After working as talent enhancement for the World Wrestling Federation under the name RT Reynolds, Kirchner was eventually given the character of a military hero after promoter Vince McMahon discovered that he had been in the 82nd Airborne. Kirchner then adopted the ring name Corporal Kirchner and used a militaristic character. He is known in North America for his brief feud with Nikolai Volkoff in the World Wrestling Federation in 1986, which included a victory over Volkoff at WrestleMania 2 in a Flag Match. He was considered one of the toughest men in the WWF at the time and as a result, his career suffered because many wrestlers were afraid to work with him. He was suspended by the WWF for testing positive for drug use in 1987. When his suspension ended, he declined to return and left the company.
In 2001, Kirchner was announced as a participant in the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania X-Seven. The WWF went as far as to picture him in a graphic on WWF.com promoting the match, yet Kirchner was removed weeks before the event.