There’s maybe nobody as linked to the Fourth of July within the fashionable American thoughts as Joey Chestnut.
Since 2005, he’s been a fixture on the Nathan’s Well-known Worldwide Scorching Canine Consuming Contest on Coney Island in Brooklyn, racking up championships and revolutionizing aggressive consuming within the course of. (He’s gained the occasion 16 occasions, together with the previous eight years in a row, and owns the world document of 76 sizzling canine and buns in 10 minutes.) However this summer time introduced a seismic shift for the competition. Main League Consuming introduced within the New York Publish that Chestnut wouldn’t be capable of eat at Coney Island this 12 months due to his partnership with Unattainable Meals, which sells plant-based sizzling canine, due to this fact qualifying it as a competitor of Nathan’s. The reigning champion was successfully banned from the competition.
The fallout was messy. Chestnut launched an announcement that stated he’d discovered of his ban solely from the media, not from Main League Consuming, including that he didn’t have a person contract with Nathan’s. “They need to change the principles from previous years because it pertains to different companions I can work with,” Chestnut wrote about Main League Consuming. The group claimed that was not the case. “For practically twenty years we now have labored underneath the identical primary sizzling canine exclusivity provisions,” learn the assertion from Main League Consuming. “Nevertheless, plainly Joey and his managers have prioritized a brand new partnership with a special model over our long-time relationship.” If the state of affairs looks like a little bit of a farce—such is the impact of the phrase “sizzling canine exclusivity provisions”—it was extremely severe for these concerned. The aggressive consuming governing physique appeared headed for a breakup with its largest star.
Chestnut, 40, is essentially the most adorned eater to be on this state of affairs. However he’s not the primary. George and Richard Shea, the brothers who run Main League Consuming, have been in public contractual disputes earlier than. (George can also be the host and MC of the new canine contest.) The primary main aggressive consuming star, Takeru Kobayashi, was sidelined from Coney Island as a result of a contract disagreement in 2010. When he tried to go on stage after the competitors was over, he was arrested after which banned by Main League Consuming. The rivalry between Kobayashi and Chestnut had catapulted the game to document viewership and mainstream recognition. However the ban meant it was immediately over. A contract disagreement additionally spelled the tip for Matt Stonie, who grew to become the final eater to beat Chestnut at Coney Island when he gained in 2015, however has not competed since 2019. (He’s continued to eat independently on YouTube.) Now, Main League Consuming appears to be like poised to lose Chestnut, too.
That also seems to be the case. Main League Consuming introduced its slate of opponents for Coney Island with out Chestnut. For his half, Chestnut introduced he’ll spend July 4 at a vacation celebration at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, the place he’ll participate in a sizzling canine consuming contest towards 4 troopers on the base. The 4 males mixed will attempt to beat Chestnut alone in a five-minute contest. (The occasion will likely be streamed on Chestnut’s YouTube.) And a a lot greater competitors awaits on the finish of the summer time. Shortly after information broke that Chestnut wouldn’t be at Coney Island, Netflix introduced a stay particular on Labor Day, pitting Chestnut towards Kobayashi. Will probably be the pair’s first competitors since 2009.
On the morning of July 2—the day earlier than he would sometimes have his ultimate pre-hot-dog-contest weigh-in—Chestnut spoke to Sports activities Illustrated about his expertise over the previous few weeks, his new ambitions for consuming and extra.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Take me again to the second you discovered you weren’t going to be at Coney Island on July Fourth.
JOEY CHESTNUT: I used to be really going to see my physician. I used to be within the ready room, and I bought a message from a reporter from the New York Publish, and it was like, “questions on your participation within the contest this 12 months”—it was an electronic mail. Then I bought a telephone name from him proper after, and I didn’t choose up the decision, however like an hour later, there was somewhat article saying that someone leaked data. It was bizarre—“Joey’s been banned for working with a vegan sizzling canine firm.” It simply wasn’t the best way I believed issues had been going to go.
