Joey Chestnut returns to Nathan's hot dog eating contest

BROOKLYN, New York - The 16-time winner of the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is returning to the Fourth of July competition he's historically dominated.




Joey Chestnut announced his return to the Coney Island stage to compete for the coveted Mustard Belt on Tuesday.




"I'm thrilled to be returning to the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest," Chestnut said in his announcement. "This event means the world to me. It's a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life."




Despite winning the competition nearly every year since 2005, Chestnut's return comes as a surprise after Nathan's Famous banned Chestnut from competing in 2024.




The reason? Beef over beef.




Chestnut's partnership with Impossible Foods, a company known for making plant-based hot dogs and burgers, caused tensions to boil with the Coney Island-based hot dog company that requires all competitive eaters not to endorse a rival brand.




But that beef appears to have been squashed, paving the way for Chestnut's return to the stage.




"While I have and continue to partner with a variety of companies, including some in the plant-based space, those relationships were never a conflict with my love for hot dogs. To be clear: Nathan's is the only hot dog company I've ever worked with," Chestnut said. "I respect that there were differences in interpretation, but I'm grateful we've been able to find common ground."




Many fans were disappointed in Chestnut's ban from last year's Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. In the wake of the announcement, comment sections were filled with people calling for a boycott of the hot dog eating contest.




But the ban didn't stop Chestnut from setting hot dog eating records and reaffirming his dominance in competitive eating. Just one day after the ban, Netflix announced that Chestnut would compete one-on-one against his long-time rival  Takeru Kobayashi in an exclusive Netflix event titled, "Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef."




Chestnut won in dominating fashion, eating 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes and setting a new world record. Kobayashi also set a personal best record by consuming 66 hot dogs.




In comparison, the winner of the 2024 Nathan's hot dog eating contest was Patrick Bertoletti, who consumed 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes.





via: https://fox59.com/news/national-world/joey-chestnut-returns-to-nathans-hot-dog-eating-contest/