On the rise
Their power rating has climbed 77 points across 16 contests since Sep 19, 2025 — from 1543 up to 1620.
- 16 contests since Sep 19, 2025
- now 1620
Cotton BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 53 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 24 at the Reuniting After War (R.A.W.) BBQ Competition (2022). They are ranked #866 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #85 (1,430 pts) | #118 (1,300 pts) | #36 (1,899 pts) | #96 (1,330 pts) | #103 (1,290 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #206 (1,053 pts) | #198 (1,143 pts) | #209 (1,128 pts) | #198 (1,098 pts) | #191 (1,123 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #323 (674 pts) | #300 (779 pts) | #195 (1,114 pts) | #320 (694 pts) | #311 (754 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #691 (223 pts) | #746 (223 pts) | #619 (346 pts) | #617 (288 pts) | #676 (253 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #570 (344 pts) | #672 (284 pts) | #596 (379 pts) | #494 (454 pts) | #560 (369 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1832 (78 pts) | #1539 (128 pts) | #1774 (103 pts) | #1537 (128 pts) | #2558 (53 pts) |
The teams rated closest to Cotton BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
25 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
These two have cooked 11 of the same contests — TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN ahead 6–5 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-headThey've been 1719 at their best, 99 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-headCareers of much the same size, 38 contests to 53, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careersTheir rating is built on 4 Grand Championships in 54 contests, alongside a 35% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careersTheir last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before Cotton BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careersThey were already cooking in 2013, 6 years before Cotton BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shiggin aint easy | 28 | 8 | 20 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 28 | 3 | 25 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| TRIPLE H BBQ | 21 | 2 | 19 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 20 | 2 | 18 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| WE WILL ROCK QUE | 17 | 5 | 12 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 17 | 3 | 14 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | 17 | 2 | 15 | 12% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE CHIP BBQ | 16 | 3 | 13 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| Sailor Nicks BBQ | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| WeQ4U | 15 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ Maestros | 14 | 7 | 7 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | 14 | 5 | 9 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| BrewsCue | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Dogpatch Q | 14 | 1 | 13 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| Blinkys Offset BBQ | 13 | 11 | 2 | 85% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 43 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 177.7144 | 156.5256 | 170.42 | top 50% |
| Pork Ribs | 50 | 18 | 1 | 7 | 178.8572 | 155.9544 | 170.68 | top 41% |
| Pork | 42 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 177.7028 | 159.3600 | 170.89 | top 45% |
| Brisket | 42 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 179.4400 | 144.4572 | 168.55 | top 50% |
“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 40% |
| Medium (20–39) | 21 | 0 | top 45% |
| Large (40+) | 20 | 0 | top 50% |
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 4 | 13 | 0 | top 44% | Mar 20, 2026 |
| Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | 4 | 21 | 0 | top 53% | Nov 14, 2025 |
| Trekking for CDH | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 64% | Sep 19, 2026 |
| Bands & BBQ at the Point | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 53% | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Smoke on the River (Day 2) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 34% | Sep 5, 2026 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 86 | 0 | top 24% | Nov 5, 2025 |
| Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 45% | Sep 19, 2025 |
| Sip & Swine BBQ Festival | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 60% | Mar 7, 2025 |