SI: So that you felt blindsided? This was simply on the market, and it wasn’t one thing you’d recognized would occur once you signed with Unattainable, and it wasn’t one thing you’d heard about from the Shea brothers or Main League Consuming?
JC: Completely not. Every part with Unattainable was completely positive by all my earlier agreements. They modified phrases and situations [around] exclusivity. And it’s not the primary time they’ve modified some issues, but it surely’s the primary time they’ve actually modified issues after the very fact, and I needed to say, “Hey, it’s too late, I’ve already began working with this model.” This was by no means a problem previously. They usually tried to bounce round it—they modified a number of phrases, after which they escalated issues to a level they didn’t think about once they began leaking data and telling individuals I used to be banned and that I turned vegan, which clearly isn’t the case.
SI: When was the final time you talked to the Shea brothers?
JC: They each despatched me somewhat message saying, just about, that they’re sorry it bought ugly. Certainly one of them stated hopefully we will have beers sooner or later. However they’re not unhealthy individuals, they’re simply them, and that’s the best way they’re. I simply—I didn’t anticipate it to go the best way it did. I’m at all times keen to make concessions and keen to fulfill individuals within the center. If I begin one thing, I like to complete it, and if we began negotiating, I didn’t need to be despatched away or banned. I believed we may lastly get it. But it surely didn’t work out that means.
SI: Do you suppose the door is open in any respect for the long run? For some type of compromise the place you may be at Coney Island subsequent July Fourth, or one thing else down the road, perhaps?
JC: I don’t suppose the Shea brothers are unhealthy individuals. I’m not burning any bridges. And I find it irresistible—I like the Fourth of July and that contest. I’m at all times keen to attempt. I don’t maintain grudges. So nothing is out of the query.
SI: What does Coney Island imply to you? It’s been nearly 20 years with you there on the Fourth of July. How did it really feel to begin considering, “Okay, I actually might not be there for this one, and it’s not my selection”?
JC: It’s greater than a contest. Plenty of the mail or letters I get from individuals, it’s not saying, “Oh my God, you eat so many sizzling canine, it’s superb.” It’s, “You’ve been part of my Fourth of July for therefore lengthy.” That’s the superior half. I get to be part of individuals’s Fourth of July. I like celebrating the Fourth of July, and the truth that I assist different individuals have fun the Fourth of July—it’s been actually, actually enjoyable. And I’m hoping I can nonetheless discover methods to try this.
SI: How did you determine what you wished to do as an alternative this 12 months? Did you consider simply staying residence, or do you know that you just wished to do some type of occasion, one thing the place you’d nonetheless be consuming sizzling canine on July Fourth?
JC: I’ve seen different eaters falling out with Main League Consuming. There was the Kobayashi incident, the place they wouldn’t comply with his contract calls for—which was completely different, in fact, in that he ended up being arrested that 12 months. After which there’s my buddy Matt Stonie. They had been being actually tough with him on the contract, and he sat residence, and he wasn’t comfortable. So fortunately I bought a possibility right here … It labored out fairly simply. I used to be like, alright, we’re going to have fun the Fourth of July on a military base, and I’ll nonetheless be a part of the individuals’s Fourth of July. That labored out actually, rather well, and I’m comfortable.
SI: And by the point this all hit, you had been fairly far alongside in your coaching, proper? You’d been prepping for Coney Island for weeks.
JC: Weeks, yeah. I used to be solely three weeks away, so I used to be month, 5 weeks in. And I used to be doing rather well. But it surely’s all proper. I stored on coaching in case issues bought labored out—I nonetheless did my final observe on Friday, simply because I’m loopy like that. [laughs.] However I’m going to eat on the military base, I’m going to do effectively, so I’m nonetheless taking it severe. If I’m going to eat in entrance of individuals on the Fourth of July, I need to go all out.
SI: What number of did you eat on Friday?
