For Americans, Fourth of July is never complete without the infamous Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest. The annual Coney Island competition has become a phenomenon over the years. Surprisingly, the competition has become a hit on the betting sites with bookies too—offering odds on the winners and number of hot dogs eaten.
Joey Chestnut, the 10-time Nathan champ was the crowd favourite this year too with a tough fight from Matt Stonie. Chestnut pulled a stunner last year by eating 72 hot dogs in just 10 minutes. And this year, the man went a step ahead to break the record and walk away with $10,000 prize. He chomped down 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes. This is his 11th Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating trophy.
American hero Joey Chestnut eats a world record 74 hotdogs ?? pic.twitter.com/Y44T3qEilu
— Barstool Heartland (@barstoolhrtland) July 4, 2018
However, Chestnut's victory came with some drama in court. There was a judging dispute in between—creating chaos for few minutes—but eventually, he was announced as the winner after eating more hot dogs than the running tally had indicated. The undisputed king won his first Nathan's trophy in 2007 after eating 66 hot dogs and dethroning six-time defending champion Takeru Kobayashi.
The second place was seated by Carmen Cincotti with 64 hot dogs, while Darron Breeden came third with 43 hot dogs. Even the 91-degree heatwave couldn't stop these men from gobbling down the buns and meat in record time.
This Just In: The Warriors have signed Joey Chestnut to a one-year deal. pic.twitter.com/iIBp1PcDr6
— SportsNation (@SportsNation) July 4, 2018
Among the ladies, Miki Sudo walked away with the trophy after eating 37 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Michelle Lesco took second with 28 hot dogs, and Juliet Lee came in third with 25 hot dogs.
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, which takes place in Brooklyn, New York, has become a July Fourth tradition over the year. More than 20,000 people turned out to witness the competition while another 1 million watched it live on ESPN broadcasts.
