Competitive eating legend Joey Chestnut has been banned from the annual Nathan’s Fourth of July hot dog eating competition due to a sponsorship conflict.
The New York Post reports that Chestnut’s deal with vegan frank maker Impossible Foods will prevent him from winning a record 17th Coney Island title.
The problem, organizers told the Post, is Chestnut’s demand to endorse a rival vegan hot dog.
A source told the Post that Chestnut was paid $200,000 to appear in last year’s contest, and was even offered a four-year, $1.2 million contract starting this year.
In the end, Chestnut felt obligated to honor his unspecified agreement with Impossible Foods, which makes meatless dogs.
Competitive eating legend Joey Chestnut will skip Nathan’s annual July 4 hot dog eating contest due to a sponsorship conflict.
“We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand selling plant-based hot dogs rather than compete in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” a statement from Major League Eating (MLE). , which sanctions the event.
‘MLE and Nathan’s went out of their way to please Joey and his management team, accepting the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival off-brand hot dog eating contest on Labor Day.
Known as ‘Jaws,’ Chestnut devoured 62 hot dogs to win the 2023 title, which was a slight decrease from the record 76 he ate in 2021.
Earlier this month, Chestnut was seen drinking pints of ice cream during a contest at a minor league baseball game. And the 40-year-old proved his eating prowess isn’t limited to hot dogs, as he managed to devour four liters of ice cream in one minute.
According MLB.comChestnut also ate 36 fried walleye nuggets in one minute during the pregame ‘Eat and Greet’ session with fans.
Joey Chestnut won his 16th Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest last year on the Fourth of July in Coney Island.
He also reportedly visited a minor league stadium in Lansing, Michigan, last August and ate a world-record 13 olive burgers in five minutes.
Chestnut is no stranger to eating ice cream competitively, as he also ate a record 23.5 ice cream sandwiches in six minutes in 2018, according to Eating in the Major Leagues.
In 2022, he said USA Sports TODAY He earned more than $500,000 and his net worth is over $4 million.
He has promotional deals with DUDE Wipes, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Wonderful Pistachios and Pepsi.
Chestnut has been on the competitive eating scene since 2005, when he stood out with a performance in the Fried Asparagus Eating Championship.
Since then, the Westfield, Indiana, native has set countless records, most famously with hot dogs, where his mark of 76 in the 2021 Nathan’s competition is unique.