7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025)
2025-05-25 · Lebanon, TN · 📍 James E. Ward Agricultural Center (Wilson County Fairgrounds)
Reps: CAROLYN WELLS, CHARLIE BRINZA, DAVE ROGERS, DAVID BURSTEIN, EUGENE WICKHAM, JEANNE TITUS, PEG ROGERS, SARAH WICKHAM
Grand Champion: Scuffletown Smokers (707.3828) · 70 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN
Entries
Top score
Winning margin
Field average
Perfect 180s
Tightest race
Top-10 cutoff
Field spread
Double threats
How hot was the win?
Traveled in
Came back for more
Form held
Field strength
Storylines
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1428 points — closer than 80% of every championship in the data.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS took the Grand Championship home to IN.
🔥 A day of perfect scores
9 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
📸 Photo finishes
Master Series — Chicken places 1–2: BLUE CHIP BBQ and Bears Backyard Q tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 2–3: Bears Backyard Q and THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 4–5: COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ and ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Meat Me In St. Louis (won 2025).
🏟️ A stacked field
The field averaged a 1678 power rating going in — stronger than 100% of every contest tracked.
🃏 An upset on the books
SCUFFLETOWN SMOKERS came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 27-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-24 | Lebanon, TN | James E. Ward Agricultural Center (Wilson County Fairgrounds) | 106 | 705.6800 | Meat Me In St. Louis | SmokinGhost BBQ |
| 2025-05-25 ← this one | Lebanon, TN | James E. Ward Agricultural Center (Wilson County Fairgrounds) | 70 | 707.3828 | Scuffletown Smokers | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180.0000 | 178.8572 | 177.7028 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 180.0000 | 177.7144 | 177.7028 |
| Master Series — Pork | 180.0000 | 177.7144 | 175.4288 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 180.0000 | 177.7028 | 176.5600 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 180.0000 | 177.7028 | 175.4056 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 177.7144 | 176.0000 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
70 entries · top 707.3828 · median 691.6342
Chicken
70 entries · top 180.0000 · median 173.1258 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
70 entries · top 180.0000 · median 173.1142 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork
70 entries · top 180.0000 · median 172.8400 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
70 entries · top 180.0000 · median 172.5486 · 🔥 perfect 180
Backyard Series
Overall
42 entries · top 357.7144 · median 343.9428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electro-Que-ted | |
| 2 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 3 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 4 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | Big James Kitchen | |
| 6 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 7 | Furlongs Smoke & Seafood | |
| 8 | Buckshot's BBQ | |
| 9 | Goudas Barbecue | |
| 10 | 1Bite Stand | |
| 11 | Small Batch BBQ - TN | |
| 12 | 931 BBQ | |
| 13 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 14 | LEE LA Q | |
| 15 | Rough Cut Q | |
| 16 | T & S BBQ | |
| 17 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 18 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 19 | Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team | |
| 20 | E SQUARED BBQ | |
| 21 | Rudes BBQ | |
| 22 | Oink N' Doink BBQ | |
| 23 | Skinny Pig BBQ | |
| 24 | T-Dawg BBQ | |
| 25 | Dogpatch Q | |
| 26 | Shmack Q | |
| 27 | Bushwood BBQ | |
| 28 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 29 | Big Reds Backyard BBQ | |
| 30 | Bastian's Barbecue Co. | |
| 31 | HOLY SMOKIN!!! | |
| 32 | Bentley Que | |
| 33 | Bucking Knockout | |
| 34 | NO LOOKIN' COOKIN' | |
| 35 | Piggy's Kin | |
| 36 | Sugba Smokehouse | |
| 37 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 38 | Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | |
| 39 | Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | |
| 40 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 41 | Pullin Out the Butts BBQ | |
| 42 | Mike's Backyard BBQ |
Chicken
42 entries · top 180.0000 · median 171.9656 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | T-Dawg BBQ | |
| 2 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 3 | Electro-Que-ted | |
| 4 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 6 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 7 | Big James Kitchen | |
| 8 | Furlongs Smoke & Seafood | |
| 9 | Small Batch BBQ - TN | |
| 10 | Goudas Barbecue | |
| 11 | LEE LA Q | |
| 12 | Skinny Pig BBQ | |
| 13 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 14 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 15 | Oink N' Doink BBQ | |
| 16 | 1Bite Stand | |
| 17 | NO LOOKIN' COOKIN' | |
| 18 | Rudes BBQ | |
| 19 | T & S BBQ | |
| 20 | Big Reds Backyard BBQ | |
| 21 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 22 | Buckshot's BBQ | |
| 23 | Bastian's Barbecue Co. | |
| 24 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 25 | Pullin Out the Butts BBQ | |
| 26 | Shmack Q | |
| 27 | E SQUARED BBQ | |
| 28 | Sugba Smokehouse | |
| 29 | Bushwood BBQ | |
| 30 | Rough Cut Q | |
| 31 | Piggy's Kin | |
| 32 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 33 | HOLY SMOKIN!!! | |
| 34 | 931 BBQ | |
| 35 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 36 | Bentley Que | |
| 37 | Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team | |
| 38 | Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | |
| 39 | Bucking Knockout | |
| 40 | Dogpatch Q | |
| 41 | Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | |
| 42 | Mike's Backyard BBQ |
Pork Ribs
42 entries · top 178.8572 · median 171.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buckshot's BBQ | |
| 2 | Electro-Que-ted | |
| 3 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 4 | 931 BBQ | |
| 5 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 6 | Big James Kitchen | |
| 7 | Dogpatch Q | |
| 8 | 1Bite Stand | |
| 9 | Must B Smokin' Somethin' BBQ Team | |
| 10 | Furlongs Smoke & Seafood | |
| 11 | Rough Cut Q | |
| 12 | Bucking Knockout | |
| 13 | Goudas Barbecue | |
| 14 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 15 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 16 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 17 | T & S BBQ | |
| 18 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 19 | E SQUARED BBQ | |
| 20 | Small Batch BBQ - TN | |
| 21 | Rudes BBQ | |
| 22 | Bentley Que | |
| 23 | Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | |
| 24 | LEE LA Q | |
| 25 | Shmack Q | |
| 26 | HOLY SMOKIN!!! | |
| 27 | Oink N' Doink BBQ | |
| 28 | Bushwood BBQ | |
| 29 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 30 | Bastian's Barbecue Co. | |
| 31 | Big Reds Backyard BBQ | |
| 32 | Mike's Backyard BBQ | |
| 33 | Skinny Pig BBQ | |
| 34 | Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | |
| 35 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 36 | Piggy's Kin | |
| 37 | NO LOOKIN' COOKIN' | |
| 38 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 39 | Sugba Smokehouse | |
| 40 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 41 | T-Dawg BBQ | |
| 42 | Pullin Out the Butts BBQ |