In June 1990, Von Erich signed a contract with Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He debuted on the "Saturday Night's Main Event XXVII" as a fan favorite under the ring name Texas Tornado (while being openly acknowledged as Kerry Von Erich by announcers), defeating Buddy Rose, who coincidentally was his first opponent in his career. At SummerSlam, Tornado substituted for the injured Brutus Beefcake and defeated Mr. Perfect to win the Intercontinental Championship. After he became champion, Tornado defended the title for three months including a match against Haku on the October 13 "Saturday Night's Main Event XXVIII" before losing the title back to former champion Mr. Perfect in a rematch on the December 15 (taped November 19) edition of "Superstars". Von Erich lost this match, and the title to Perfect due to interference from Ted DiBiase.