JC: Nicely, I did a five-minute observe, however then I stored consuming afterward. As a result of the occasion on the bottom will likely be a five-minute occasion versus 4 troopers. So I did a very good five-minute observe, after which I ate somewhat bit extra afterward, simply because I wished to see if I may change my approach somewhat bit. Consuming for 5 minutes is completely different. [The Coney Island contest is 10 minutes.] I’m so used to looking for a rhythm that I can carry from minutes three to 9 and attempt to keep that rhythm. However I feel consuming for 5 minutes—there’s a quicker approach I can discover. I simply haven’t discovered it but. I’m nonetheless hoping I can get 45 to 50 sizzling canine. I feel I can kick it into gear and actually push it these 5 minutes. It’s a special rhythm, it’s extra of a dash, however I nonetheless find it irresistible.
SI: Trying past July Fourth—you might have your showdown with Kobayashi on Labor Day. How did that come about? And the way do you’re feeling about lastly attending to face him once more?
JC: It happened very slowly. I’m very excited. Like two years in the past, I did an interview, and when the interviewer requested me about Kobayashi, I stated, “After all I’d like to compete towards him once more, and I feel there’s a means we may do it with out Main League Consuming, so he may very well be concerned.” It was one thing like that. After which an individual for Netflix who had additionally labored on the venture for our documentary knew him, and we had been capable of get the ball rolling very slowly, and right here we’re. He’s very aggressive, and really severe, and I’m excited. That is the man that drove me—we drove one another to loopy limits, and we’re going to push one another once more, lastly. And at last there aren’t issues in the best way.
SI: I feel individuals are likely to view aggressive consuming as simply Main League Consuming—simply the new canine contest, simply these occasions, simply what they oversee. However now you’re being outdoors of that sphere, and you’ll envision one thing like going head-to-head with Kobayashi, you possibly can discuss doing one thing unbiased like Matt Stonie. How do you’re feeling about the potential of charting a special course now?
JC: It’s thrilling. Once I bought into this, it wasn’t my plan, essentially—in the identical means, this example I’m in, that undoubtedly wasn’t my plan. However I’m going to see the place it takes me. And the thought of working with superior firms, with individuals like Netflix, who is aware of the place it may possibly take us? Perhaps me and Kobayashi will likely be consuming in Japan subsequent 12 months. There’s simply so many alternative issues that would occur. It’s thrilling. There’s undoubtedly a change. Once I was working with Main League Consuming, they dealt with a number of the stuff. All I needed to do was present up, eat, perform a little media. I bought to interact with followers and eat—the perfect job on the planet. However I feel I’m nonetheless going to have the ability to do my favourite issues. Journey, interact with followers, eat, and meet individuals, hopefully.
SI: Is there something you wished to try this was difficult underneath that construction that now you suppose you possibly can exit and do?
JC: I at all times wished to do a tour of all of the baseball stadiums—, the place I’d go to each stadium, and I’d actually attempt all the new canine. I’d thrown it out to Main League Consuming, but it surely’s a kind of issues that was by no means potential, as a result of each baseball stadium has a special model of sizzling canine. And now that I’m not likely unique to a model of sizzling canine, I can go to each baseball stadium and price all the new canine, like I’ve at all times wished to do. [laughs.] What else have I not been in a position to try this I can now? Issues like competing towards Matt Stonie. Competing towards Kobayashi. It took a number of finagling and work with a purpose to make this occur with Kobayashi—it’ll be quite a bit simpler sooner or later. Issues will likely be completely different. However in good methods, too.
SI: Does it really feel like freedom? Or does it really feel scary?
JC: I don’t know. I undoubtedly wouldn’t say scary. It’s thrilling. A bit of uncertainty is thrilling. And with out sounding cocky—I’m nonetheless assured. I’m assured in my skill. I do know what I’m able to. And as a lot because it hurts to not be on the Fourth of July, I’ve different issues I’m specializing in. I can’t be down on myself, as a result of—no. I’m going to Fort Bliss. I’m preparing for the occasion with Kobayashi. He’s not down about something, he’s most likely excited that I’m not competing, he’s most likely amped up. He’s going to make use of this as gasoline. And I’m going to, too, as quickly as I can. I’m going to begin specializing in that Netflix occasion and ensure I dominate that contest.