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At this point, no Fourth of July is complete without Joey Chestnut.
Americans everywhere will run to their television sets at noon on America’s 250th birthday as the world’s greatest eater will aim to eat one hot dog for every year the U.S. has been in existence.
OK, that might be a stretch, but it is already a foregone conclusion that Chestnut will earn his 18th Mustard Yellow Belt in 19 attempts on Saturday afternoon.
The greatness began in 2007, ending a run of six straight titles won by former GOAT Takeru Kobayashi, who actually injured his jaw ahead of that contest. Chestnut’s 66 hot dogs defeated Kobayashi’s 63 in a preview of a legendary career to follow.
A rivalry ensued between the two, with Chestnut narrowly beating Kobayashi the next two years, including via a tiebreaking eat-off in 2008. When Kobayashi was banned from the event in 2010, Chestnut took off.
Chestnut had won each title from 2007 through 2014, but he was the victim of a massive upset in 2015 to Matt Stonie, losing 62-60. But Stonie’s glory was short-lived, and Chestnut went on to win each of the next eight events.
There was a new champion in 2024, but not because Chestnut lost – he actually was barred from competing after signing a brand deal with a Nathan’s rival. After much back and forth, Chestnut was allowed back in for the 2025 event with just weeks to spare, and he reclaimed the title with 70.5 dogs and buns.
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“It was great. The audience is awesome, it’s electric. It’s good to be back after mending some fences,” Chestnut recently told Fox News Digital of his return last year. “I do what I love. I got the best job in the world. I get to eat, travel, beat the heck out of people, and meet happy people. So it was great to be back.”
Not all of Chestnut’s titles have come easily. In 2022, Chestnut’s eating was interrupted by a protester, but he miraculously put him in a chokehold and went back to business; he still managed to down 63 dogs and buns.
Even his likely championship on Saturday will not come without a wrinkle, as his 2026 eligibility was actually in doubt for a little bit amid a charge of battery. Chestnut drunkenly slapped a man at a bar in Indiana and pleaded guilty to the charge in April. He is currently serving 180 days of probation, but was granted permission to travel for the event.
His all-time record is 76, which he set back in 2021. It broke his own record of 75 from the year prior, which beat another previous record of 74 from 2018.
And while most are watching for one reason, Chestnut believes that this event is much more than just watching him.
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“It’s never about me,” he said to Fox News in May. “It’s not even about the hot dogs. It’s the Fourth of July. It’s an eating contest, but really, it’s a Fourth of July celebration, it’s a celebration in New York. And that contest, it’s hard to describe exactly.
“It’s an event, it’s more than just an eating contest. It’s part of the Fourth of July celebration for New York City, and I’m just a very little part of it. And when it comes to that celebration, I’m very happy that I was able to come back and be part of people’s Fourth of July.”
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