| Reuniting After War BBQ Competition | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 33% | Sep 15, 2023 |
| Best of the Midwest BBQ | 2 | 28 | 0 | top 70% | Oct 14, 2022 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.5 | Reuniting After War (R.A.W.) BBQ Competition | Sep 16, 2022 |
| +15.2 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | Mar 15, 2024 |
| +14.9 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard | Sep 19, 2025 |
| +13.9 | Buckeye BBQ Classic | Jul 17, 2026 |
| +13.6 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Oct 30, 2024 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.4 | Trekking for CDH | Sep 14, 2024 |
| -10.4 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival | Mar 3, 2023 |
| -9 | Best of the Midwest BBQ | Oct 14, 2022 |
| -7 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | Nov 15, 2024 |
| -6.6 | Bands & BBQ at the Point | Sep 13, 2024 |
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 73% | top 33% | 97.3% | 96% |
| 2025 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 53% | top 43% | 97.1% | 95.1% |
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 70% | top 54% | 96.5% | 94.3% |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20% | top 60% | 94.5% | 92.9% |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 57% | 97.3% | 92.8% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 62% | 90.1% | 90.1% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 71% | 92% | 92% |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Trekking for CDH 🏅 Pierron, IL | 9 / 27 (692.4684) | 6 (176.5600) | 9 (173.1084) | 4 (176.5600) | 19 (166.2400) |
| Sep 11, 2026 | Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 16 / 38 (684.4688) | 12 (173.1200) | 17 (170.8344) | 7 (176.5600) | 31 (163.9544) |
| Sep 5, 2026 | Smoke on the River (Day 2) 🏅 Burlington, KS | 9 / 25 (694.7888) | 20 (171.9772) | 3 (176.5716) | 20 (168.5372) | 4 (177.7028) |
| Sep 4, 2026 | Smoke on the River (Day 1) 🏅 Burlington, KS | 8 / 25 (697.0628) | 15 (173.1200) | 6 (176.5600) | 15 (170.8228) | 4 (176.5600) |
| Aug 21, 2026 | City of Madison BBQ Party (formerly Madison Ribberfest) 🏅 Madison, IN | 5 / 39 (698.2172) | 2 (176.5716) | 6 (177.7028) | 15 (173.1200) | 16 (170.8228) |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Smoke N for the Kids (Day 2) 🏅 Troy, IL | 6 / 32 (700.5028) | 23 (171.9772) | 1 (178.8572) | 13 (174.2628) | 8 (175.4056) |
| Jul 31, 2026 | All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI | 24 / 45 (681.0628) | 31 (169.6800) | 12 (174.2972) | 34 (163.3828) | 10 (173.7028) |
| Jul 31, 2026 | All American BBQ Throwdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI | — | — | 31 (155.9544) | — | — |
| Jul 24, 2026 | Fire on the Mountain BBQ 🏅 Leburn, KY | 6 / 22 (695.9084) | 9 (173.1084) | 3 (175.4172) | 7 (176.5600) | 12 (170.8228) |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Buckeye BBQ Classic 🏅 Hillsboro, OH | 4 / 30 (695.9428) | 4 (176.5600) | 3 (176) | 7 (174.8572) | 19 (168.5256) |
| May 1, 2026 | Smoke in the Mitten 🏅 Westland, MI | 16 / 34 (675.9200) | 24 (165.6684) | 5 (174.8572) | 12 (169.1544) | 18 (166.2400) |
| May 1, 2026 | Smoke in the Mitten (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI | — | — | 7 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 62 / 125 (684.4340) | 35 (175.4056) | 51 (171.9656) | 117 (159.3600) | 12 (177.7028) |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Lebanon, TN | — | 16 (175.4172) | — | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 44 (168.5372) | — | — |
| Nov 14, 2025 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 21 / 56 (690.1828) | 31 (170.8228) | 13 (175.4172) | 12 (174.2744) | 34 (169.6684) |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 113 / 401 (687.8968) | 292 (165.6684) | 17 (177.7028) | 139 (171.9772) | 102 (172.5484) |
| Oct 31, 2025 | "Spooky Q" 1792 Monticello, KY | 16 / 23 (671.7936) | 5 (174.2628) | 17 (162.7768) | 11 (170.8228) | 17 (163.9312) |
| Oct 3, 2025 | La Belle MO Show Me BBQ Showdown 🏅 La Belle, MO | 17 / 39 (689.6228) | 20 (173.1200) | 27 (170.8344) | 21 (171.9656) | 10 (173.7028) |
| Sep 19, 2025 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 10 / 56 (699.3828) | 7 (177.7144) | 26 (172) | 9 (177.7028) | 30 (171.9656) |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Bands and BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 10 / 29 (684.5028) | 8 (171.9656) | 13 (171.4172) | 15 (169.1428) | 7 (171.9772) |
