Joey Chestnut to return to Nathan’s
update TMZ has an interview with Joey. He hopes to hit 80 hot dogs.
Joey Chestnut announced that he will be returning to Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest after missing the 2024 competition due to a sponsorship dispute. With two qualifiers remaining on Saturday, this makes the current field for the 2025 contest:
Champion Byes:
Joey Chestnut, Pat Bertoletti
Miki Sudo, Michelle Lesco
Qualifier Winners
2025 May 10 | 1st | 43 | Geoffrey Esper | Bristol, CT |
2025 Jun 5 | 1st | 47.5 | Nick Wehry | Parma, OH |
2025 Jun 7 | 1st | 29.5 | Radim Dvoracek | Shawnee, KS |
2025 Jun 14 | 1st | 33.5 | Derek Hendrickson | Pleasanton, CA |
2025 May 10 | 1st | 12 | Larell Marie “The Real Deal” Mele | Bristol, CT |
2025 Jun 5 | 1st | 10.5 | Kelly Lewis | Parma, OH |
2025 Jun 7 | 1st | 11.25 | Jocelyn Young | Shawnee, KS |
2025 Jun 14 | 1st | 23.5 | Domenica “Dee Street Eats” Dee | Pleasanton, CA |
There have been three or four wild card entrants the past two years, but the number has yet to be officially announced. Here are the wild card leaders:
2025 Jun 5 | 2nd | 37 | Max Stanford | Parma, OH |
2025 Jun 5 | 3rd | 29.5 | Darrien “Cheesecurd” Thomas | Parma, OH |
2025 Jun 7 | 2nd | 25 | Cameron Meade | Shawnee, KS |
2025 May 10 | 2nd | 23 | Jerome Burns | Bristol, CT |
2025 Jun 5 | 4th | 17.5 | Greg Sines | Parma, OH |
2025 Jun 14 | 2nd | 16 | Tandra Childress | Pleasanton, CA |
2025 Jun 14 | 3rd | 15 | Katie Prettyman | Pleasanton, CA |
2025 Jun 14 | 4th | 11.5 | Isabeau Pearl Prettyman | Pleasanton, CA |
2025 Jun 5 | 2nd | 8.5 | Cherish “Five Pounds” Brown | Parma, OH |
2025 Jun 14 | 5th | 8.5 | Elizabeth “Glizzy Lizzie” Salgado | Pleasanton, CA |
Non American competitors have also received international byes the previous two years.
Joey Chestnut to attempt wing poundage record
update Joey ate 14.4 pounds of wing meat
Joey Chestnut will attempt to set a record tomorrow at Buffalo Wild wings for the most pounds of traditional wings eaten in a session. He does not have the MLE traditional wing poundage record:
2011 Apr 13 | 1st | 10.6875 | 12 min | Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti | Wingstop World Wing-Eating Championship | Dallas, TX |
2011 Apr 13 | 2nd | 10.25 | 12 min | Bob “The Notorious B.O.B.” Shoudt | Wingstop World Wing-Eating Championship | Dallas, TX |
2011 Apr 13 | 3rd | 7.9375 | 12 min | Joey “Jaws” Chestnut | Wingstop World Wing-Eating Championship | Dallas, TX |
2011 Apr 13 | 4th | 7.875 | 12 min | Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas | Wingstop World Wing-Eating Championship | Dallas, TX |
2012 Sep 2 | 1st | 7.61 | 12 min | Joey “Jaws” Chestnut | U.S. National Buffalo Wing Eating Championship | Buffalo, NY |
2025 Wings for Wishes
The SportsGrill Instagram has started a live video of this afternoon’s Wings for Wishes wing eating contest in Miami. Joey Chestnut will compete. Announced results (10 minutes)
1 James Webb 224
2 Joey Chestnut 192
3 Nick Wehry 147
4 Miki Sudo 141
5 Tanner Gray 122
6 Mirza Selmic 83
7 Brennen Taylor 64
8 Crazy Legs Conti 58
JoBlo on Chestnut/Kobayashi feud
JoBlo has a post about recent critical comments by Joey Chestnut about Takeru Kobayashi that begun when Chestnut objected to Japanese competitive eating fan Fun Doshiyo’s claim on February 27 that Kobayashi would beat Chestnut in foods other than hot dogs. Chestnut’s criticism escalated as the thread continued.
If he competed against me and other great eaters, I can say with almost absolute confidence that Kobayashi would place 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in every contest. He is a shell of his former self. I think his personal life has taken a toll on his professional life.
2025 Siegel’s Bagelmania eating contest
update The Las Vegas Review Journal has an article. Joey Chestnut says he has yet to reconcile with Nathan’s.
Full results are on Instagram. MLE appears to have abandoned X
1st | 15 | Joey “Jaws” Chestnut | |
2nd | 14.5 | Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti | |
3rd | 13.125 | Geoffrey Esper | |
4th | 13 | James Webb | |
4th | 13 | Nick Wehry | |
6th | 9 | Gideon Oji | |
7th | 8.625 | Tanner Gray | |
8th | 7.375 | Stan “Bandana Eats” van Gorden | |
9th | 7.25 | George Chiger | |
10th | 4 | Mirza Selmic | |
11th | 3.75 | Naader “Freak8r” Reda | |
12th | 2 | Elizabeth “Glizzy Lizzie” Salgado |
The field: Stan “Bandana Eats” van Gorden, Elizabeth “Glizzy Lizzy” Salgado, Naader Reda, Tanner Gray, the 2024 MLE rookie of the year, Mike Zeldish ?, George Chiger, Gideon Oji, Nick Wehry, James Webb, Geoff Esper, Pat Bertoletti, Joey Chestnut
Fro14 has started a livestream of today’s World Bagel Eating Championship at Siegel’s Bagelmania in Las Vegas.
2024 St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail Eating Contest
update Fox 59 article | WTHR video
update Dec 13 The Pat McAfee show did a segment about encountering Joey Chestnut after the contest
1st | 21 | Joey “Jaws” Chestnut | new record |
2nd | 14 | Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti | |
3rd | 11.2 | Miki Sudo | |
4th | 10.5 | Nick Wehry | |
5th | 8.2 | Gideon Oji | |
6th | 7.3 | George Chiger | |
7th | 4.5 | Andrew “The Bear” Kogutkiewicz | |
8th | 2.9 | Mark Enstrom |
St. Elmo facebook plans to livestream the contest starting at 3:30 pm Eastern
Announced results (8 minutes)
1 Joey Chestnut 21 pounds
2 Pat Bertoletti 14 pounds
3 Miki Sudo 11 pounds