[1] After training under Verne Gagne in 1975, Irwin debuted for the AWA on March 13, 1976 in Davenport, Iowa, going to a time limit draw with another rookie, Dick Blood.

Soon after debuting, The Lumberjacks wrestled against Dino Bravo and Dominic DeNucci for the WWF Tag Team Championship on June 2, but the match ended in a double disqualification.

After leaving the WWWF, Irwin debuted in Championship Wrestling from Florida in December 1978 as "Thor the Viking", with Oliver Humperdink as his manager.

[5] The following month, Irwin returned to the CWF as the masked "Super Destroyer", and went on to win a tag team match with Stan Lane against Keirn and Mike Graham.

[5] Irwin continued to use the Super Destroyer character in the CWF throughout the rest of 1979 before debuting in Mid-South Wrestling on November 27, 1980, in a losing effort to Ted DiBiase.

[5] Irwin, as the Super Destroyer, returned to Mid-South on April 18, 1981, and won the tag team championship with the Grappler after defeating Dick Murdoch and the Junkyard Dog in the finals of a tournament to claim the vacant title.

[7] Irwin continued to perform as the Super Destroyer upon joining the Continental Wrestling Association, and soon formed a successful tag team with the Masked Superstar.

On September 28, the Riders and Harley Race lost to Genichiro Tenryu, Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta in a six-man tag team match at SuperClash.

[10] The Riders continued in the AWA until April 20, 1986, where they lost a tag team title match to Curt Hennig and Scott Hall at WrestleRock.