Getty Photographs Joey is shown shoving hot dogs into his face at the Nathan’s competition in 2023.Getty Photographs

After signing a contract with a vegan company, competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut was informed he could not compete in America’s top hot dog competition.

After accepting sponsorship from Impossible Foods, a vegan hot dog manufacturer that competes with the Nathan’s brand, he was disqualified from the New York Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest scheduled for next month.

Mr. Chestnut was welcome to return to the tournament, MLE stated, but only provided he gave up his vegan sponsorship.
“One of America’s heroes is Joey Chestnut. The statement read, “We would adore nothing more than to have him at the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest.”

The competition, which draws over 40,000 spectators every year, mandates that contestants consume as many hot dogs (as well as buns) as they can in ten minutes.
At the 2021 competition, Mr. Chestnut, 40, gulped a whopping 76 hot dogs, setting a new world record.

In addition, he has broken several other eating records, such as consuming 141 hard-boiled eggs in eight minutes, 23 meat pies in ten, 182 chicken wings in thirty, and 25.5 choc ices, or ice cream sandwiches, in six.

Mr. Chestnut said on social media that he had “been training to defend [his] title” and that he was “gutted” to learn of the suspension.

Joey was accommodated, according to MLE and Nathan, although it appeared that he and his management “prioritized a new partnership.”

Every year since Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker set up shop on Coney Island in 1916, there has been a Fourth of July competition.

The legend claims that four European immigrants were debating who was more American on July 4, 1916, the day Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs was established. They agreed to have a hot dog eating competition to settle the score.

Still unknown, though, are the contest’s actual beginnings.