To be frank, it’s anybody’s sport.
This yr’s Nathan’s Scorching Canine Consuming Contest at Coney Island can be “neck and neck” in perennial winner Joey “Jaws” Chestnut’s absence — leaving a seat open for the subsequent technology of Mustard Yellow Belt winners, host George Shea mentioned at Wednesday’s weigh-in.
Chestnut, who has gained the chow showdown yearly since 2016, will as a substitute be competing towards troopers in Fort Bliss, Texas on Independence Day.
“If he can’t be in Coney Island, we actually help him being with the troops honoring our armed forces,” Shea advised the gang in Hudson Yards. “Our door is all the time open … nonetheless, that opens up a area of eaters who can be in rivalry.”
The reigning Nathan’s champ was barred from this yr’s competitors following his deal to rep vegan meat model Not possible Meals and subsequent “deadlock” with the match organizers who run Main League Consuming.
Shea advised The Put up that Nathan’s and MLE even conceded on the rival sponsorship difficulty so as to get Chestnut again at Coney Island this yr, however to no avail.
A bit of followers have already named a favourite in Australian James Webb — the primary ranked eater in his nation and quantity 5 eater on the earth, Shea mentioned.
Webb, who weighed in Wednesday at 213 kilos, has gained six out of 10 MLE occasions within the final six months and even beat Chestnut in a pistachio consuming contest in California earlier this yr (fellow contestant Nick Wehry additionally beat Chestnut in that competitors).
The Aussie’s sizzling canine rely was 47 at Coney Island final yr, a paltry displaying in comparison with the 62 Chestnut acquired down the hatch to maintain his title.
“I need to be the primary Australian to ever eat 50-plus at Coney Island,” Webb advised The Put up earlier than the weigh-in, including that he has spent the final 12 months attempting to “earn my stripes” forward of the July Fourth match.
That included breaking information for consuming 70 glazed donuts in eight minutes final month for Salvation Military’s Nationwide Donut Day and shoveling in a whopping 13.5 kilos of chocolate fudge in eight minutes on the Consuming Uranus Fudge Galactic Championship.
Shea mentioned that, though “lots of people” assume Webb would be the winner, the Australian will meet his match in 4 different male contestants ranked because the world’s high 50 eaters by MLE: Ricardo Corbucci of Brazil; Patrick Bertoletti of Illinois; Nick Wehry of Florida; and Geoffrey Esper of Massachusetts.
All 5 males are planning to guzzle 50 sizzling canine or extra in 10 minutes, based on the competitors’s host — a far cry from Chestnut’s file of 76 in 2021.
“Three weeks in the past, they weren’t going to win. Now they’re going to win,” Shea mentioned.
The lads’s contest isn’t the one one with severe beef.
9-time champ Miki Sudo will compete towards former winner and rival Michelle Lesco, although the latter mentioned incomes a medal wasn’t precisely on her thoughts.
“[Miki’s] acquired me this yr, midway via a bunch of dental work,” Lesco, weighing in at 105 kilos, advised the gang.
Hailing from Arizona, Lesco mentioned she has to eat “very fastidiously” because of her situation.
“Don’t die is [priority] primary, and placing up a very good quantity is quantity two,” she mentioned.
Second-time Coney Island contestant Mayoi Ebihara, of Japan, mentioned through a translator that she cracked the 50-dog mark throughout coaching — a quantity that, if matched on Thursday, will beat Sudo’s 2020 file of 48.5 canine in 10 minutes.
Ebihara’s rely final yr was 33.5 canine, incomes her the No. 2 slot simply behind Sudo.
“I feel Miki Sudo goes to take [first place] working away,” Shea advised The Put up.
One factor is obvious: with Chestnut out of the image, the opposite hopefuls will get an opportunity to shine, Webb mentioned.
“Joey might be the best of all time however to be trustworthy, there’s a number of of us that, for probably the most half, aren’t too far behind,” he mentioned.
“It’s undoubtedly a shake up, but additionally it’s a large alternative … there comes a time in each sport the place a altering of the guard occurs.”
The contestants will face off in entrance of the Coney Island Nathan’s Well-known location on Surf Avenue. The ladies’s competitors will begin at 11 a.m., adopted by the boys’s contest at 12 p.m.
Followers can catch each occasions on ESPN.
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