Why Isn’t Joey Chestnut Competing In Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2024?

Joey Chestnut is not competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest for the first time in nearly 20 years.

The 16-time champion, whose nickname is “Jaws,” was not eligible to compete due to a sponsorship conflict after he made an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods,  according to the Washington Post.

In 2024, 15 men and 14 women will compete in two separate event for the famous Yellow Mustard Belt, which comes with a cash prize of $20,000.

Chestnut, 40, has been a fixture at the Coney Island foodfest since he won his first competition in 2007. He went on to become a fan-favorite, 16-time champion.

In July 2024, Chestnut told Sports Illustrated the 2024 snafu came when Nathan’s tried to change his agreement after he inked a separate deal with plant-based food company Impossible Foods. He was then “banned” from the 2024 event by Major League Eating.

Chestnut explained that when he signed his deal with Impossible, everything was in line with his previous Nathan’s agreement. But he added that after the fact, “[Nathan’s] changed terms and conditions [around] exclusivity.”

Chestnut noted that while changes had been made in the past, it never happened so close to show time. “They tried to dance around it,” the competitive eater shared with SI. “They changed a lot of terms. And then they escalated things to a degree they didn’t imagine when they started leaking information and telling people I was banned and that I turned vegan, which clearly isn’t the case.”

In June, Chestnut posted to X to say he was “gutted to learn from the media” that after 19 years he was “banned from the Nathan’s July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest.” “I love competing in that event.  I love celebrating America with my fans all over this great country on the 4th and I have been training to defend my title,” he told fans.

Matt Stonie Will Not Compete in the 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Either

Chestnut won every Nathan’s July Fourth Hot Dog Eating contest since 2007, with the exception of one year. In 2015, 23-year-old Matt Stonie beat out Chestnut, eating 62 hot dogs to Chestnut’s 60. (Chestnut  since gulped down a record 72 hot dogs in 10 minutes, in 2021, per CBS News.)

Stonie, who last competed in Nathan’s in 2019, regularly posts food challenges on YouTube.  His stunts range from a 200 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup challenge to a challenge in which he scarfed down every item on the Shaq’s restaurant menu.

Stonie told the New York Post that going against Chestnut was a huge undertaking. “Joey is the most dominant competitive eater of any era. I put a lot of effort into it. And it took five years from when I started to when I beat him,” Stonie admitted.

He added that going head-to-head against the reigning hot dog champ was one of “the most unforgettable moments” of his career.

According to CBS, with Stonie out, the men competing for Chestnut’s include nine-time competitor Geoffrey Esper (49, Oxford, Mass);  Nicholas Wehry (35, Tampa, Florida ); James Webb ( 35, Sydney, Australia0; Gideon Oji (32, Morrow, Georgia); Patrick Bertoletti ( 39, Chicago, Illinois);  Max Stanford (36, Brixton, England ); Darrien Thomas ( 25, Orillia, Ontario ); Ricardo Corbucci,= ( 37, Brasilia,); Radim “Steel Rod” Dvořáče (33, Ostrava, Czech Republic); King Yamamoto (40, Osaka, Japan); George Chiger (45, Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania); Derek “Heavy D” Hendrickson (36, Las Vegas, Nevada); Sean Yeager (32, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania); and William Claude Lyon IV (36, North Augusta, South Carolina).

Joey Chestnut Will Compete in A Major Hotdog Competition This Fall

Although he won’t choke down hot dogs at the Coney Island contest, Chestnut will spend July 4, 2024, competing. The Nathan’s champ will compete against four soldiers in a 5-minute hot dog eating contest in Fort Bliss, Texas,  per The Associated Press.

In addition, Chestnut has a Labor Day contest scheduled against his got dog rival Takero Kobayashi, 46. The two will go head-to-head for the first time since 2009.

“I just want to decide who is the fastest eater, who is the stronger one. That needs to be decided once and for all, “ Kobayashi told ESPN in an interview. “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef” will air live on Netflix on September 2, 2024.

As for Nathan’s, Chestnut told Sports Illustrated that he is not “burning any bridges” with the hot dog company.  The 16-time champ said he would never rule out returning for a future Nathan’s Fourth of July contest.

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