Joey Chestnut takes on rival challenge after being barred from Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest has one obvious omission in the men’s competition this year.
That’s because dynastic hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut isn’t competing, after he struck a deal with plant-based food company Impossible Foods.
Chestnut has won the “Mustard Yellow Belt” 16 times, and ate a world record 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2021.
If Chestnut was absent from Nathan’s contest, he wasn’t going to allow Independence Day to pass by without taking on a food challenge.
The 40-year-old will be competing in his own showcase event, taking on four US Army soldiers at the Fort Bliss base in El Paso, Texas, in an “all-beef” hot dog eating event.
The contest, which hopes to raise money for military families, will last five minutes and Chestnut will have one eye on his rivals competing in Coney Island.
Chestnut has reportedly said he hopes to eat more hotdogs in five minutes than the winner of Nathan’s competition does in 10 minutes.
“I think 56 is doable,’’ he said, per USA Today. “I’d be very happy to do that.’’
Chestnut’s challenge will be livestreamed on his YouTube channel and is set to start at 5 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, Nathan’s competition will be broadcast on ESPN, with the women’s event starting at 10:45 a.m. ET and the men’s event starting at 12 p.m. ET.
What about next year?
The Major League Eating (MLE) organization, which oversees the world-renowned event, has emphasized that Chestnut is not banned for life from competing, citing his 20-year relationship with the league. The organization said that, to come back, Chestnut must renounce deals with brands that rival Nathan’s.
“Joey Chestnut is an American hero. We would love nothing more than to have him at Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, which he has dominated for years. We hope that he returns when he is not representing a rival brand,” MLE said in a statement.
An account under Chestnut’s name posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday that he does “not have a contract with MLE or Nathans and they are looking to change the rules from past years as it relates to other partners I can work with.”
CNN has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the X account.
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CNN’s Erika Tulfo contributed reporting.
