Surprising news has engulfed the hot dog eating world and nobody can digest it. Joey Chestnut, the No. 1-ranked eater in the world, won’t be chowing down on hotdogs on July 4 at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest due to his partnership with Impossible Foods. It’s an irreplaceable void, his belly-filling competitors say. “It’s a sad day to be a fan or a competitor,” Pablo Martinez, the former competitive eater who holds the No. 25 MLE spot, told The Post on Tuesday. Chestnut, the 16-time champion of the annual contest won’t be competing this year due to his partnership with the rival of Nathan’s, a decision he says is a gut-punch. “I was gutted to learn from the media that after 19 years I’m 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,” Chestnut said in his Tweet. He followed this up with two other segements: “To set the record straight, I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathans and they are looking to change the rules from past years as it relates to other partners I can work with. This is apparently the basis on which I’m being banned, and it doesn’t impact the July 4th event,” Chestnut wrote. “Sadly, this is the decision Nathan’s and Major League Eating are making, and it will deprive the great fans of the holiday’s usual joy and entertainment. To my fans, I love you and appreciate you. Rest assured that you’ll see me eat again soon!! STAY HUNGRY!” The announcement sent shockwaves through the professional eating community, evoking similar emotions from fellow dog-munchers. “The news was sad, I definitely had a mix of emotions,” Martinez said. “I don’t think anyone will ever break his record, it is unfathomable to think that.” Another current competitor, James Webb, the first-ever Nathan’s competitor from Australia, felt no differently when it came to Chestnut, the Nathan’s record-holder with 76 hotdogs eaten in 10 minutes during the 2021 competition. “Selfishly, I am sad,” Webb said, “But I am excited to see what’s next for Joey Chestnut.” For eight consecutive years — 2007-14 — nobody came close to dethroning Chestnut. Speculation has led pundits and fans to anticipate the rise of a new household name, Webb and Martinez agree: the 40-year-old legend is irreplaceable. “Joey is the GOAT,” Webb said. “He is the greatest competitive eater there ever will be. He is the best, he is the pinnacle. He has set standards that I don’t think will ever be lived up to.” Despite the fact that “it will come down to the last one or two hot dogs” Martinez said, if Chestnut was there, “he would be miles ahead of them.” While Chestnut’s decision to collaborate with Impossible Foods has stirred a spark beyond the competitive eating world, his rivals attested to his character and affirmed that he wouldn’t have pursued the partnership if it weren’t beneficial for him and his family’s future. “I’m sure the decision was hard for him,” Martinez said. “I am sure he is thinking about himself and where he is at now.” Continuing over 100 years of tradition, the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest will be held at the iconic Coney Island restaurant.
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