Great American Pizza Challenge 2026: A Puerto Rico Pizzaiolo Wins America’s Best Pepperoni Slice

By Zach Miller

Wilhelm Rodriguez of Papa’s Pizza in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, took first overall in America’s Best Pepperoni Slice at the 2026 Great American Pizza Challenge, edging a Michigan competitor by fifteen hundredths of a point. Pizza Today, which runs the contest, published the final results on October 14 after two days of judging at Pizza Expo Columbus in Ohio. Philadelphia’s Davide Lubrano Lavadera won the overall non-traditional thin-crust title.

The contest is a trade event, but the category list is the interesting part for anyone who makes pizza at home. Tavern, New Haven, New York thin, Columbus and flatbread were each judged as their own style.

What happened in Columbus

Pizza Expo Columbus is the Midwest offshoot of the long-running Las Vegas trade show, produced by Pizza Today and International Pizza Expo. According to Hoodline’s report from the show, this year’s edition drew more than 180 suppliers. The first one ran in October 2025.

The competition ran seven categories. Per the official competitions page, they covered traditional thin, non-traditional thin, pepperoni slice, gluten-free, dessert pizza, breadsticks and garlic knots, and a young pizza maker award. The pepperoni category alone had room for 100 competitors.

Day one handled the knots, gluten-free, dessert and traditional thin. Pizza Today’s day-one results put Anthony Berghela of Romo’s Pizza in Glenmont, New York, on top of traditional thin. Anthony Gilbert of Melt Pizza Co. in Stillwater, Minnesota, won both gluten-free and the traditional tavern division.

Day two covered pepperoni, non-traditional thin and the young pizza maker award.

The pepperoni slice results

The final results show a tight top three. Rodriguez scored 45.50, Maino 45.35, and Alicia Reis of Slice on Broadway in Pittsburgh 45.00.

Regional winners were Maino (Midwest), Reis (Northeast), Bill Crawford of Righteous Slice in Rexburg, Idaho (Northwest), Daniel Perez of Saccone’s Pizza in Leander, Texas (Southwest), and Patrick Clifford of Skorch’d Pizza in Sacramento (West).

Puerto Rican daily El Nuevo Día reported that Rodriguez made his winning slice New York style and works with natural fermentation. He also placed third in traditional thin on day one. The paper notes he won the traditional category at the 2025 International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas, which makes this his second major US title in about 18 months.

Thin crust, style by style

The non-traditional thin category was scored by style, and the winners spread well beyond the usual coastal pizza cities:

Lubrano Lavadera’s overall win came from the flatbread division. One flag on the published sheet: Han Tran’s tavern score is listed as 83, far above every other score in the competition, so treat that number as unconfirmed until Pizza Today corrects or explains it. The placing itself is not in question.

Paul Eddy also won Columbus style in the traditional category on day one, so the local style went to a local shop twice. Hoodline, citing Experience Columbus, traces that style to the early 1950s and the Massey’s and Donatos names.

What to watch next

The next big date on the competition calendar is the International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas in April 2027. El Nuevo Día reports that Rodriguez plans to compete there and will judge a world championship in Rimini, Italy, in February.

Pizza Expo Columbus has already set its 2027 dates. “Save the date for Pizza Expo Columbus 2027: October 10 and 11,” Pizza Today wrote in its day-two recap. Also worth watching: whether Pizza Today clarifies the tavern score.