All-Time Great BANNED From New York’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

A controversy is brewing in the world of competitive eating.

There's a sentence I never expected to have to type.

It's a true statement, however, as the world's premier competitive eater has been barred from his most famous event, after it was announced that he had partnered with a rival food brand.

The competitor in-question is Joey Chestnut, who is described on the Major League Eating (MLE) website as the greatest eater in history. Chestnut holds 55 World Records across 55 disciplines.

He even holds the World Record for amount of World Records held. How wild is that!

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Chestnut has accomplished a great deal in the competitive eating world, but no event has brought him more notoriety than the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, which is held every year on July 4th. He has won it a whopping 16 times, and holds the single-event record with 76 hot dogs consumed back in 2021.

READ MORE: Beloved Upstate New York Hot Dog Spot Up In Flames – ‘Loss for the City’

Chestnut, however, has been banned from the event ahead of the 2024 rendition. Chestnut's ban comes on the heels of his affiliation with plant-based food company, Impossible Foods.

Among other products, Impossible Foods makes vegan hot dogs, which is a direct competitor for Nathan's, the sponsor of the annual hot dog eating contest.

Major League Eating issued the following statement:

“We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest." -MLE via CNN

We have less than a month until the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest takes places, so if a resolution is going to be found between the two sides, it's going to need to happen soon.