Joey Chestnut, long time winner of the yearly Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, is prohibited from taking part in this year’s competitors over an offer he made with vegan meat business Impossible Foods.
Difficult Foods just recently introduced a frank made from plants.
“We are ravaged to find out that Joey Chestnut has actually picked to represent a competing brand name that offers plant-based hotdogs instead of completing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” a representative for Major League Eating (MLE), which Nathan’s sanctions to run the occasion, informed The Post Tuesday.
“MLE and Nathan’s went to excellent lengths to accommodate Joey and his management group, accepting the look charge and permitting Joey to contend in a competitor, unbranded hotdog consuming contest on Labor Day,” the associate went on, keeping in mind that, “for almost twenty years [they] have actually worked under the exact same fundamental hotdog exclusivity arrangements.”
A source informed the outlet that Chestnut was paid $200,000 to appear in the contest in 2015 and was used a $1.2 million, four-year agreement moving forward.
“However,” the MLE associate continued, “it appears that Joey and his supervisors have actually focused on a brand-new collaboration with a various brand name over our veteran relationship.”
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Regardless of the viewed betrayal, organizers have actually left the door open for Chestnut to when again contend for Nathan’s champion belt.
“Joey Chestnut is an American hero,” the representative stated. “We would enjoy absolutely nothing more than to have him at the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. We hope he returns when he is not representing a competing brand name.”
Neither Chestnut nor his representatives instantly reacted to The Post’s ask for remark.
Chestnut haswon the competitors 16 timesconsisting of every year because 2016. He’s won all however among Nathan’s contests considering that 2007.
Chestnut set a world record in 2021 by tossing back 76 hotdogs and buns in the set aside 10 minutes, beating the record he had actually set the previous year by one.
He kept his title by putting down 63 franks in 2022 and 62 in 2023.