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America\u2019s perennial hot dog swallowing champion won\u2019t compete in this year\u2019s Independence Day competition due to a contract dispute, organizers said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Joey \u201cJaws\u201d Chestnut, 40, has been competing since 2005 and\u00a0hasn\u2019t lost since 2015<\/a>. At last year\u2019s Nathan\u2019s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest he downed 62 franks and buns in 10 minutes.<\/p>\n But\u00a0Major League Eating<\/a>\u00a0event organizer George Shea says Chestnut is moving away from the contest due to a contract dispute.<\/p>\n \u201cWe love him, the fans love him,\u201d Shea said, adding that \u201cHe made the choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Shea says Chestnut struck a deal with a competing brand \u2014 a red line for the Nathan\u2019s-sponsored event \u2014 but did not elaborate. He said the dispute came down to exclusivity, not money.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be like\u00a0Michael Jordan<\/a>\u00a0saying to Nike<\/a>, \u2018I\u2019m going to represent Adidas<\/a>, too,\u2019\u201d Shea said.<\/p>\n In a statement to NBC News<\/a>, MLE said it was \u201cdevastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan\u2019s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.\u201d <\/p>\n The statement said, \u201cMLE and Nathan\u2019s went to great lengths in recent months to accommodate Joe.y and his management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chestnut did not immediately respond to a request for comment made through his website.<\/p>\n Chestnut has long dominated the competition. Those vying for second place in the past might have renewed hope to swallow their way to first place this year, including international competitors on the eating circuit.<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s 2nd place winner was Geoffrey Esper from Oxford, Massachusetts, who downed 49 dogs. Third place went to Australia\u2019s James Webb with 47. That was far from Chestnut\u2019s best effort: his record was 76 Nathan\u2019s Famous hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2021.<\/p>\n In 2010, Japanese\u00a0eating champion Takeru Kobayashi<\/a>, Chestnut\u2019s then-rival, also stopped competing in the annual bun fight due to a contract dispute with Major League Eating. Kobayashi crashed the contest in a T-shirt reading \u201cFree Kobi\u201d and was arrested. He was sentenced to 6 months\u2019 probation. Kobayashi announced his retirement from the sport last month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nSubscribe to The Broadsheet newsletter to stay updated on the world’s most powerful women in business. Sign up<\/a> for free.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n