Latest news with #PopGoestheFort
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.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joey Chestnut Fires Back After Nathan's Hot Dog Ouster
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability subject to change. It's a Fourth of July tradition — the beach, fireworks, and Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Except in 2024, things looked very different for 16-champion Joey Chestnut. The competitive eater was banned from the competition last year after he collaborated with the plant-based company, Impossible Foods. He wanted to promote their vegan hot dogs for "Meatless Mondays," but Major League Eating (MLE) didn't see it that way. Now, Chestnut is breaking his silence with The Blast. Advertisement 'I really didn't think my relationship with Impossible would affect anything with Nathan's,' Chestnut said. 'It didn't go against any of my previous agreements.' He also claimed that he "eats more meat than anybody," but still enjoys taking "a break on Mondays." He added, "And sometimes I still want something that tastes like meat, so that's where plant-based comes in.' Chestnut is open to returning to the world-famous competition in Coney Island, NY, and making sure there are no sponsor conflicts. Still, he admitted, "But honestly, I don't think they want to go down that route. And yeah, it's a bummer. I love that contest.' Instead of his beachside location in 2024, Chestnut headed to Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX, to battle members of the Army for their annual 'Pop Goes the Fort' celebration. The event raised $106,000 for Operation Homefront, a nonprofit that supports military families, according to NPR. Advertisement Of course, Chestnut also hit the big time with Netflix and his hot dog rival, Takeru Kobayashi, in September 2024's TV special, Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef. He was able to break his personal record with 83 dogs which "broke the world record for most eaten in 10 minutes, without dunking them in water, in the history of competitive eating," according to Tudum by Netflix. Patrick Bertoletti won the men's Mustard Belt at the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest after eating 58 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Related: Why Joey Chestnut Has Been Banned From the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Joey Chestnut Fires Back After Nathan's Hot Dog Ouster first appeared on Men's Journal on May 27, 2025
New York Post
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Joey Chestnut reveals if he expects to compete at Nathan's hot dog eating contest this summer
Joey Chestnut doesn't seem to think that the fence will be mended with Nathan's and Major League Eating in order for him to return to compete in the famed Fourth of July hot dog eating contest that takes place every year on the Coney Island boardwalk. Chestnut did not compete in last year's competition after an apparent issue that MLE and Nathan's had over a deal that the famed eater had with another hot dogs brand, Impossible Foods — the plant-based food company that makes vegan hot dogs. While Chestnut told The Blast he would want to come back, he doesn't expect to get a call to return to the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Advertisement 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 'If they came back with similar terms we were talking about last year, I would definitely consider it,' he told the outlet. '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.' The Post had exclusively broken the news last year that Chestnut would not be competing in the Nathan's contest due to the spat and that he had been offered $200,000 to compete in last year's contest, along with a $1.2 million, four-year contract going forward. Advertisement Chestnut also told The Blast that 'I still don't know exactly where our relationship stands' and that he was 'really surprised' about their reaction to his partnership with Impossible Foods. The partnership with Impossible Foods had been to promote 'Meatless Mondays,' an initiative that encourages people to try plant-based alternatives and is something that Chestnut said he takes part in. 'It was for Mondays, for people who aren't even eating meat,' he said about the partnership that ended up becoming an issue. Joey Chestnut is pictured at the Pop Goes the Fort in July 2024. Justin Hamel for the NY Post Advertisement Chestnut, who is a household name, had won the Nathan's hot dog eating contest 16 times, which included winning every year from 2016 until last year, when he did not compete. He holds the record for most dogs and buns eaten, with 76 during the 2021 contest.
