Tag: Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

52 Major League Eating records that belong to Joey Chestnut

Hot dogs aren’t Joey Chestnut’s only specialty.

There are few traditions more American than the equal parts fascinating and disgusting art of competitive eating.

And when it comes to competitive eating, there’s one undisputed king: Joey Chestnut.

Chestnut is best known for dominating the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, which is held on July 4 at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. He’s won the men’s title 15 times, which includes every year since 2007 except for 2015 when he was upset by Matt Stonie.

But Chestnut’s record-setting eating includes more than just hot dogs. Ahead of the latest installment of the contest, here’s a rundown of all the Major League Eating world records held by Chestnut.

MORE:

The strange origins of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest isn’t exactly the one that is advertised

The story’s origin is as confusing as the tradition itself.

The Fourth of July means a lot of things to a lot of different people, but for many, it is a holiday associated with eating hot dogs.

That is because Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest has become widely associated with Independence Day. Who isn’t entertained and mesmerized by legends like Joey Chestnut eating more than 70 hot dogs in ten minutes?

But the story’s origin is as confusing as the tradition itself.

The contest is said to have begun in 1916, the same year that Nathan Handwerker opened his iconic hot dog restaurant in Coney Island. More via Nathan’s Franks:

“Legend has it that on July 4, 1916, four immigrants gathered at the very first Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand in Coney Island and made eating contest history. As the story goes, they were competing to see who was the most patriotic. How did they determine the winner? With a hot dog-eating contest, of course!”

That sounds all fine and good, of course. However, that story is simply a “legend” and nothing more than that.

In fact, it is reportedly one that is fabricated by “press agents” hired by Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs named Max Rosey and Mortimer Matz.

Here are more details from an article published in 2016, via The New York Times:

“[Rosey and Matz] also dreamed up the hot dog eating contest in the early 1970s, although they insisted, and the press gullibly reported, that they were reviving a tradition that dated to 1916 … More recently, their publicity protégés, George and Richard Shea, embellished the creation myth, attributing it to an argument between immigrants overheard by Nathan Handwerker on the Fourth of July, about who was the most patriotic American among them.”

In reality, the first records of the contest existing at all did not come until 1967 and 1972. There is no record of a winner during a competition held on July 4 until 1974.

The contest didn’t become an officially sanctioned event until 1997. That is when the Shea brothers, who took over publicity for Nathan’s in the mid-1990s, founded the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) and Major League Eating (MLE).

No matter the origins, however, the contest’s popularity is undeniable.

Approximately 35,000 fans annually gather on Coney Island to watch the events in person and, per Nathan’s site, more than millions watch at home via the ESPN telecast.

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The rules of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, explained

There’s a little more to it than just “eat as many dogs as you can in 10 minutes.” But yeah, that’s the gist.

On the Fourth of July, we come together as a nation to celebrate America. No brand understands this better than Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs.

Since 1967, albeit with occasional breaks, the company has sponsored an eating contest either on or around Independence Day. The proceedings have changed, as have the prizes and the fame that follows the event. The premise remains the same: Whoever eats the most hot dogs wins.

Since Takeru Kobayashi’s incredible 2001 debut, that’s meant putting down at least 50 hot dogs and buns (HDBs) in a ludicrously short timeline (10 minutes, down from 12 after the 2007 contest).

But there’s a little more to the competition than showing up and chowing down. The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest has some strict rules that must be followed to complete one dedicated gurgitator’s quest for the mustard yellow (or pink, in the case of the women’s competition) belt.

Here’s a breakdown of what they include.

MORE HOT DOG EATING CONTEST:

Joey Chestnut bettors are getting refunds after his altercation with protester in hot dog eating contest

Chestnut finished well under the 74.5 line.

First of all, if you bet on competitive eating, seek help.

With that out of the way, if you did put a little action on this year’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest and you took Joey Chestnut’s over at 74.5, a different type of help is on the way.

Some sportsbooks are issuing refunds to over bettors due to the protester who rushed the stage and was subsequently roughed up by Chestnut. The assumption here is that the interaction, albeit brief, potentially impacted the results.

