Nathan’s hot dogs are meant to be savored, not inhaled. So in that respect the Nathan’s Fourth of July hot dog eating contest is an affront to humanity. But ESPN airs it, so it must be a bid deal. Joey Chestnut’s eight straight titles along with his rivalry with Takeru Kobayashi has elevated this event to cult status.
Matt “The Megatoad” Stonie defeated Chestnut six times in head to head competitions and was considered to be the future of competitive eating. The future is now the present, as Stonie upset Chestnut in the pinnacle of the sport. Stonie pulled out to the early lead just like last year, but unlike last year, Stonie held on all the way through, downing 62 hot dogs to Chestnut’s 60. I guess after eight straight eating titles, your metabolism is bound to slow down a little bit.
Miki Sudo won the women’s division by eating 38 hot dogs, short of the world record 45 dogs by Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, but still more than good enough to win the 2015 title by three, and besting her total from 2014, when she won the title with 34 dogs. Sudo was asked if her low total had something to do with the consistency of the hot dog by ESPN’s Melanie Collins. I couldn’t hear Sudo’s answer through my own laughter at that hard hitting question.
Photo from the 2012 contest above by Andrew Burton/Getty Images
