Outside, Cleveland was enjoying a mild 72-degree evening with scattered clouds, but inside Superelectric Pinball Parlor, the heat was entirely concentrated on the playfields. Known for its meticulously maintained machines and exceptionally welcoming bar staff, the parlor transforms into a fiercely competitive battleground during tournament nights. Patrons often note the intense focus of the league regulars, who bring a high-energy, physical playstyle to the floor as they fight for every single drain and target. It was exactly this charged environment that hosted the Wednesday Wizard 2X Series #4 on June 24, 2026.
Through a sprawling gauntlet of 63 total games, one local heavyweight absolutely refused to yield. John Delzoppo arrived with unmatched precision, delivering a pristine five-round sweep in group match play to capture first place. Taking the top score on all five machines he faced, Delzoppo secured a dominant victory that left the rest of the room scrambling for the remaining podium spots.
A Heavyweight Field at Superelectric
This wasn’t just a casual mid-week gathering; the bracket featured serious talent with 49 competitors stepping up to the plungers. The national field strength was formidable, boasting a median rank of 3119 and bringing two top-100 and eight top-500 ranked players into the fray. The strongest rated player in the room was Galvin Morgan, sitting at a highly impressive IFPA #24. On the local front, 46 state-ranked participants represented Ohio, making every group pairing a dangerous draw.
However, Delzoppo, currently ranked IFPA #50, immediately established control of the narrative. He set the pace in Round 1 on Stern’s Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast, besting Corey Jackson, Mark TerVeen, and Jon Hrobat in a 29-minute marathon. By jumping out to an early lead against a veteran field boasting thousands of combined career events, Delzoppo forced the rest of the contenders to play catch-up for the remainder of the evening.
Winzinek Takes the Cheese on Mousin’ Around!
While the overall leader was busy building his advantage, the middle rounds provided incredibly tight matchups across the parlor. In Round 2, Mike Winzinek and Andrew Lee squared off in a 19-minute, four-player battle on Bally’s 1989 gem, Mousin’ Around!. This late-80s creation by designer Ward Pemberton features vibrant artwork by Pat McMahon and requires fast reflexes to deal with its twin Ball Eater targets.
For serious tournament competitors on this table, the optimal strategy involves spelling “CHEESE” via the ramps to light the mystery hole. Hitting that right ramp mystery hole is crucial, as it also increases the player-specific jackpot value on the backglass. Winzinek executed his table management beautifully to claim the five group points, finishing ahead of Lee, who took second, while Amy Virostko and JD Chips rounded out the group in third and fourth.
Breaking the Deadlock with Morgan
The overarching drama of the tournament was the ongoing battle for regional supremacy between Delzoppo and the top-seeded Morgan. Coming into this event, these two highly ranked locals shared a deep competitive history, having crossed paths in eight previous tournaments. Remarkably, they sat completely deadlocked in their relative placements across those shared events.
Delzoppo used his perfect night to definitively break that tie, finishing ahead of Morgan to edge forward in their intense rivalry. Delzoppo achieved this milestone by leaving absolutely zero points on the table, securing the number one position on Iron Maiden, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, King Kong: Myth of Terror Island (Pro), Paragon, and Flash Gordon. It was a staggering display of stamina and mechanical comprehension across five distinctly different eras of pinball design.
Kerro and Winzinek Face the Beast
As the tournament reached its fifth and final round, the remaining podium spots were still fiercely contested. Tim Kerro and Mike Winzinek found themselves sharing a crucial four-player game back on Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast alongside Mark Dunlevy and Joey Gentile. The 2018 Stern release, designed by pinball legend Keith Elwin, demands absolute flipper control to navigate its four-flipper layout, spinning targets, and captive ball.
Savvy players know about the secret super skill shot achieved by soft plunging into the left outlane. However, competitors must be incredibly careful, as tournament directors frequently disable ball saves, turning this trick into a potentially devastating drain. Kerro tamed the table best during their grueling 25-minute battle, taking first in the group over Winzinek to secure vital points.
Delzoppo’s Momentum Builds
This flawless victory pushes Delzoppo further up the competitive ladder as he continues an incredibly strong season. Currently sitting at 14th in the Ohio NACS rankings out of 1,380 ranked players, this dominant showing adds massive momentum to his 2026 campaign. It marks his 29th win in the last three years across 574 career tournaments, proving his peak IFPA rank of #9 from 2022 was no fluke. With Delzoppo setting such an exceptionally high bar on the local circuit, the rest of the Cleveland pinball community will be hitting the practice banks hard to prepare for the next Wednesday Wizard showdown.
Final Podium:
- 1st: John Delzoppo
- 2nd: Galvin Morgan
- 3rd: Tim Kerro
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