Joey Chestnut, 38, holds the world record for eating the most hot dogs in 10 minutes. Chestnut can now add manhandling protesters to his resume.
During the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Monday, Chestnut was well on his way to winning his 15th hot dog eating contest when a protestor approached the stage. Dressed in black, wearing a Darth Vader mask, sporting a sign that read, “Expose Smithfield’s Death-star,” the protestor rushed into the line of hot dog chomping contestants next to Chestnut.
Joey Chestnut
Unfazed. pic.twitter.com/FDIpjB5VV6
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 4, 2022
No sooner than the sign-waving Darth Vader arrived, Chestnut wielded a chokehold, wrestling the intruder to the ground. Then, Chestnut returned to scarfing the remaining 63 hot dogs that put him in first place again. Finally, a contest official led the protestor away.
Chestnut’s consumption of 63 hot dogs with buns was 20 more than his closest competitor but fell short of his world-record-setting total of 76 last year.
Brady.
Jordan.
Gretzky.
Tiger.
Chestnut. pic.twitter.com/j2kRJYlNUY— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 4, 2022
According to ESPN, Chestnut surprised fans by arriving on crutches and a surgical boot because of a leg injury. He told ESPN that the pain distracted him to some degree.
The contest returned to its regular venue, outside Nathan’s flagship shop in Brooklyn’s Coney Island neighborhood, for the first time since 2019.
ESPN also noted that in conjunction with the contest, Nathan’s Hot Dogs donated 100,000 hot dogs to the New York City food bank.
