JOEY Chestnut is most dominant competitive eater in the sport’s history.
He has practically owned the trophy for Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest over the past two decades — that is until he was banned.
Who is Joey Chestnut?
Joey Chestnut was born on November 25, 1983, in Fulton County, Kentucky.
As of June 2025, he is ranked No 1 in the world by Major League Eating – a group that organizes professional competitive eating events and television specials.
Joey’s first Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating championship was in 2007.
He beat six-time defending champ Takeru “Tsunami” Kobayashi consuming a record-breaking 66 hot dogs and buns.
In July 2009, he set a new world record by downing 68 hot dogs and went on to break his record again in 2013 after consuming 69.
Joey broke his own contest record again in 2020, consuming an astounding 75 hot dogs.
He also took home the 2023 trophy to make it 16 wins out of 17, so since triumphing over Kobayashi in 2007, Joey has only lost once at the annual event — in 2015.
Joey was once engaged to Neslie Ricasa — he proposed to her at the 2014 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
The pair split before their planned wedding day and Neslie is now married to Drew Ely, who she shares two children with.
However, the hot dog eating king did NOT defend his crown in 2024.
Why was Joey Chestnut banned from the 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest?
Despite his position as the contest’s most famous participant, record winner and record holder, Joey didn’t taking part in Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2024.
He was told by organisers he couldn’t compete because of his sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods — a company promoting meat-fee products.
As The US Sun exclusively revealed in June 2024, Joey wasn’t actually banned and was eligible to come back to the contest, but only if he ditched his Impossible Food deal.
Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest MC George Shea told The U.S. Sun: “We would never ban Joey Chestnut — we are not banning him.
I will be thrilled to be returning to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest
Joey ChestnutX“What happened is after 20 years with Nathan’s he signed with a rival brand, a plant-based meat brand which is selling hot dogs which runs into a conflict with Nathan’s.
“As a result that conflict makes it that he can’t [take part on July 4] and that’s always been the case.”
However, he decided against ditching his sponsors and instead appeared at an eating contest against American soldiers held at Fort Bliss, Texas.
But in June 2025, Joey and Major League Eating announced that the 41-year-old will return to compete in the Fourth of July tradition.
APJoey holds the hot-dog-eating world record[/caption]“I will be thrilled to be returning to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” Joey wrote on X.
How many hotdogs did Joey Chestnut eat during the 2023 Hot Dog eating contest?
Chestnut was not able to set a new world record at the 2023 contest, but he was still able to put on an impressive show.
On the way to his 16th title, he was able to consume 62 hot dogs and buns following a long delay for rain.
He set the record in 2021 — with a massive 76 hot dogs and buns — while in 2022 he had to FIGHT OFF a protester who ran on stage.
GettyJoey Chestnut defested Takeru Kobayashi at Netflix’s Unfinished Beef event on September 2, 2024 in Las Vegas[/caption]According to Fox News, the champ was interrupted by protesters about halfway through the 10-minute event.
Joey reportedly grabbed a man around the neck and helped pull him to the ground before returning to his position.
One fan told the media outlet: “Joey was on a record pace. We should have witnessed history.
“That guy totally messed with [Joey’s] momentum.”
A man was arrested shortly after the altercation, Fox News reported.
But in September 2024, Joey did manage to break his own world record.
He downed 83 hot dogs to defeat Kobayashi once again in Netflix‘s Unfinished Beef event, held on Labor Day in Las Vegas — 15 years after the two competitive eating legends last competed against each other.
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