jim Ross apparently saying that Judy should pass on the news that Marcus was fired.

Buff Bagwell would refute these claims back in 2017. “Do you really believe, out there in video world, that Buff Bagwell got fired because of his mother?” Buff stated on The Steve Austin Show. “Do people really believe that I had my mother call the WWF and say let him off Augusta in Birmingham? Well f**k no that’s not true! Why would I do that? But people believed it. And one person was responsible: Jim Ross. And only God, Jim Ross and me know the truth, and who’s gonna believe me. Nobody… The true, true story is Jim Ross created that monster, and people believed it.”

JR gave his own take on the situation on Grilling JR. “That’s old news. You know, we had a conversation on the phone, once. [I said] I want to talk to Marc, not to her. With all due respect I’d never met the lady, I didn’t know her. I have no issues with her. I’ve just made it clear that when Marcus wanted to talk about his WWE run? He should just call me. Simple as that. It became a story and it really wasn’t a story.”