Hot dog eating legend Joey Chestnut had quite an eventful day on route to winning his fifteenth Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
The American turned up to the annual Fourth of July event on crutches and a cast on his lower right leg, with questions being asked about whether his injury would impact his eating ability.
The questions were soon answered, as not only did Chestnut smash 63 hot dogs in 10 minutes, but he took out a protestor who had made their way onto the stage in the process.
Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut sprinted into a healthy 11 hot dog lead just three minutes into Monday’s event as he looked to cruise to his seventh straight title.
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However, soon after his eleventh sausage treat, a protestor wearing a Darth Vader mask hustled their way to the stage and unravelled a sign in front of Chestnut, that read: “Expose Smithfield’s Deathstar.”
The sign was an apparent protest against pork producer Smithfield Foods.
But ‘Jaws’ was having none of it.
Despite being in a cast and midway through chomping down some dawgs, he quickly grabbed the protestor in a chokehold and dragged him to the floor.
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He then proceeded to look unfazed as he continued on devouring the hot dogs and his competition, finishing with 15 more hot dogs than second-placed Geoffrey Esper.
No one gets in the way of Chestnut and his hot dogs. Is there anything more American?
We’re assuming he also gets extra points for a swift takedown mid-full mouth.
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It was Chestnut's record fifteenth title at the famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, however, it wasn’t his best effort.
Last year he smashed the record and ate 76 hot dogs, compared to this year’s 63. However, in setting a title record himself the American was more than happy.
It felt like a return to hot dog eating normality for the competitors as they returned to their flagship location in Brooklyn’s Coney Island for the first time since 2019 amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event was held at the minor league ballpark of the Brooklyn Cyclones last year, with limited attendance.
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Following his victory, Chestnut exclaimed: “It's beautiful to be back here in front of this audience.
"New York is amazing and there's no place like it in the world."
He later told ESPN broadcast: “I knew I was excited to come back, but the feeling that you get once you're actually here is not like anything else.”
We’re just glad an injured tendon in his leg didn’t inhibit his eating ability in all its glory.
Jayden Collins