After breaking up with Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog-eating contest in New York, competitive eater Joey Chestnut is rebounding by hosting his own hot dog-eating contest against troops in Texas.
Chestnut will be live-streaming himself taking on soldiers at Fort Bliss Army Post in El Paso, Texas at 3:30 p.m. mountain time, according to Fort Bliss.
For the first time in 19 years, the reigning champ will not be taking part in the Brooklyn 10-minute hot dog eating fest that he’s won 16 times.
Instead, the top competitive eater in the world will face off against soldiers in a five-minute hot dog eating contest for charity.
For nearly two decades, Chestnut had been a part of the Coney Island tradition at Nathan’s, however, he had a falling out with organizers earlier this year.
In June, the top dog of professional eating claimed he had been banned from Nathan’s after accepting a sponsorship with vegan hot dog maker, Impossible Foods.
‘I was gutted to learn from the media that after 19 years Im banned from the Nathan’s July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest,’ Chestnut said in a post to Twitter.
‘I love competing in that event, I love celebrating America with my fans all over this great country on the 4th and I have been training to defend my title.
The fall out cost him some dough, as Chestnut was reportedly paid $200,000 to appear at the 2023 contest and was offered a $1.2 million, four-year deal beginning this year.
By comparison this year, Chestnut will be competing against four of the Army’s finest, chowing down on all-beef hot dogs to raise money for military families, according to organizers.
The event, which is part of ‘Pop goes the Fort Independence Day Celebration’ will also include a preliminary pizza eating contest soldiers, followed by the Chestnut chow down.
Chestnut will then host a ‘meat and greet’ and take questions from the audience.
Before the sausage smackdown, Chestnut broke bread with soldiers on Independence Day, pictures shared on Twitter show.
Meanwhile, the Nathan’s contest is going on this year without without him its top record holder.
‘To set the record straight, I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathans and they are looking to change the rules from past years as it relates to other partners I can work with,’ Chestnut said last month.
‘This is apparently the basis on which I’m being banned, and it doesn’t impact the July 4th event.
‘Sadly, this is the decision Nathan’s and Major League Eating are making, and it will deprive the great fans of the holiday’s usual joy and entertainment.
‘To my fans, I love you and appreciate you. Rest assured that you’ll see me eat again soon!! STAY HUNGRY!’
Major League Eating (MLE) contradicted Chestnut’s version to NBC News.
‘There is no ban. Major League Eating wants him there. The fans want him there. Nathan’s wants him there,’ Richard Shea of MLE told the network.
‘We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,’ read a statement from Major League Eating (MLE), which sanctions the event.
‘MLE and Nathan’s went to great lengths to accommodate Joey and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival, unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day.
‘Joey Chestnut is an American hero. We would love nothing more than to have him at the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, which he has dominated for years. We hope that he returns when he is not representing a rival brand.’
Ultimately, Chestnut felt compelled to honor his unspecified agreement with Impossible Foods.
Chestnut has been eating competitively since 2005 and has been devouring the competition ever since.
His record of 76 hot dogs eaten at the 2021 Nathan’s competition remains the most eaten competitively around the world.