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The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2 years agone was different successful that it was missing nan top competitory eater of each time.
Joey Chestnut, a 16-time victor of nan event, was not eligible to participate in 2024 aft he signed a woody pinch Nathan's rival Impossible Foods. Chestnut was still connected nan outs months earlier nan 2025 title erstwhile he announced that he and nan organizers had recovered communal crushed connected sponsorships.
That brought Chestnut, now a 17-time victor aft taking nan loop again past year, backmost to Coney Island.
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Joey Chestnut wins nan men's title astatine Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest successful New York City connected July 4, 2025. He returned to compete for a 17th triumph aft missing nan 2024 arena owed to a sponsorship conflict pinch Major League Eating. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
"It was great. The assemblage is awesome, it's electric. It's bully to beryllium backmost aft mending immoderate fences," Chestnut precocious told Fox News Digital. "I do what I love. I sewage nan champion occupation successful nan world. I get to eat, travel, hit nan heck retired of people, and meet happy people. So it was awesome to beryllium back."
Chestnut's return to nan expansive shape was, well, grand. Credit is owed to Patrick Bertoletti, who downed 58 dogs and buns successful Chestnut's absence to return location nan title 2 years ago. But Chestnut hasn't posted a number that "low" since 2010. And while nan Coney Island Nathan's still had a decent crowd, it doesn't comparison to erstwhile Chestnut is connected stage.
For nan top of each time, though, it was ne'er astir a comeback — conscionable winning and celebrating Independence Day.
"It's ne'er astir me. It's not moreover astir nan basking dogs. It's nan Fourth of July. It's an eating contest, but really, it's a Fourth of July celebration, it's a ceremony successful New York. And that contest, it's difficult to picture exactly," Chestnut said.
Joey Chestnut prepares to compete successful nan men's title astatine Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest successful New York City connected July 4, 2025. He returns to compete for a 17th triumph aft missing nan 2024 arena owed to a sponsorship conflict pinch Major League Eating. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
JOEY CHESTNUT REVEALS FOODS HE WON'T EAT IN COMPETITION AS HE TOURS MINOR LEAGUE STADIUMS FOR LOCAL DELICACIES
"It's an event, it's much than conscionable an eating contest. It's portion of nan Fourth of July ceremony for New York City, and I'm conscionable a very small portion of it. And erstwhile it comes to that celebration, I'm very happy that I was capable to travel backmost and beryllium portion of people's Fourth of July."
Chestnut won his first title successful 2007, taking down nan dynastic eater that was Takeru Kobayashi. Since then, he's won 17 of nan past 18 events he has competed in. Matt Stonie pulled disconnected an upset successful 2015.
In his return to Coney Island, Chestnut downed 70 basking dogs, an betterment from nan 62 he ate successful 2023. So clearly, location are nary signs of slowing down. But Chestnut knows clip is ticking, and he wants to make nan astir of it.
"When I was younger, I could summation weight and past suffer it really quick. Now, it's a batch much work, but I still emotion it. And I cognize my body," Chestnut said. "But arsenic agelong arsenic I'm competitive, arsenic agelong arsenic it's fine, and I'm healthy. I'm going to beryllium involved. I was conscionable talking to a feline who, he's 58 years aged and he's been doing this since I sewage started. And truthful he's still capable to do it. I'm like, 'All right, I tin do this.' I sewage a mates much years, and we'll see."
Joey Chestnut wins nan men's title astatine Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest successful New York City connected July 4, 2025. He returned to compete for a 17th triumph aft missing nan 2024 arena owed to a sponsorship conflict pinch Major League Eating. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
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"It really is, like, I really consciousness for illustration it's 1 of nan champion gigs that location is. I get to travel, eat, and, dude, it's nan funniest thing," Chestnut said. "After I do this eating, I'm each sweaty, greasy, messy, and past group want to return pictures pinch me. It's nan funnest point successful nan world."
"As agelong arsenic I can, I'm gonna beryllium doing it."
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