Three random eating challenges
| 24 oz. burger | The Hulk Steak Burger Challenge | Ottomanelli Brothers | Manhattan, NY | meal includes fries and a 20 oz. drink, only available Mon-Thurs during lunchtime |
| 6 hot wings | Suicide Six Wing Challenge | Buffalo Cantina | Brooklyn, NY | |
| 5.4 lb. sandwich | Meatball Sub Challenge | The Saucy Italian | Johnstown, NY |
Fink Beats the Stomach visited Nathan's Famous Coney Island location yesterday. Almost two months after the removal of the Hot Dog Eating Contest Wall of Fame (which started on November 22), there are no signs of construction on a new billboard. Neither Nathan's Famous or Major League Eating have made any statements about the sign removal. The new poll asks what you think their official announcement will eventually be.
It has now been over a month since the hot dog eating contest Wall of Fame has been removed from Nathan's Famous original Coney Island location. Neither Nathan's nor Major League Eating have made any announcement about the restoration of the sign.
Joey Chestnut talked to Yeshiva University students over Zoom on November 23.
Nathan’s Wall of Fame completely removed
Dutchmazz posted a picture of Nathan’s Famous Coney Island location with the wall of fame completely removed. He claims that it is out for repair and will return.
Nathan’s Famous Wall of Fame removed
Magical Theme Parks uploaded a video recorded today of the removal of the hot dog eating contest Wall of Fame at Nathan’s Famous Coney Island location. update Nov 23 The left side of the wall has been removed.
The segment from NBC's First Look about Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest that was televised on Sunday morning's episode can be viewed on youtube (segment starts around 16:10). Miki Sudo, Badlands Booker, Nick Wehry and Rich Shea make appearances.
Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest will be featured on the next episode of NBC's First Look, which will be televised at 1 am Sunday morning after Saturday Night Live. Nick Wehry, Miki Sudo and Badlands Booker will appear.
BestDocumentaryTV has uploaded a short documentary about the 1999 matzoh ball eating contest held at Ben's Deli won by Russell Machover. Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa makes an appearance but does not compete.
Miki Sudo has uploaded a video of Nick Wehry attempting the undefeated 14 pound challenge at Pizza Mia in Newburgh, NY consisting of pizza, wings and fried dough challenge.
Wayne Algenio's appearance on the Brooklyn episode of "Eddie Eats America" was televised by The Cooking Channel yesterday and can be streamed online. The episode will be rerun at 10:30pm eastern on September 1.
WDPH has an article about Nick Wehry completing the challenge at Pizza Mia while Miki Sudo watched. The challenge weighs 14 pounds and consists of a garlic knot pizza, 12 Buffalo wings, a giant order of fried dough and 2 liters of soda.
The Buffalo Wing Festival announced it would not hold a 2020 event today. With the removal of the Lewisville, TX tamale contest, scheduled for September, there are currently no upcoming contests with a date on the MLE calendar. (Smoke's Poutinerie contest remains listed without a date). The Colorado State Fair will be scaled back, so a Slopper eating contest appears unlikely.
Joey Chestnut defends Nathan’s title with record 75
update Official results
| 1st | 75 | Joey “Jaws” Chestnut | contest record |
| 2nd | 42 | Darron Breeden | |
| 3rd | 39.5 | Nick Wehry | combined with Miki Sudo’s 48.5 to set couples record of 88 |
| 4th | 24 | George Chiger | |
| 5th | 20 | Eric “Badlands” Booker |
Joey Chestnut has defended his Nathan’s Famous hot dog title with a record 75 hot dogs.
Spectrum Local News has an article about Melody Andorfer, winner of the 1972 Nathan's Famous Labor Day contest with a total of 12 hot dogs in 5 minutes. Major League Eating says they will acknowledge her at the 2021 finals.
ConeyIslandHistory.com has an article containing an audio interview with Melody Andorfer, winner of the 1972 Labor Day Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest. She is officially requesting a champions belt from Major League Eating.
Bistro 25 East in Blue Point, NY will hold a hot dog eating contest on Sunday awarding at least $200 to the winner.
The New York Daily News reports that Guardian Angels founder suffered injuries after defending a Manhattan Foot Locker from looters Tuesday. He competed in several Nathan's finals in the 1990s, finishing 3rd in 1994.
Joey Chestnut did an interview on KROQ yesterday. He says that Nathan's hopes to have some type of July 4 competition, but plans have yet to be fixed. They are looking at a Brooklyn site for the event away from the traditional Coney Island venue.
The New York Times has an article about Feltman's Hot Dogs which also covers the history of Coney Island frankfurters. The pandemic has reportedly resulted in a surge for hot dog purchases, with sales for Nathan's Famous increasing by over 50%.
News 12 reports that Coney Island USA will cancel or postpone all their programming for the forseeable future. One of the non profit organization's events is the Mermaid Parade. The article did not mention Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest.
AMNY on Coney Island 2020
AMNY has an article about the prospects for Coney Island which includes quotes from George Shea on options for Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest:
The popular Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest also hangs, in the balance with several proposals by George Shea, the organizer and “ring master” of the event, as he tries to find an alternative way to hold the Independence Day hot dog extravaganza that normally attracts thousands.
The contest itself isn’t officially canceled. Shea is looking at ways to hold the July 4 ‘gorgefest’ behind closed doors, possibly without a crowd as Major League Baseball is proposing.
Shea, the eternal optimist, is being hit badly by the pandemic. Many of his projects involve large crowds.
“We can hold the Hot Dog Eat contest with 10 people if we needed,” said Shea, who views the contest as American as apple pie and a proud Fourth of July tradition.
The Mattituck, NY Lions Club announced they cancelled their Strawberry Festival which had been scheduled for Father's Day weekend in June. A MLE shortcake eating contest has been held at the festival.
The New York City Hot Sauce Expo that was to have taken place April 18 and 19 in Brooklyn has been postponed to September. Previous events had several spicy eating contests on both days.
New York City hotels are hoping for a July 1 reopening date, which would make a Nathan's hot dog contest on July 4 a possibility.
Brixx & Barley in Long Beach, NY will hold a wing eating contest on March 14 awarding $1000 to the winner.
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