Wrestling meets comedy in upcoming Roastlemania IX: Redemption at Wiseguys

Tue, Dec 30, 2025 (10 a.m.)

Local comedy has never been particularly fond of staying in its lane. Open mics grow long in the tooth, solo stand-up can become precious, and the city’s sharpest comics are always looking for a new container sturdy enough to hold their egos.\

Enter Roastlemania, a wrestling-themed verbal battle that ignores the idea that comedy should be polite, quiet, or even seated. 

At its core, Roastlemania is a live roast format filtered through the theatrics of professional wrestling. Comics face off in curated pairings, framed not as civil exchanges of personalized jabs but as full-bodied spectacles complete with walk-on music, crowd chants and larger-than-life personas. The result is a show that treats comedy less like a solo gig and more like a communal sport, without requiring the audience to whisper reverently into their drinks. 

The concept itself has a lineage. Co-producer Mike Krasner took inspiration from the remnants of a similarly themed show created by local comic Bobby Wayne Stauts, reimagining it after the original went on hiatus. A year and a half later, Roastlemania has been molded into something both reverent and irreverent, a format that honors its origins while dressing them up in bravado. 

Structure matters here, even if chaos is the aesthetic. Krasner and a rotating co-host guide the audience through the evening, introducing comics and providing commentary as the night unfolds. Sean Reddy, co-producer and lead judge, anchors the panel with a role straight out of wrestling lore.

“If you know, in the wrestling world, you have the babyface … and then you have the heel,” Reddy explains. “I am the heel judge. So I kind of dig into them.” His persona, affectionately dubbed “The Trash Man,” comes complete with a prop trash can and a crowd primed to chant on cue. 

Audience participation is not only encouraged, it is necessary. “You go to comedy shows and they tell you not to heckle,” Krasner says. “But here it’s like wrestling, where if you tell a joke and it doesn’t land, they’ll boo you. They’ll yell trash.” The atmosphere is loud, opinionated, and refreshingly unprecious. 

Roastlemania has migrated across venues, from the OYO Hotel and Casino to the LA Comedy Club at the Strat, and now to Wiseguys at Town Square, bringing with it a loyal following that understands the recurring jokes, characters and evolving arcs. Some comics lean fully into the theme, arriving in costume, while fans track their favorite returning performers. 

There are, of course, prizes, both shiny and intentionally humiliating. Reddy recalls wanting to reward even the roughest sets. “Why not present them with a little trash can award that they could take home?” he says.  

“If you can’t be the best, you gotta be the worst,” Krasner jokes, yet this strange symmetry has fostered growth. Reddy points to comic Hailey Brooks, now a reigning Intercontinental champion, whose progression unfolded in front of returning audiences, proof that the show doubles as a living workshop. 

“We’re trying to help local comics who don’t get an opportunity to perform on a nightly basis an opportunity to show their skills and build their fan base,” says Reddy.  

Roastlemania IX: Redemption invites back familiar faces for another turn under the lights, while it remains welcoming to first-timers. No storyline homework is required; the producers make sure context is served alongside the jokes. With crowds averaging around 150 and a deep local talent pool, the show stands as a reminder that comedy, when allowed to get a little messy, can still surprise. 

ROASTLEMANIA IX: REDEMPTION January 2, 9:30 p.m., $30. Wiseguys, wiseguyscomedy.com.