A 16-time hot dog eating champion says he was banned from a contest in New York after signing a deal with a vegan food company.
Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, 40, is the reigning champion of Nathan’s famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, and has won all but one contest each year since 2007.
In the 2021 contest, he ate 76 hot dogs and buns in just 10 minutes, one of 55 competitive eating world records he holds.
Last year it did not reach its own record, but still saves an impressive 63 sausages. He blamed his performance on the stormy weather.
But after signing a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, a plant-based meat company, Chestnut will miss the annual show. NY event.
That’s because Nathan’s Famous prohibits diners from endorsing competing hot dog brands, the contest’s governing body, Major League Eating (MLE), said.
He added in a statement: “We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than compete in the famous 2024 Nathan’s 4th of July hot dog eating contest.
“MLE and Nathan’s went to great lengths in recent months to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival off-brand hot dog eating contest on Labor Day.
“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 a different hot dog brand over our long-term relationship.”
Joey Chestnut has disputed that his deal with Impossible Foods prevented him from competing in this year’s contest. File photo: Reuters
Chestnut has disputed the claims and said that while he was “gutted” to miss out, he was not responsible for missing this year’s event.
“I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathans and they are looking to change the rules from previous years in regards to other partners I can work with,” he said on social media.
MLE event organizer George Shea said the dispute came down to exclusivity, explaining: “It would be like Michael Jordan saying to Nike, ‘I’ll represent Adidas too.'”
Impossible Foods said it supports Chestnut in “any contest he chooses,” adding that “meat eaters shouldn’t have to limit themselves to just one sausage.”
And New York Mayor Eric Adams stepped in to tell MLE to “stop being so dumb” on social media, asking them to allow Chestnut to enter the contest on July 4.
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Taking advantage of the dispute, Netflix quickly hired Chestnut and fellow competitive eater and Nathan veteran Takeru Kobayashi for a new special. The last time the couple faced each other in a contest was in 2009.
Airing September 2, Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef will see the two compete to eat as many beef hot dogs as possible.
Shea seemed unimpressed with the streaming giant’s plan, saying that Netflix was “trying to recreate Nathan’s game show to a certain extent and you just can’t do that.”
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