How should he have not been opening for them the tour Started in Sept 88 Bobby only had Don't Be Cruel and Girlfriend as hit records , My Prerogative video didn't hit yet , New Edition had just headline three tours and had If It isn't love out.
But to answer
@thedevilyouknow question
Once that My Prerogative song hit radio and that video hit it was game over MTV picked that shyt up and then with 25 mins Bobby was killing Al B Sure and New Edition off the stage
This is pre gumby Bobby he was smoking them off the stage with RAW ENERGY and soul man tricks i mean he was an ill trained soldier on the stage so he wasn't a newbie to the stage and with natural charisma and energy and then the songs it was wrap.
Also New Edition Heartbreak LP underperformed so after If it Isn't Love none of the other singles crossed over and hit like Bobby's singles.
Then word of mouth started to spread about Bobby stage show and with the MTV exposure it was easy money.
But Bobby was co headlining because he wasn't going to do the second leg of the show so Juanita Stephens and Al Haymon came to an agreement that was fair where Bobby would get 50 mins and him and AL B Sure would flip and also Bobby and NE would co headline the second leg of the Heartbreak tour if Bobby stayed on and that Bobby got more money for his Don't Be Cruel tour which kicked off a month after the Heartbreak tour.
But New Edition did officially open for Bobby on the Budweiser Superfest tour whenever they played stadiums also, like the Giants stadium show
New Edition needs to get together and release these concerts on DVD or stream them shyts