Howell Duo Launch Wrestling Podcast Made By Fans, For Fans

HOWELL, NJ - Howell native Thomas Lisi has spent the better part of 30 years as an avid fan of wrestling, starting from the tender age of four years old. And although he’s spent most of his adult years as a chef in Monmouth County, the 34-year-old recently revamped his childhood bedroom to function as a recording studio for a podcast he co-created based on his love for the viewing activity.

Alongside coworker-turned-pal Alex Drayton, 32, Lisi launched “Sunset Flip Radio” earlier in 2020, aimed to serve as a laid-back, conversational approach to wrestling podcasts. Lisi reports that 98 percent of the show is not scripted, adding to the casual, friendly atmosphere of the series:

“We do that on purpose just to prove to fans that we don’t follow any scripts,” Lisi told Patch. “Everything’s off the top of our heads, but we try to be as real and original as possible. We’re just two wrestling fans that just love talking about it.”

(Credit: Thomas Lisi)

While the pair’s friendship has undoubtedly remained strong since the duo met while working in Tinton Falls in 2014, Lisi says that his love for the “art and sport of professional wrestling” started way before the two met.

Between the late 1980s and early 1990s, Lisi eagerly looked forward to Saturday morning television, gawking at cartoons characters, cereal ads and Hulk Hogan alike. His fascination with larger-than-life wrestling personalities only grew from that point, with the Howell man recalling favorite programs such as Monday Night Raw, Smackdown and NXT.

And just like Lisi and Drayton, for hundreds of listeners around the world - hailing from Canada to Germany - the podcast also serves as a vessel for nostalgia.

“A lot of the stuff we have in the studio in the room I grew up in, it’s from when we were younger. It’s a way of keeping our childhood alive, which is also kind of what we do through the podcast,” Lisi said. “We’re both chefs in a kitchen outside of what we do with the podcast, so we have a lot in common and wrestling is something that kind of brought us together. In general, ever since I was a kid, wrestling was our escape from stuff. I still watch it everyday.”

“With everything going on today, it’s a great alternative to some of the stuff that will bring you down on a daily basis, with COVID and how the world is going, unfortunately. So for us, wrestling has always been an escape,” Drayton added.

(Credit: Thomas Lisi)

The duo note that Sunset Flip Radio is an amalgamation of all topics current to the wrestling world, with throwback elements added to the mix. Countdowns, highlights and personal favorite wrestling moments are not uncommon fodder, according to Lisi: “There’s something in it for every kind of wrestling fan.”

“There are a lot of wrestling podcasts on the east coast, but none of them touch on what professional wrestling from the opinion of two lifelong fans. So that’s been our big goal and our big definition of what we’re trying to do - we’re two lifelong, loyal wrestling fans that want to give back to the sport as much as it’s given to us,” Lisi said.

In addition to nostalgia talk and current events, Sunset Flip Radio touts a rotation of guests, interviews with professional wrestlers and prize giveaways. The podcast’s Wrestling Satchel segment also sees questions asked by followers on social media answered by the Howell duo.

To the team, the eclectic podcast has evolved from a passion project to a full-fledged product for fans to enjoy - which both aim to pursue full-time.

“I want to talk about wrestling for the rest of my life, I want to be able to do that financially. That’s my ultimate goal - do what you love, love what you do,” Lisi told Patch.

“Eventually, down the road we hope to get picked up by a streaming company or media service, also paid advertising from local businesses. That’s the big goal for us, but what we’ve done so far is establish some great groundwork in being a great podcast for a fanbase that does not get enough credit for being passionate about what they love.”

“I want people to find a getaway through our podcast. We never worked with the WWE, we’ve never done anything with that, but we’ve been lifelong, loyal wrestling fans,” Alex added. “It’s for the fans, but also, it’s just Tom and I having a discussion. We have a platform and we just get to talk, I think that’s what’s really great about it. We don’t really have a format but we do - nothing is scripted. We’re just hanging out, from one fan to another.

“If you want to hear great wrestling talk and great wrestling stories - look no further.”

Sunset Flip Radio is available for download on Apple Podcasts and Pod Bean.