FanDuel and DraftKings are two of the sportsbooks to have announced refunds on Tuesday.

This is an extremely generous thing for sportsbooks to do, because let me tell you, Chestnut was not coming close to 75 dogs. Playing through injury, he finished with 63. And even if I’m accounting for the disruption in his rhythm and whatever else it takes to eat a ridiculous amount of hot dogs at a ridiculous pace, I don’t think he makes up a margin of 12.

That being said, it wasn’t a bad bet coming in. The man literally owns the top 10 records for hot dogs eaten in the contest, including the all-time record he just set last year at 76. If I was betting on the contest, I wouldn’t have bet against him either.

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Joey Chestnut took out a protestor at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest (and still won by 15 dogs)

Chestnut had to throw a trespasser out of his way … and still crushed the field.

Joey Chestnut was struggling at the corner of Surf and Stillwell this Fourth of July. The combination of sunny 80 degree temperatures and a leg injury that led him to wear an air cast on stage at the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest slowed America’s most prolific professional eater at the event he’d won 14 times prior.

Chestnut had broken his own world record the year before by scarfing down 76 hot dogs and buns in only 10 minutes. This year, however, the Wayne Gretzky of tube steaks struggled to his worst showing since 2015; only 63 dogs. But in the process, he casually tossed aside a protestor who tried to steal the spotlight in the middle of the contest:

In a span of five seconds, Chestnut identified the interloper in the Darth Vader mask, threw him in a chokehold, tossed him to security, and continued eating like nothing happened, all despite arriving on stage in crutches. While limped to the finish relative to his past performances, he still managed to smoke second-place Geoffrey Esper, who set a personal record Monday, by more than 15 hot dogs and buns.

It was a Michael Jordan flu game type performance for a competitor who’d hobbled his way to the stage to defend his crown. And while he may not have lived up to his own lofty standard of gluttony, he still managed to claim a 15th mustard yellow belt while shunting aside a trespasser all in the same 10 minute span.

Eric “Badlands” Booker won the Nathan’s lemonade chug and celebrated with a massive burp

Just an absolutely iconic performance from Badlands Booker.

If you think the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest was solely about hot dogs, you are sadly mistaken. There’s a men’s contest, women’s contest and — for two years now — a lemonade chug. What else could you want?

Unlike the hot dog eating, the lemonade chug isn’t timed. Instead, it’s up to the contestants to drink it as fast as possible. Enter Eric “Badlands” Booker. The super chugger now has won both of the only two chugs that have taken place, and this year he did it in under 30 seconds.

It is truly remarkable to see the whole thing go down — literally — and he opened the post-chug interview the only way he possibly could: a loud and satisfying burp.

You are a true legend, Badlands.

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Why Joey Chestnut is on crutches at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest

Chestnut is playing injured.

Joey Chestnut is an unstoppable force in the world of competitive hot dog eating. He’s won the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest in 14 of the last 15 years, including six straight.

He’s likely to make that seven straight years on Monday, but there will be one small obstacle he’ll have to deal with first. Chestnut has a ruptured tendon in his right leg.

Playing through the injury, Chestnut is taking the Nathan’s Famous stage on crutches. It’s unclear how much the injury will hinder his ability to gobble down a bunch of franks, but he’s apparently up to the challenge.

Chestnut sets a record almost every time he does this contest, so I’m not about to bet on some crutches stopping him from doing it again.

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How to watch the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, men’s competition, live stream, TV channel, time, Joey Chestnut

The 2022 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating contest will take place on the traditional Monday, July 4th date from Coney Island, New York. 

The 2022 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating contest will take place on the traditional Monday, July 4th date from Coney Island, New York. The fan-favorite and best competitive eater in the world Joey Chestnut will look to break his own record of 76 hot dogs, while he defends the title that he’s held for over 15 years.

Tune into this annual 4th of July competition, here is everything else you need to know to watch or stream the action on the 4th.

2022 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

  • When: Monday, July 4
  • Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPNEWS
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

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