Rico and Japan, allowing wrestling fans to watch programming from throughout the United States for the first time. The station agreed to extend the show to fill up its night time programming schedule. Pedicino was later able to acquire Japanese puroresu and joshi wrestling as part of the Fuji Television Network's efforts to develop a market in the American television industry. Early popularity Superstars of Wrestling debuted in May 1986, airing on Saturday nights from 8:00 pm to 3:00 am, was a ratings success. Eight different wrestling organizations from as far away as Dallas, Texas and Birmingham, Alabama were broadcast during its first year. These would later include the Continental Wrestling Association, Georgia Championship Wrestling, Mid-South Wrestling and World Class Championship Wrestling as well as events from around the world. Because the show never disclosed that the wrestling being shown was pre-taped, with Pedicino adding commentary during post-production, fans watching the show at home would often travel to the studio hoping to attend the show. In November, twenty fans drove in a van from Snellville, Georgia to the locked studio in downtown Atlanta, only to be turned away by security. Pedicino served as both executive producer and host throughout its near 7-year run. He was joined by fellow ring announcer Rhubarb Jones and 21-year-old Boni Blackstone, who later became his wife. Pedicino had hosted the show alone for the first six months before an on-air contest was held to find a new co-host. Out of 70 women, only 20 made the finals with Blackstone winning the competition. Gordon Solie also joined the show as a regular color commentator The popular wrestling announcer, then working for Championship Wrestling from Florida, had to commute from Tampa, Florida to Atlanta each week. Solie would also host a featured segment with Pedicino, "Pro Wrestling This Week", which discussed wrestling news from around the country. They were sometimes joined by Bill Apter, who had his own segment, and co-produced interview segments with Pro Wrestling Illustrated featuring many of wrestling stars of the 1980s. Apter's appearances, as well as those on TBS, considerably raised his profile among wrestling fans of the era. The show was watched in over 20 major television markets in its first year. By the summer of 1987, the show broadcast in 40 cities, including New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, and eventually syndicated throughout the country. In May 1988, Pedicino claimed