November 21, 2024

This news is hard to swallow. The world of competitive eating is devastated by the news that 16 time Nathan’s Hotdog Eating Contest winner Joey Chestnut would be banned from the event this year! What? Organizers of the event, which is annually held on the 4th of July, says they could not come to an agreement with Chestnut for him to appear again this year. Why? Well, Chestnut recently partnered with Impossible Foods, the creator of a vegan hot dog, made of….plants.

Major League eating officials say that after two decades of working with Chestnut, he has chosen to partner with a different brand. They recognize that Chestnut is an american hero, in a sense, but, his affiliation with a competitor has ended his reign as champion. Last year, Chestnut won the event by sucking down 62 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. No one else was even close. He also holds the record at 76 dogs snarfed down in 2021. Some can’t imagine a 4th of July Nathan’s hotdog eating contest without him.