The Memphis in May barbecue contest is back at Liberty Park — sauce wrestling and all

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the judging course is 8 hours.

They say you haven't lived until you've witnessed someone get DDT'd into barbecue sauce.

And let's be honest, there's nothing more Memphis than barbecue and professional wrestling.

The annual Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest kicked off Wednesday at the Fairgrounds at Liberty Park with its ceremonial grill lighting, followed by the curiously entertaining sauce wrestling. The weekend bodes a lot more hickory smoke, mustard and music — a staple for Memphis, which has been hosting the same party for 46 years, and in no way, shape or form is that a bad thing.

Memphis in May CEO Mack Weaver said this year's competition, which concludes Saturday, is bringing in 129 teams from the U.S. and four other countries.

Memphis in May's world-renowned competition brings folks in from all over for one simple notion — the love of barbecue. The kinship that comes from that affinity for food is another matter, but one that should be equally celebrated.

Chris Byrd said his wife, Brooke, surprised him with tickets to this year's event as a Christmas gift. The pair live outside Knoxville and have always wanted to partake in the event, he said.

"We didn't know you couldn't eat the barbecue unless you were a judge," Chris said. (Local health department regulations prohibit teams from serving barbecue to the general public.)

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So, Brooke enrolled the pair in an 8-hour judging course in February. Chris said the course took them through what to look for and expect, as well as acknowledged that several in the course were competitors not just foodies from Maryville searching for good eats. The teams and chefs, he said, wanted to take part to better understand what exactly the court of judges will be looking for. Brooke said they are most looking forward to judging the exotic food category, but said as judges they don't know what categories they'll be weighing in on until they arrive each morning.

For Brooke and Chris, the decision to become judges was the best way to enjoy this event.

For others, like the veteran team Pot Bellie Cookers, this is a three decades-long tradition. The team has rolled in more than 355 pounds of ribs — and that's just for weekend snacking. (The team will use about 35 pounds for competition.)

The team has 20 members and has evolved over the years since it started as a small group of co-workers at International Paper, Shannon Luttrell-Velloff said. That tradition carries over to an assortment of stuffed piglets on the team's entrance. The stuffed animals were gifts that came with a fragrance gift box, she said. Nowadays, the mementos are tougher to find, but they keep adding more to the fence as they can.

She said, these days the team is a mix of folks between a several companies such as IP, FedEx and even a few from AutoZone. Over the years the team has gathered more sponsors and has raised about $18,000 in sponsors for this year's competition.

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That outreach extends to Nashville, where Mala Vida co-owner and chef Josh Cook (who is also helping open Tantismo with Ana Aguilar) will come in to help the team compete in the ancillary competition. Cook's mother is a member of the team.

This year's event returns to Liberty Park with a few new additions. A new pedestrian entrance has been added along East Parkway. Memphis in May Vice President of Marketing Randy Blevins said the new entrance was designed to help residents or visitors in Cooper-Young have an easier access point to walk to or utilize as a rideshare point for drop-off and pick-up. The Home Depot outdoor kitchen demo tent will run through the weekend and, of course, there will be more live music and entertainment ahead of Saturday's finale.

And while this year's World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest may not be on the Mississippi River, the vibe is very much the same as it's always been.

Good food, good people — better barbecue.

Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X/Twitter, @neilStrebig. 

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis in May BBQ contest kicks off at Liberty Park: The highlights