He’s definitely at the top of his game.
This past Saturday, Joey Chestnut, known as “bottomless,” once again took home the title at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, marking America’s 250th anniversary in memorable fashion.
The 41-year-old devoured 66 hot dogs in just 10 minutes, much to the excitement of around 25,000 fans at Coney Island. This victory secured him his 18th mustard belt and a prize of $10,000.
Though impressive, his 66 hot dogs were shy of the astonishing 76 he managed in 2021.
Before the competition, Chestnut shared on a morning show, “I was feeling good.” He seemed optimistic, saying, “We’re hungry and the weather is great. It’s going to be a great Fourth of July.”
This week, he mentioned in an article that competitive eating is “the most patriotic sport among us.” One fan even dubbed him an “American treasure.” Another supporter said, “Joey has to break the 250m record.”
Chestnut’s relationship with the competition has had its ups and downs; he recently pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for a bar incident. Court documents revealed that during an altercation, he struck a man he had just shaken hands with, although he noted that the other individual was “very drunk” and “couldn’t remember.” Despite this, he still celebrated his win while on probation.
This isn’t the first time personal matters have clouded the Nathan’s contest for him. Due to a deal with Impossible Foods, which launched a plant-based hot dog, Chestnut is banned from the 2024 contest. This opened the door for Patrick Bertoletti to take home the title with 58 hot dogs, making him the first winner other than Chestnut since 2015.
Thomas Lieble, a 19-year-old student from the Virginia Military Academy, expressed his excitement about watching Chestnut. He recalled, “I’ve been following these contests on TV with my dad since I was 5, and Joey’s the GOAT. You never know when he might hang up his gloves.” He even made a comparison to sports icons like Tom Brady, saying no one has dominated as much as Chestnut.
In the rankings, Bertoletti took second place and earned $5,000, while another competitor came in third for $2,500.
On the women’s side, Miki Sudo emerged victorious again, defeating Grizzly with 38.75 hot dogs to claim her 12th championship belt. Her partner, big eater Nick Waley, also participated.
