Joe Pedicino

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Joe Pedicino
Born(1949-10-04)October 4, 1949
Atlanta, Georgia
Debut1986
Retired1994

Joe Pedicino (October 4, 1949 – April 12, 2020)

Superstars of Wrestling with his wife Boni Blackstone[2][3][4] and Gordon Solie[5][6][7] from 1986 to 1992.[8]

The series, created and produced by Pedicino, aired eight hours of wrestling from around the country and was the first to provide national coverage of the

WWF) and regional promotions. Scott Hudson and Steve Prazak, both former WCW announcers, were fans of the show and given their first big break by Pedicino when he began promoting events in the late 1980s. Bill Apter, editor of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, has also credited Pedicino for considerably raising his profile among wrestling fans due to his weekly segment.[9][10]

He was also the booker and part owner of the Global Wrestling Federation with former USWA commentator Max Andrews,[11] as well as part of the announcing team for GWF Wrestling Superstars on ESPN,[2][12][13] and had a similar role in the short-lived Ladies Professional Wrestling Association.[14] Popularly known as the "round mound of sound", Pedicino has been compared to some of the top commentators of the mid-to late 1980s and is regarded as one of the most recognizable personalities during the final years of the "territory era". Brian Westcott, wrestling historian and writer, has called Pedicino one of his all-time favorite play-by-play/color commentators.[15]

Following his retirement from wrestling, Pedicino owned and operated local

Clear Channel Broadcasting.[16] He and his wife also began a successful publishing company, Food Fax, which puts out six annual specialty advertising guides. Their company, the first to offer such service, started out sending fax listings to office workers of lunch menus and daily specials from more than 1,000 local restaurants in Cobb County, Georgia.[17]

Biography

Early career

Joe Pedicino was born in

Fuji Television Network's efforts to develop a market in the American television industry.[21]

Superstars of Wrestling

The show debuted in May 1985, 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

Mid-South Wrestling and World Class Championship Wrestling as well as events from around the world.[10] Because the show never disclosed that the wrestling being shown was pre-taped, with Pedicino adding commentary later on, 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 all the way from Snellville, Georgia to the locked studio in downtown Atlanta only to be turned away by security.[20]

Pedicino served as both

TBS, considerably raised his profile among wrestling fans of the era.[9]

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

The Fabulous Freebirds were also at the event.[23] In 1988, he became involved with the Southern Championship Training Center, a rival training facility of Jody Hamilton's American Academy of Professional Wrestling, in Cumming, Georgia by helping promote the school.[24]

On July 17, 1988, Pedicino and Blackstone hosted a two-hour wrestling show, "Wrestlethon '88", which was broadcast nationwide via

Atlanta Magazine editor Lee Walburn, Atlanta Business Chronicle editor Anita Sharpe, Creative Loafing publisher Deborah Eason and local WSB-TV personalities John Pruitt and Bebe Emerman.[26]

Georgia All-Star Wrestling and marriage to Boni Blackstone

Pedicino started his own wrestling promotion, Georgia All-Star Wrestling, in 1989. Having been an announcer for

Marcus Bagwell also made his debut in the promotion under the name Fabian.[4]

In early-1990, he hired Scott Hudson and Steve Prazak as announcers for the promotion. According to Hudson in a later interview, both men had been fans of his show and they persuaded Pedicino to hire them for free after a poor performance given by the regular announcer at a show in Carrollton, Georgia. As Hudson and Prazak had prior experience in radio and television, they soon became valuable members of the promotion. Pedicino later brought the two with him when he became involved with the Global Wrestling Federation.[29] He and Hudson were also given their own segment on Superstars of Wrestling, styled in a comedic "Laurel and Hardy" fashion, called "Point-Counterpoint" which was sometimes aired on ESPN for the GWF.[30] Craig Johnson, then a play-by-play commentator for the United States Wrestling Association, was also hired by Pedicino as head announcer over other applicants including Chris Cruise and Eric Bischoff.[31]

That same year, he and Blackstone became married.[8] This came as a surprise, both to wrestling fans and the staff, as the two had a well-known kayfabe adversarial relationship on the show much like Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan on WWF Wrestling Challenge. Pedicino played the "straight man" of the team who teased and played pranks on Blackstone. The two would continue their routines off-camera, keeping even the studio in the dark, by driving home in separate cars and Blackstone addressing her then boyfriend as "Mr. Pedicino" in front of studio employees during the first two years of their relationship.

