In 1984, Murdoch joined the World Wrestling Federation and formed a tag team with Adrian Adonis called the North-South Connection, since Adrian was a New York native while Dick was a Texas native. Both men were involved in a series of vignettes alongside Mean Gene Okerlund, with both men visiting each other's hometowns and not being used with each other's urban and country lifestyles. They captured the World Tag Team Titles, defending them against Jack and Jerry Brisco, Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda, The Wild Samoans, Paul Roma and Salvatore Bellomo, and many other teams. He left the WWF in 1985 after dropping the tag team titles to The U.S. Express.
Murdoch joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1986 as a babyface. He feuded with Ric Flair and attempted to win Flair's WCW World Title. He also teamed with Ron Garvin against Flair and the Four Horsemen. In early 1987, Murdoch turned heel and joined Ivan Koloff and Vladimir Petrov in their attempt to thwart Nikita Koloff and Dusty Rhodes. Then one half of the WCW United States Tag Team Champions with Ivan, he injured Nikita's neck after a brain-buster suplex on the floor that summer, resulting in his suspension for 30 days and the team being stripped of the titles. He briefly left the company before reappearing and teaming with Dick Slater as the Hardliners in 1991. They feuded with Rick and Scott Steiner but were unable to win the WCW World Tag Team Titles.
Murdoch was the twenty-seventh entrant in the 1995 Royal Rumble. He was eliminated by Henry O. Godwinn. That May, he wrestled Wahoo McDaniel in a black-and-white "Legends Match" at WCW Slamboree.
On June 15, 1996, Murdoch passed away.