Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, the reigning champion of the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, will not participate in this year’s event due to signing a deal with a rival brand, according to event organizers.
Chestnut, 40, has been the face of the competition for years, competing for the coveted Mustard Belt since 2005 and winning it almost every year since 2007, with the exception of a rare loss in 2015. In 2021, he set a record by consuming 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.
However, Major League Eating event organizer George Shea stated that Chestnut is moving away from the contest due to a contract dispute. Chestnut disputed this claim, saying on the social platform X that he does not have a contract with MLE or Nathan’s and that they are looking to change the rules from past years regarding other partners he can work with.
In a series of posts on X, Chestnut revealed that he had been training to defend his title at this year’s Independence Day event and only learned through media reports that he wouldn’t be allowed to compete. He expressed his disappointment and assured his fans that they would see him eat again soon.
Shea explained that Chestnut had struck a deal with a competing brand, which is a red line for the Nathan’s-sponsored event. Although he didn’t specify the brand, he told the New York Times that Chestnut will be representing Impossible Foods, a company that makes vegan sausages.
The yearly hot dog eating contest, which dates back to 1972, attracts large crowds of fans to Coney Island, Brooklyn, to cheer on the competitors as they eat as many hot dogs as possible in 10 minutes.
With Chestnut out of the competition, other top contenders, such as last year’s second-place winner Geoffrey Esper and third-place winner James Webb from Australia, may have a better chance at victory.
This isn’t the first time the contest has parted ways with a big star. In 2010, Japanese eating champion Takeru Kobayashi, Chestnut’s then-rival, also stopped competing due to a contract dispute with Major League Eating. Kobayashi announced his retirement from the sport last month.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.