Global Wrestling Federation

With the close of

World Wrestling Federation.[31][32][33]

Pedicino and Andrews were originally backed by a supposed

In October 1991, Pedicino turned over his booking position to

Retirement and later years

Back in Atlanta, creative differences eventually caused Pedicino and Solie to part ways[5] and Pedicino decided to end Superstars of Wrestling in August 1992.[18] He and Blackstone started their own business, Max Foods, that same year. The business initially began by publishing a two-page fax listing of 24 restaurants and their daily specials to office workers.[37] The first company of its kind, the listing was sent out five nights a week to over 1,000 businesses in the Cobb County area.[17] In 1993, Blackstone was brought to the WWF as an interviewer for several months[8] while Pedicino joined Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Cornette and Ken Resnick as commentators in Ladies Professional Wrestling Association.[14]

Although he considered bringing back Superstars of Wrestling, Pedicino instead distanced himself from professional wrestling and returned to the radio industry.

radio stations, most notably WMKJ,[38] and WMGP,[39] and produced WTLK TV-14 infomercial "Shoppers' Showcase" with his wife[18] prior to joining Legacy Media Holdings as vice president and chief marketing officer in 1996.[16]

In August 2000, Pedicino and his wife Boni began hosting Pro Wrestling this Week on

FOX Sports Radio,[2] which ran on Sunday nights from 11:00 pm to 1:00 am, and later appeared together at the NWA 52nd Anniversary Show.[40]

In July 2007, Pedicino bought WEKS, which was given approval by the Federal Communications Commission to increase its broadcasting range two months later. The country music station, originally only available in Griffin, Georgia, could then be heard on 92.5 FM in Troup, Meriwether, Coweta, Pike and Spalding counties.[39]

