BeautifulBrian.com has some pictures from the 8 pound “Beast” pizza El Toro and an unnamed partner completed from Graziano’s Pizza in Las Vegas, which is the only Nevada pizza challenge offering an award I am aware of.

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Country music superstar Toby Keith has a restaurant at Harrah’s casino in Las Vegas which offers a 100 ounce eating challenge. In addition to two pounds of hamburger, the challenge also requires diners to finish 32 ounces of beer and 16 ounces of “freedom fries” along with other items. Customers who complete the challenge will receive a T – shirt. A picture of the burger is available on flickr. With the demise of the Plaza Casino’s Big Daddy challenge, this might be the only burger challenge in Las Vegas.

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RawVegasTV has a video clip of an interview with Rich and Carlene LeFevre conducted while Rich ate a 120 ounce steak at Brand Steakhouse in Las Vegas. Thrillist has a transcript of some of the interview.

updatePokerati has a blog entry about Rich’s feat

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Rich LeFevre reports in a comment that he successfully completed the 120 ounce steak challenge at the Brand Steakhouse in 40 minutes. The list price of the steak is $267. Video of his attempt will appear on rawvegas.tv.

update Some pictures have been emailed:

Paul “Porkslap” Arcaria has sent the following email: (pictures of his challenge can be seen below)

On sunday [October 11] I went to Thurmans in Columbus, They had a 3 pounder but that wasn’t enough. I had them make me a 4.5 pounder. She said if I finish it I could name it.
Its called “Pauls East Coast Pile”

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• 120 ounce steak at Brand Steakhouse in Las Vegas, free if eaten by one person, $267 otherwise
• San Francisco spam musubi eating contest September 6
• CNBC on the effects of inflation on Michael Phelps’ diet
• Saratoga Nathan’s contest Monday to be 12 minutes?
• Gallery of wing eating contest before Bills – Steelers game in Toronto
• Slots still available for Vancouver, BC Nathan’s non-qualifier Monday. The contest will be 6 minutes.
• 1993 article about Czech dumpling contest.
• Nanticoke, PA pierogi eating contest Sunday.

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Galleries of the recent Nathan’s qualifiers held in Las Vegas and Apple Valley, Minnesota are now available. Captions for the Las Vegas gallery report that Rich LeFevre ate 32 hot dogs and not the 31 in the official report.

The Las Vegas Sun has an article containing a picture of Rich LeFevre and Sarah Jane from one of the galleries. Sarah Jane was the only female competitor and previously auditioned for “American Idol”. Like Ron Koch, she works as a casino photographer. She finished with 8.5 hot dogs, which puts her in the company of 8 females who are known to have broken the 8 HDB mark:

39 Sonya Thomas, 2007, 12 minutes
28 Juliet Lee, 2007, 12 minutes
25 Carlene LeFevre, 2005, 12 minutes
22.25 Takako Akasaka, 2000, 12 minutes
18 Miyuki Iwata, 2004, 12 minutes
12 Melody Andorfer, 1972, 5 minutes
9.5 Birgit Felden, 1984, 10 minutes
8.5 Sarah Jane, 2008, 10 minutes

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The morning show of KVBC.com has a video about El Toro showing him training with watermelon. There is also a video of Rich LeFevre competing in a one minute hot dog eating contest in the sidebar.

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Results from an anonymous comment & CE News
1. Rich LeFevre 31 or 32 (10 minute contest instead of 12)
2. Ron Koch 21
3. Andrew McKirdy 14
? El Toro

update Hall Hunt made quite accurate predictions for the qualifier

update #2 The Las Vegas Review has a captioned picture of Ron Koch and El Toro (from the Hangman)

update #3 BeautifulBrian.com has a contest report with some pictures

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BeautifulBrian.com has a preview of today’s Nathan’s qualifier focusing on Ron Koch’s comeback to face his rival Rich LeFevre.

The Las Vegas Review Journal also has a short preview which says that LeFevre and Koch will compete. It says nothing about Joey Chestnut.

