Posted in: Preview, Sports, TV, YouTube | Tagged: coney island, hot dogs, joey chestnut, miki sudo, nathan's

Hot Dog-Eating Contest: Joey Chestnut Wins After Weather-Related Delay

Joey Chestnut got a chance to follow in Miki Sudo's footsteps, successfully defending his Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog-Eating Contest title.

With top-ranked female Miki Sudo (40 hot dogs & buns in 2022) successfully defending her title, Mother Nature came close to being one competitor that World Champion Joey Chestnut (63 hot dogs & buns in 2022) couldn't beat. But in the end, Chestnut would end up walking away with another big win. Previously, it looked as if Chestnut would be deprived of a chance to compete after the NYPD pulled the plug on the event over lightning concerns. "What a rollercoaster emotionally. They told us it was canceled. We weren't sure we were going to eat today, and I'm just happy. It's the Fourth of July, and I got to eat some hot dogs and get a win." Chestnut shared during post-match comments. Chesnut would consume 62 hot dogs & buns during the 10-minute bout – with Geoffrey Esper taking second place with 49 hot dogs & buns eaten.

Before the event was temporarily paused, viewers witnessed Sudo finish off 39-1/2 hot dogs & buns to take her ninth women's title. Airing on ESPN, Sudo's final result would result in a larger lead over Mayoi Ebihara (33-1/2 hot dogs & buns) after the final count showed Sudo consumed more hot dogs & buns than first thought. "The first couple minutes, I found myself watching her, which I never want to do. I never want to be distracted by the other competitors," Sudo explained, with the winner expressing disappointment in being off from her top performance of 48-1/2 hot dogs & buns. "Watching her [Ebihara], I fumbled my hands. I got stuck with a big burp early on but was able to correct." Here's a look at Chestnut's & Sudo's performances:

"The Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest is the crucible through which greatness is forged," shared Major League Eating Chair George Shea in a statement. "On Independence Day 2023, we will once again celebrate the birth of this nation and the champion of the Fourth of July." Prior to the televised eating competition, Nathan's Famous also donates 100,000 hot dogs to the Food Bank for New York City.

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