Vince McMahon, Sr. brought McDaniel in for a run in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in 1965. During his run, he wrestled with stars like Boris Malenko, Cowboy Bill Watts, Dr. Jerry Graham and Waldo Von Erich.
After leaving the WWWF, he went to the American Wrestling Association and had a very successful feud with Superstar Billy Graham after Graham could not defeat Wahoo in an arm wrestling challenge and attacked him. Eventually, the feud turned into a tag feud with Wahoo teaming with the Crusher against Graham and Ivan Koloff.
In 1974, Wahoo came to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and feuded with Johnny Valentine. The feud evolved into a tag feud with Wahoo and Paul Jones taking on Johnny Valentine and Ric Flair. McDaniel and Flair entered into a legendary feud throughout 1975 and 1976 after Johnny Valentine's career was ended in a plane crash.
In 1977, Johnny Valentine's son Greg Valentine attacked Wahoo and broke his leg in an angle to establish Greg as Johnny's successor. Greg Valentine originally won the WCW United States Title on June 11, 1977, with Wahoo regaining it in Raleigh, North Carolina two months later. On September 7, 1977, Greg Valentine regained the title, breaking Wahoo's leg in the process. This angle is particularly remembered for a follow-up interview weeks later with Flair and Valentine throwing change at Wahoo, and Valentine asking Wahoo if he needed a custom-made wheelchair for his fat body. Valentine then infuriated fans (thus building up the demand for a rematch) by parading around in T-shirts which read "I Broke Wahoo's Leg" and "No More Wahoo."
He returned to WCW in 1981 and feuded with Roddy Piper over the United States title which ended when Piper brought in Abdullah the Butcher, who put Wahoo out due to injury. Wahoo returned and had a bloody feud with Sgt. Slaughter for the U.S. title when Slaughter won the title while Wahoo was injured. In 1984, he turned on Ricky Steamboat, taking the U.S. title for the fourth time when Tully Blanchard came to Wahoo's assistance with a steel chair. He was stripped of the title but regained it in a tournament later that year. Wahoo successfully defended it at Starrcade of that year against Billy Graham but lost it to Magnum T.A. in early 1985 in a steel cage match. Wahoo feuded again with the now-babyface Ric Flair for the WCW World Heavyweight Title at various times before Flair turned heel again.
In 1986, he returned as a face to WCW in some of his famous Indian Strap Matches with Jimmy Garvin and Rick Rude.
In 1995, McDaniel was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame.
On April 18, 2002, McDaniel passed away.
In 2019, McDaniel was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of its Legacy wing.