NEW YORK — Joey Chestnut, the reigning champion of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest and holder of the coveted Mustard Yellow Belt, is out of this year’s competition, organizers said Tuesday.
At issue is Chestnut’s partnership with Impossible Foods, a rival retail brand vegetable hotdogs.
The news seemed difficult to digest for Major League Eating, which organizes the event, saying in a statement that it was “devastated.” Chestnut had “chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs.”
“MLE and Nathan have gone to great lengths in recent months to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to participate in a rival off-brand hot dog eating contest on Labor Day,” said MLE’s statement. “For nearly two decades, we have operated under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions. However, it appears that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with another hot dog brand over our long-standing relationship.”
“We hope he returns if he is not representing a rival brand,” MLE added.
Chestnut spoke out on Instagram, saying in part, “To set the record straight, I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathan and they want to change the rules from years past when it comes to other partners I can work with.”
An Impossible Foods spokesperson told CBS News in a statement that “we love Joey and support him in whatever competition he chooses. It’s okay to experiment with a new dog. Meat eaters shouldn’t have to be exclusive to just one sausage. “
Chestnut is a 16-time chompion and last won the 2023 competition with 62 hot dogs. He has consistently won the match since 2007, with the exception of 2015, when his 60 hot dogs were led by Matthew Stonie, who ate 62. Chestnut also holds the all-time recordwhich he recorded in 2021, of 76 hot dogs.
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With Chestnut out of the competition and Takeru Kobayashi announcing his retirement from competitive eating, it looks like it will be a wide open field for the men at this year’s competition.
Miki Sudo is the defending women’s champion, having won nine of the last ten years in her division, and holds the women’s world record with 48.5 hot dogs, which she set in 2020.
The contest dates back to 1916. The contest is held every year on the 4th of July at Nathan’s Hot Dog stand at Surf and Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