References

  1. ^
    The Atlanta Constitution
    . 6 Oct. 1986: B3.
  2. ^ a b c d Letawsky, Craig (2002-11-14). "Ask 411 11.14.02: No Limit Soldiers, Barry O, Super Liger, Savinovich". Columns. 411mania.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
  3. ^ Byers, Ryan (2008-11-19). "Ask 411 11.19.08: The Macho/Taker Edition". Columns. 411mania.com.
  4. ^
  5. ^
  6. ^ Hartley, Jeremy; Earl Oliver (1998). "Gordon Solie Interview". Interviews. Solie.org.
  7. ^ a b Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum (2004). "Gordon Solie". Hall of Famers. PWHF.org. Archived from the original on 2005-10-27.
  8. ^ a b c d Sneed, Mitch. "Fayette resident talks tough on the air - Blackstone reaches top as WWF personality." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 16 Sept. 1993: M10
  9. ^ a b Total Wrestling (2003-07-14). "Interview - Bill Apter". Interviews. MediaMan.com.au.
  10. ^ a b c Apter, Bill; Andy Sternman (2007-06-27). "Ask Apter -- "About Pro Wrestling This Week..."". Newsline. 1wrestling.com.[dead link]
  11. ^ Cauliflower Alley Club. "2007 Finishes". Finishes. CauliflowerAlleyClub.org.
  12. ^ Speed, Steve L. (2004). "Regional Territories: GWF". Regional Territories. KayfabeMemories.com.
  13. ^ Speed, Steve L. (2004). "Regional Territories: GWF #4, Page #2". Regional Territories. KayfabeMemories.com.
  14. ^ a b Ladies Professional Wrestling Association (Producer) (2003-05-15). LPWA the Super Ladies: Best Vol. 1 (VHS). Los Angeles: Quantum Leap Group Ltd.
  15. ^ Westcott, Brian. "Brian Westcott's Professional Wrestling Web Page!! (Home of Westcott's Wrestling Archives)". Westcott's Wrestling Archives. BrianRich.net.
  16. ^ a b c "Joe Pedicino, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer,, Legacy Media Holdings, LLC". Legacy Media Holdings, LLC Bios. LegacyMediaHoldings.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-04-29.
  17. ^ a b Nash, Rebecca. "Cobb At Work - Couple links up with `all the news that's fit to eat'." The Atlanta Journal Constitution. 19 Nov. 1992: G13
  18. ^ a b c d Hart, Anne. "Ex-wrestling show hosts team up in new career." The Atlanta Journal Constitution. 10 Jan. 1997: J7
  19. ^ a b c Rosen, Chris. "Ch. 36 pins down new wrestling times." The Atlanta Journal Constitution. 27 Jun. 1987: C6
  20. ^ a b c d Dancy, Lee. "Ms. Boni Blackstone adds a soft touch to pro wrestling as a co-hostess to the "Superstars of Wrestling." The Atlanta Journal Constitution. 20 Nov. 1986: I3
  21. ^ King, Bill. "Live from Japan on Channel 36..." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 5 Jul. 1986: A2
  22. ^ Apter, Bill (2009-10-14). "Classic Video Interview -- Captain Lou VS. Paul E!". Newsline. 1wrestling.com.[dead link]
  23. ^ Around Intown. "Elvis' Eldorado, 18-wheel Volvo featured at World of Wheels Show." The Atlanta Journal Constitution. 19 Feb. 1987: E11
  24. ^ Graham, Keith. "School of Hard Knocks - Wrestlers learn man-size moves in roped ring." The Atlanta Constitution. 26 Feb. 1988: C1
  25. ^ Greppi, Michele. Unlikely tag team finds perfect match in TV wrestling fans. The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution. 17 Jun. 1988: C1
  26. ^ Graham, Keith. "Reach Out: Good Meal Ambassadors." The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution. 16 Nov. 1988: D2
  27. The Toronto Star
    . 3 May 1990: C5
  28. ^ Kociaba, Bill (2007). "The Assassin - Interview". Kayfabe-Wrestling.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10.
  29. ^ Wojcik, Alan (2008). "Extensive Scott Hudson Interview". AlanWojcik.com. Archived from the original on 2008-09-26.
  30. ^ Mooneyham, Mike (1992). "De Truth, And Nothing But De Truth". The Wrestling Gospel According to Mike Mooneyham. MikeMooneyham.com. Archived from the original on 2008-03-12.
  31. ^ a b c Williams, Harold (2003-10-19). "Craig Johnson (Jon Horton) Interview". Archived Interviews. World Wrestling Optimum.[dead link]
  32. ^ a b c Dills, Tim S. (2000). "Eddie Gilbert Pt. II". Eddie Gilbert Profile. EddieGilbert.com.
  33. ^ a b Chimel, Eric (2001-02-15). "Editor Q&A Is Back (Thursday 2/15/01 9pm)". Editor Q&A. WrestlingTribune.com. Archived from the original on 2005-03-07.
  34. ^ Carapola, Stuart (2006-04-22). "That Was Then 4.22.06: The Global Wrestling Federation In 1991". Columns. 411mania.com.
  35. ^ Johnson, Craig (2002-07-06). "Fan Contributions". Letter. EddieGilbert.com.
  36. The Miami Herald
    . 19 Apr. 1992: 10D
  37. ^ Vesey, Susannah. "Peach Buzz: Tag Team Fax." The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution. 21 Sept. 1992: C2
  38. ^ Longino, Miriam. "On Radio - After 10-year wait, there's Magic in the air." The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution. 17 Dec. 1997: B2
  39. ^ a b "Digest: Radio station changes hands." LaGrange Daily News. 19 Aug. 2007: A007
  40. ^ Behrens, Bill (2000-10-16). "NWA Wildside & Worldwide News 10/6/00". NWA Wildside/Worldwide News. NWA-Wildside.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14.

External links