As predicted, Joey Chestnut is back – in all senses. The (in)famous July 4 Hot Dog Eating champ swept past the competition Friday to record his 17th annual Nathan’s Famous Contest victory…
Joey Chestnut savours the moment as he’s awarded his 17th Championship
belt at the 2025 Nathan’s Famous July 4 Hot Dog Eating Contest…
Chestnut didn’t compete in the Nathan’s contest last year – following a dispute with organizer Major League Eating (MLE), the group that oversees professional eating contests. The problem centred on a ‘rogue’ deal Joey signed with plant-based hot dog maker Impossible Foods to appear at one that company’s events, intended to glorify ‘meat replacements’.
MLE and Nathan’s said that side deal infringed Joey’s contract with them. And, in the end, Chestnut was banned from the top-tier Nathan’s event. But it was all love-and-kisses again this summer at Nathan’s historic Coney Island Original Hot Dog Stand this past Friday when Joey ate 70.5 ‘complete’ Dogs (with Buns) to retake the title.
Last year’s winner, in Joey’s absence, Patrick Bertoletti, managed only 46.5 Dogs within the regulation 10-minute time limit this year – far shy of his winning 58.5 2024 total.
No assumptions
“Part of me wishes [Bertoletti] was a jerk. It would motivate me harder, but I love him,” Chestnut said during last Thursday’s weigh-in. “But I wanna win. I wanna push for a record, so I kinda feel bad for him. ‘Cause I’m gonna drop the hammer, and he’s gonna get annihilated.”
And so it came to pass…
“I was excited, I love being here. Man, I wish I ate a couple more. I’m sorry guys. But I’ll be back next year,” Joey told fans after this year’s competition. Joey’s official Nathan’s record is 76 Dogs in under 10 minutes, set in 2021. But he ate 83 last year at the Impossible event to set a new unofficial record.
However
As we mentioned in our pre-meet post, pro Hot Dog Eating may be nearing a historic meeting with destiny. Scientists say there could be an absolute limit to how many Dogs any contender can con-sume. After which it will prove physiologically impossible for anyone to stuff down even one more. And that limit may be near; perhaps in the high 70s or low 80s.
My take
Then what will Joey and his ilk do? Switch to other foods and press on towards new records, in other categories?
I just can’t see élite pro eating being anywhere near the same without the Nathan’s connection – and its Hot Dog-based legacy framed and hung on the wall somewhere like a retired MLB jersey…
My questions to you:
Could pro eating survive the death of its founding ‘Hot Dog’ dimension?
How would you feel about a rule change, placing the emphases on how long it took to eat a statutory – say 75 – Dogs, rather than how many Dogs could be consumed within a given time limit?
What food might take over the premium, apex spot on the annual pro-eating contest calendar? Pies, Burgers, Wings? Pizza, perhaps?
What happens to ‘retired’ Hot Dog category stars such as Joey Chestnut after the last dog is… counted?
Pro eating has traditionally been united under the ‘Hot Dog’ umbrella. If it became Balkanized following the demise of its founding focus, would you still be interested in following Eating as the ‘sport’ it has become?
Muse on that…
~ Maggie J.