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New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Reigning Coney Island hot dog champ wants Joey Chestnut back even if it means losing title
This news is hard to swallow. Reigning Nathan's hot dog-eating champ Patrick Bertoletti fears he may no longer be the top dog amid rumors that notorious eater Joey Chestnut might be back for the annual Coney Island contest. 'Joey is the best hot dog eater ever, so to say I have a chance to win — I guess you can say it, but I don't know. It's difficult to beat him. He's the best for a reason,' Chicago's pride Bertoletti told The Post Wednesday. Advertisement 3 Patrick Bertoletti won the Mustard Belt after wolfing down 58 franks at last year's Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog eating contest. Paul Martinka Bertoletti took home the 2024 Mustard Belt at last year's Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest — which Chestnut was dramatically barred from over a contract dispute related to a sponsorship deal with another hot dog brand. Had the the 16-time Nathan's champ been there, he would have been a hard nut to crack for Bertoletti, who won by wolfing down 58 dogs — which is nearly 20 less than Chestnut's Nathan's personal best of 76 franks. Advertisement Chestnut also hadn't eaten less than 60 at the Coney Island contest since 2011 — and just two months after missing last year's Nathan's contest, Chestnut won another event with a record-breaking 83 franks. It was revealed Tuesday that Chestnut and Major League Eating were actively negotiating to have him return to the annual Coney Island event, though nothing was yet confirmed. Bertoletti also shot down any suggestions that the contested back-and-forth could have been a PR stunt, saying: 'I don't think anyone was that good to do that. I mean, if he does come back, it's probably make the contest bigger than ever. But I don't think that at all.' While hard to digest, the news isn't the wurst, Bertoletti emphasized — calling Chestnut his dining buddy for more than two decades. Advertisement 3 Joey Chestnut celebrates after eating 57 hotdogs in five minutes at the Pop Goes the Fort eating contest on Fort Bliss, Texas on July 4, 2024. Justin Hamel for the NY Post 'It didn't feel right without him there. I know if he wasn't there I'd have a better shot to win, but I'd rather he'd be there than anything else,' Bertoletti said, revealing he was fresh off a video chat with his hungry rival. That doesn't mean he's not going to give Chestnut a run for his money, he warned: 'I'm a realist. But what I'm saying is, out of anyone else who has a chance to beat him?' Bertoletti admitted he was looking forward to having the heat off him if Chestnut returns, noting that he liked 'flying under the radar' throughout the last few years of competition. Advertisement 'Being a returning champ, everyone is looking at me, which is weird because I'm not used to that,' Bertoletti said. Bertoletti has been conducting miniature hot dog 'practices' several times a week — and even posted some videos of him curling packs of Nathan's dogs in preparation for the big contest. 'It's just it's not pretty. It's not interesting either. Just a lot of hot dogs,' he said of his training, adding that it's easy because he never gets tired of eating the franks. 3 Bertoletti hopes to beat his record of 58 franks, with a new goal of gobbling up at least 60. Paul Martinka While he would relish in first place, the current title holder has his eyes on setting a new personal dog record and hopes to eat at least 60 — a far cry from the world record-breaking 83 franks Chestnut gobbled up last September. After being banned from the Coney Island contest, Chestnut competed instead at the Pop Goes the Fort eating contest on Fort Bliss, where he scarfed down 57 dogs in just five minutes. Advertisement And more importantly, Bertoletti is looking forward to having fun. 'I would have never expected the reigning hot dog champion. This past year has been awesome and I'm just trying to enjoy it. I don't take myself too seriously,' he added.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Joey Chestnut in talks for July 4 Nathan's hot dog contest return
Competitive eating's biggest star could be back in the sport's most notable event this summer on Coney Island. Major League Eating and Joey Chestnut have been in talks for the legendary eater to return to the famed Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, The Post confirmed on Tuesday. TMZ first reported that the two sides had been actively negotiating to have Chestnut return to the annual Coney Island event a year after he was barred from competing over a contract dispute related to a sponsorship deal with another hot dog brand. Joey Chestnut celebrates after eating 57 hot dogs in five minutes at the Pop Goes the Fort eating contest on Fort Bliss, Texas on July 4, 2024. Justin Hamel for the NY Post This time around, that has not been a factor in talks and both parties want to get a deal done. Major League Eating declined to comment to The Post and a request for comment from Chestnut was not immediately returned. The Post had broken the news last year that the beloved competitive eater, colloquially called Jaws, had been barred from the July 4th Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Competition over his deal with Impossible Foods, which had launched a meatless hot dog at the time. The shocking controversy surrounding the hot dog eating contest was headline-making news across the city and even drew in Mayor Eric Adams, who called everyone to 'find a way to squash this beef' and allow the 16-time Nathan's hot dog eating champ to compete. Trophies for the 2024 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog contest. Paul Martinka Chestnut did not end up competing in the Nathan's contest and for the first time since 2015, someone other than Chestnut took home the Mustard Belt, with Chicago native Patrick Bertoletti claiming the crown last year after scarfing down 58 dogs. Signs that a potential return to the annual Fourth of July event popped up late last month when Chestnut expressed a desire to compete in this year's contest in an interview with The Blast, though he seemed to doubt a reunion would occur. 'If they came back with similar terms we were talking about last year, I would definitely consider it,' he said in the interview. 'I'd work with them to make sure there weren't any conflicts with other sponsors. … But honestly, I don't think they want to go down that route. And yeah, it's a bummer. I love that contest.' Chestnut is a household name for holding the record for most wins at the Nathan's competition and set the world record for most hot dogs eaten with 83, which he set last September, surpassing his previous mark of 76.