| Aug 15, 2025 | Madison Ribberfest 🏅 Madison, IN | 23 / 45 (678.7312) | 31 (167.9656) | 28 (167.9772) | 22 (170.8228) | 14 (171.9656) |
| Jul 25, 2025 | Fire on the Mountain BBQ 🏅 Leburn, KY | 4 / 10 (691.3140) | 10 (162.7884) | 2 (178.8572) | 5 (174.2628) | 1 (175.4056) |
| Jun 6, 2025 | Hoosier BBQ Classic 🏅 Franklin, IN | 18 / 30 (676.4684) | 16 (171.9772) | 12 (168.5600) | 27 (163.3828) | 11 (172.5484) |
| Jun 6, 2025 | Hoosier BBQ Classic (ONE MEAT RIBS) Franklin, IN | — | — | 7 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Apr 18, 2025 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI | 20 / 56 (685.0284) | 18 (174.2628) | 36 (166.8228) | 10 (175.4172) | 34 (168.5256) |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 65 / 100 (675.8512) | 45 (173.1200) | 88 (162.2284) | 12 (176.5600) | 77 (163.9428) |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 12 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Mar 7, 2025 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 16 / 45 (687.8972) | 9 (175.4172) | 21 (170.8344) | 18 (173.1200) | 31 (168.5256) |
| Nov 15, 2024 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cuming, GA | 41 / 58 (674.1140) | 41 (168.5256) | 31 (170.8228) | 43 (166.2284) | 31 (168.5372) |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 86 / 444 (689.1316) | 109 (174.2744) | 205 (169.7372) | 284 (165.6800) | 8 (179.4400) |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 42 / 58 (668.9940) | 49 (161.6572) | 33 (169.7028) | 31 (171.4056) | 35 (166.2284) |
| Sep 14, 2024 | Trekking for CDH 🏅 Pierron, IL | 33 / 35 (667.3028) | 35 (159.3944) | 8 (175.4400) | 19 (171.9656) | 33 (160.5028) |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 20 / 31 (671.3944) | 12 (172.6056) | 5 (173.1544) | 22 (165.0972) | 25 (160.5372) |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA | 16 / 32 (683.3488) | 17 (169.1200) | 23 (163.9544) | 9 (174.8572) | 5 (175.4172) |
| May 10, 2024 | Derby Park Que Off Louisville, KY | 9 / 21 (681.5884) | 3 (175.4056) | 7 (169.1200) | 12 (169.6684) | 12 (167.3944) |
| Mar 15, 2024 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 13 / 93 (694.8116) | 17 (175.4172) | 9 (176.0116) | 17 (175.4172) | 56 (167.9656) |
| Mar 15, 2024 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 3 (177.1544) | — | — |
| Nov 17, 2023 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 33 / 60 (680.4684) | 48 (166.2628) | 27 (172.5600) | 30 (169.6800) | 23 (171.9656) |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Reuniting After War BBQ Competition 🏅 Bowling Green, KY | 15 / 28 (672.4688) | 15 (169.1316) | 13 (167.9656) | 14 (170.2744) | 19 (165.0972) |
| Mar 17, 2023 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 39 / 80 (675.8628) | 30 (173.1084) | 42 (166.8344) | 24 (171.9772) | 58 (163.9428) |
| Mar 17, 2023 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (One Meat Ribs) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 6 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Mar 3, 2023 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 55 / 65 (646.0800) | 58 (156.5256) | 55 (161.6572) | 53 (162.8000) | 41 (165.0972) |
| Nov 18, 2022 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 28 / 57 (668.9596) | 39 (165.0856) | 32 (165.6800) | 33 (166.2284) | 15 (171.9656) |
| Nov 17, 2022 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic (One Meat Ribs) Cumming, GA | — | — | 14 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Nov 11, 2022 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Gadsden, AL | 69 / 91 (666.7084) | 81 (164.5256) | 64 (166.2628) | 13 (176.5600) | 79 (159.3600) |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 28 / 36 (648.3656) | 30 (161.6684) | 18 (165.6800) | 2 (176.5600) | 33 (144.4572) |
| Sep 16, 2022 | Reuniting After War (R.A.W.) BBQ Competition 🏅 Bowling Green, KY | 3 / 24 (700.5028) | 6 (174.2628) | 3 (174.2744) | 9 (174.2628) | 2 (177.7028) |
| Mar 18, 2022 | Smoke on The Shores 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 43 / 63 (656.9600) | 41 (167.9656) | 56 (158.8116) | 44 (165.0972) | 41 (165.0856) |
| Oct 16, 2020 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 31 / 50 (648.5492) | 26 (166.3204) | 32 (161.1428) | 30 (162.2516) | 33 (158.8344) |
| Apr 5, 2019 | Operation Stand Down KY II Annual Smoke off 🏅 Franklin, KY | 20 / 28 (662.1832) | 10 (168.5600) | 15 (167.9888) | 10 (168.5600) | 26 (157.0744) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.