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The Las Vegas Sun reports that Joey Chestnut is expected to compete in the Nathan’s qualifier to be held at the New York, New York Casino in Las Vegas on May 8. Previous defending champions did not need to qualify. Other expected entrants are Rich LeFevre and Ron Koch.

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Video from the Travel Channel’s “Battle of the Buffets”, in which Badlands Booker, Cookie Jarvis and the LeFevres competed can be viewed on the Travel Channel’s website

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An attendee of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas noticed changes in the casino restaurants offering all you can eat deals:

This year at CES I noticed one little thing that seemed to be a universal change among most of the casinos. The buffet lines around the city have posted signs informing customers that there is now a time limit on dining. (The most extreme case we saw was a 1 hour limit on a Sushi Buffet in the Rio.) They’ve also taken to charging extra for patrons who wish to indulge in the more expensive parts of the repast.

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After attending an Offspring concert in Japan, Kobayashi met up with the group in Las Vegas. He has also posted some pictures from his trip. There is no information about the “Wedges & Wings” contest, spoilers or otherwise.

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Steakbellie has posted writeups of his Chicago jalapeno contest experience and his participation in the “Wedges & Wings” contest (no spoilers)

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In a blog entry from this afternoon, Kobayashi reports that he is still experiencing jaw issues (automatically translated)

As the conference gets near, condition of the jaw had become bad (depending upon training because), to today it had made or the air which it has.

Unless you avoid just the reappearance before the hot dog worldwide conference, that you thought.

Once, somehow the day was received.

When this is proof of growth, it is to be delightful, but you think that luck was good.

It is the jaw which with special care it can have utilizing.

Temporarily, it tries applying to the present tournament.

We should not participate, that the one worrying it is with you think, but it came to here.

Support we ask.

Kobayashi also says that he met with American government officials for an undisclosed purpose.

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Steakbellie will compete in the “Wedges & Wings” contest in Las Vegas tonight. He verifies that Kobayashi is present. Steakbellie reports that three separate TV specials will be recorded at the same session, which will fulfill the Spike TV contract.

I think this leaves 6 unknown slots in the contest.

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Las Vegas Advisor has information about tomorrow’s “Wedges and Wings” contest.

Kobayashi’s blog reports that he got a new hairstyle and is not sure when he will be able to update his blog, so he will probably attend.

STBW says that October will be a “very very light month” CE-wise for Sonya, so she will probably not attend.

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The New York Daily News reports that Arturo Rios will compete in the “MLE Chowndown” to be held in Las Vegas Tuesday.

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Skinnyboy recorded video of Pat Bertoletti’s and Rich LeFevre’s appearance on local television before the Las Vegas qualifier.

There is also a video of Rick “The Grizzly” Baird’s introduction.

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WorldPictureNetwork has a good gallery of last Thursday’s Nathan’s qualifier in Las Vegas. The captions are quite good in regards to names, but unfortunately the only result listed is Pat Bertoletti’s winning amount. Robin Leach, formerly of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, was a commentator.

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Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane has a travelog of Thursday’s Nathan’s qualifier in Las Vegas with numerous pictures. He has a picture of the undercard for hotel employees, won by Ron Koch with 18 hot dogs in 6 minutes.

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Official results for the top two finishers in yesterday’s Nathan’s qualifier in Las Vegas have been posted to MLE and ifoce.com/news

1. 46 HDB Pat Bertoletti
2. 33 HDB Rich LeFevre

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Las Vegas Nathan’s qualifier results from a Laura Flynn comment:

1. 46 HDB Pat Bertoletti
2. 33 HDB Rich LeFevre
3. 23 HDB Mongo Marquez
4-5 14? Kevin Ross
4-5 14? Jason Erb

Pat Bertoletti becomes the third person to break 40 hot dogs and buns. Rich LeFevre’s 33 is also a personal best.

update Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane also has results on his blog which report Bertoletti ate 46 HDB.

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