Sawyer had a short World Wrestling Federation (WWF) run in 1984. He was called "Bulldog" Buzz Sawyer. During Sawyer's few television appearances, he was managed by Captain Lou Albano. Sawyer's gimmick included a dog chain, a lot of barking and a bulldog finisher.
In 1986, Sawyer debuted for World Class Championship Wrestling. He formed a team with Matt Borne. He also feuded with Brian Adias while there. He got into a feud with Dingo Warrior before reportedly being fired.
He made his way to WCW in 1989 as part of Gary Hart's J-Tex Corporation that was feuding with the Four Horsemen, and had several matches against Arn Anderson. He then joined Kevin Sullivan's "Slaughterhouse" stable in 1990. At the WrestleWar event in 1990, he fractured his wrist and never returned to WCW.
On February 7, 1992, Sawyer passed away.
On April 6, 2021, Sawyer was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of its Legacy wing.