Harrell debuted in the World Wrestling Federation in October 1987, once again performing as "Boris Zhukov". He formed a villainous tag team with fellow pseudo-Russian Nikolai Volkoff known as "The Bolsheviks". Over the following 15 months, The Bolsheviks competed against teams such as The British Bulldogs, The Killer Bees, The Powers of Pain, The Rougeau Brothers, and The Young Stallions. Both men entered the 1988 Royal Rumble, which was won by Jim Duggan. In October 1988, Zhukov took part in the King of the Ring tournament, losing to Mike Sharpe in the first round.